Ernie Wright was one of the original Los Angeles Chargers when the AFL launched in 1960, and the Ohio State tackle took full advantage of the chance. He locked down the starting left tackle job as a rookie and held it through the team’s early years in both Los Angeles and San Diego. Wright earned AFL All-Star nods in 1961, 1963, and 1965, with the 1963 season also bringing an AFL Championship as the Chargers rolled over the Boston Patriots 51-10. Sid Gillman later called the Wright-and-Mix tandem one of the best pairs of offensive tackles in pro football at the time, a nod to the steady pass protection and run support Wright provided for the early Chargers offenses.

He spent his first eight seasons with the franchise before the expansion Bengals selected him in their inaugural draft. Wright played four years in Cincinnati, then returned to San Diego for one final season in 1972 before retiring. He was one of only 20 players who appeared in all ten years of the AFL.

Wright never piled up the individual stats that jump off a page, but he was a durable starter who helped anchor the line during the Chargers’ first decade. He was later named to the franchise’s 50th-anniversary team, recognition for the original tackle who held down the left side for most of the AFL era.