Joey Bosa isn't all that different from you. He likes playing video games and heard about the Chargers move to LA just about the same time you did.
The No. 3 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft will no longer call San Diego home after the Chargers announced they were headed to Los Angeles last month. And while Bosa says he had a bit of a heads up that the move was imminent, when word officially came down he was just as surprised as everyone else.
"We weren't really sure about it until the official announcement came out and everyone heard about it," says Bosa.
But Bosa swears he's hellbent on making the most of the move north. We talked to the defensive lineman, who finished the 2016 season with 10.5 sacks, about the controversial move to Los Angeles, his welcome to the NFL moment, and his favorite video game, Call of Duty, while he was down in Houston for Super Bowl LI festivities.
(This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.)
Did you have any welcome to the NFL moments?
In a specific game, my first welcome to the NFL moment after playing such a great season was against Joe Thomas, from the Cleveland Browns. He would lock me down as if I was just a little kid. He shut me down like three times in a row and I was like, okay I guess I'm not at that level just yet. [Laughs.] Just to know that there are those players out there that are just so good at what they do gets you to strive to be better everyday.
"I see where the fans are coming from, if the team that I supported my whole entire life got off and left the city where I am from, I'd be mad, too."
So how do you feel about the Chargers move to Los Angeles?
It's a lot of mixed emotions, obviously because the team has been in San Diego for such a long time but there was a change that needed to be made. I'm excited for the opportunity to be in the great city of LA and I think it would be good for the team.
How did you find out about the team officially moving? Did you hear it from the TV or did they notify the team prior to the official announcement?
I heard about the announcement the same day that everyone else did maybe a little bit earlier. I was given a warning prior to that I might need to move up to LA. We weren't really sure about it until the official announcement came out and everyone heard about it.
After seeing the reaction of the people of San Diego, do you think they will follow the franchise to LA?
It's still mixed emotions. I see where the fans are coming from, if the team that I supported my whole entire life got off and left the city where I am from, I'd be mad, too. But I think over time once everything settles out it will all work out to be fine.
How do you feel and what are you most excited about having Anthony Lynn as your HC and Gus Bradley as your new DC?
I haven't really had the time to sit down and talk with them a lot because I've been really busy traveling around the past few weeks, but the week after the Super Bowl I'm going to go back down and talk to them. I know Gus Bradley personally from recruiting when he was in Jacksonville and I met coach Lynn not too long ago in LA, but I haven't really had the chance to sit down and talk to them.
If you could change one rule in the NFL what would it be?
That I don't have to wear long socks every game! [Laughs.]
What do you like most about Call of Duty?
Well I've been playing the game for so long. I remember lining up to get the original Modern Warfare at Gamestop the night before. I would line up with all my friends just to get it early and be the first to play it. I think thing that I like the most about video games, especially Call of Duty, is just being able to connect with my friends that are all over the country and we could get together and play online.
Do you play with your teammates or any other NFL players?
Sometimes I play with my teammates, but I mostly play with my brother and my friends from Florida and Colorado. We mic-up and play almost every night.
Has anyone ever noticed you by your gamertag?
Actually, yeah. It used to be bosa97 so it was obvious that it was me, so I was like, alright really need to change it. You wouldn't believe how many gamer tags are out there! I tried over 50 of them and none of them worked!
