“The Big Cat” Ernie Ladd arrived in San Diego as a late-round find from Grambling in 1961, and at 6-foot-9 and around 290–315 pounds, he was one of the largest humans ever to play the game. Historically Black colleges weren’t heavily scouted by pro teams then, so the Chargers got a steal when they brought in the massive defensive tackle. As a rookie, he started every game at right defensive tackle, earned First-Team All-AFL honors, and helped the team reach the AFL Championship Game. He used that rare combination of size, strength, and surprising agility to clog the middle and disrupt both the run and the pass, quickly becoming a cornerstone of the early Chargers defense.

Over the next few seasons, Ladd stayed a consistent force. He was an AFL All-Star four straight years from 1962 to 1965 and earned First-Team All-AFL honors again in 1964 and 1965. In 1962 he led the team with 9.5 unofficial sacks, and in 1963 he was part of the original “Fearsome Foursome” defensive line (alongside Earl Faison and others) that helped the Chargers win the AFL Championship with a 51-10 rout of Boston. Even when injuries limited his starts in 1963, he still contributed on a unit that made four AFL title games in his five seasons. Opponents described him as almost impossible to block cleanly; one center said trying to handle him was like being locked in a closet.

After the 1965 season, Ladd signed with the Houston Oilers. He had already begun wrestling in the offseason, and the Chargers had been told he might eventually leave football for the ring full-time—which he did a couple of years later. Across his five seasons in San Diego, he had been a four-time AFL All-Star, a three-time First-Team All-AFL selection, and a key piece of the 1963 championship team.

In 1981, the Chargers inducted “The Big Cat” into their Hall of Fame, recognizing the imposing defensive tackle who had helped define the franchise’s early defensive identity before trading the gridiron for a long and successful second career in professional wrestling.