Stephen Schilling Stephen Dana Schilling ( born July 21 , 1988 ) is an American football offensive guard for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League . He was included on the 2009 preseason watchlist for the Lombardi Award . He had previously been a two - time Associated Press first - team Class 3A All - state selection in Washington for the Bellevue High School Wolverines football team where he played on three state champion teams . Born and raised in Bellevue , Washington , Schilling grew up playing basketball until high school . In high school , he was a member of the three - time state champion team . He became a star offensive lineman who was a standout Seattle athlete as his high school won its third consecutive state championship in his junior year . He won numerous all - area and all - state honors as a junior and a senior and was highly touted on the national level . He was selected to play in the U . S . Army All - American Bowl and as one of the nominees for " Parade " All - American Player of the Year . After being highly recruited by several top college football programs and narrowing his list to several Pacific - 10 Conference football teams and University of Michigan , he decided to attend Michigan . At Michigan , he redshirted as a true Freshman and then started the following year . When the team transitioned from head coach Lloyd Carr to Rich Rodriguez during his redshirt sophomore season , he became one of the few experienced players to endure the change . He has since anchored the offensive line composed of less experienced players . He was honored as the 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team ' s best offensive lineman as a redshirt sophomore before being nationally recognized as a Lombardi Award watchlist candidate in 2009 . He was selected as a 2009 and 2010 All - Big Ten Conference honorable mention . He was a 2010 Outland Trophy watch list candidate . He began his NFL career on the practice squad . He was activated prior to week 8 of the 2011 NFL Season ( his rookie year ) , and has played in several games beginning in week 9 . High school . When Schilling was young , he was too large to play organized football with kids his own age because Bellevue ' s youth leagues were regulated by weight - age limits , which caused him to take up basketball instead . Schilling says that his true love was basketball and that he would probably not have experimented with football , but the coach of the basketball team resigned right before his freshman season . During the summer prior to his freshman year , Schilling first visited the Bellevue High School weight room where he noticed the intensity and camaraderie . He eventually became a three - year starter for the football team . As a sophomore , Schilling was part of the Bellevue championship football team whose season extended long enough to interfere with him participating in the early part of the basketball season as a sophomore . The championship , which came as a result of a ten - game winning streak to close the season , made the Bellevue Wolverines three - time Class 3A state champions . On September 4 , 2004 , as a junior , he helped Bellevue end the high school football record 151 - game winning streak by De La Salle High School in front of 24 , 987 at the second annual Emerald City Kickoff Classic at Qwest Field by a 39 – 20 score . Early in his junior season , he got his first scholarship offer from the University of Washington . The Schilling , who wore # 52 in high school , played on both the offensive line and defensive line . Prior to the state championship game he was named to the All - area football team by " The Seattle Times " . He helped his 13 – 0 team become the first school from the state of Washington to win five state championships in 2004 . For the championship week effort Schilling , who played offensive tackle , was selected as " The Seattle Times " ' Class 3A male athlete of the week . During the season , Schilling was known for his training habits . At the end of the football season , he was selected to All - State teams both by the Associated Press and " The Seattle Times " . During his junior basketball season , he was a solid contributor to team scoring and rebounding . He averaged 10 . 6 points / game during his junior season . At the end of his junior year he was named the number 25 football prospect in the nation and the number three offensive tackle by Rivals . com . In July prior to his senior season , he was included in a Reebok Western All - American list in " Sports Illustrated " . Early in his senior season , running a Wing T offense , Bellevue again defeated a highly regarded California high school in a game at Qwest Field . On September 16 , 2009 , they defeated the Long Beach Polytechnic High School , who had been ranked number three by the " USA Today " . At the end of September , he left a game in the second quarter with what was thought to be a separated shoulder . He spent the following three weeks on the sidelines with a sore shoulder . In his October 28 return , Bellevue snapped their 30 - game winning streak . During the first ten games of the season , Bellevue averaged 11 yards per rush . In the eleventh game , the team lost in the state quarterfinals . Schilling ended his career having played for three state champions . Schilling was one of sixteen nominees for the " Parade " All - America High School Player of the Year award . He was selected to the local all - star teams by both the " The Seattle Times " and " Seattle Post - Intelligencer " . He repeated as an Associated Press Class 3A All - state selection . Schilling was selected to play in the January 7 , 2006 U . S . Army All - American Bowl . Although he was highly regarded as a tackle , he started at right guard for the west during the game . He became a " Parade " All - American . Schilling did not play basketball during his senior year to avoid the risk of injury . Although he was highly recruited during the season , he decided not to make his decision until after the season ended . He scheduled visits with the Cal Bears and USC Trojans and anticipated visits with the Michigan Wolverines and Washington Huskies . Those were the four schools he was seriously considering . He eventually changed his visit dates , but the final four contenders remained ths same . By the time he was to make his final decision he had 20 scholarship offers . In his final week of consideration , he eliminated USC from contention and had home visits from the other three finalists during the week . He made his final selection in what has become a traditional recruit announcement technique by using the schools ' caps in front of his extended family , including his mother who is named Joanne and a sister . He also has an Aunt Lydia Schilling . College . Schilling did not arrive in in time for 2006 spring practice like some of his classmates . Just prior to the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season opener for the 2006 Michigan Wolverines football team , Schilling was diagnosed with mononucleosis . This caused him to miss several weeks of practice . In late October , he decided to redshirt and have a second shoulder surgery after having missed weeks of practice and lost lots of weight . As part of his transition from a Wing T offense that rarely passed , Schilling had to work on improving his pass blocking . He earned the starting right tackle position in a battle with Mark Ortmann and Perry Dorrestein at the start of the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season for the 2007 Michigan Wolverines football team . He was the starter on September 1 during the opening game loss to two - time defending FCS champion Appalachian State Mountaineers . After starting the first five games at right tackle , Schilling moved to right guard for two games ( Eastern Michigan and Purdue ) as a result of injuries to some of his other teammates . He was expected to start a third game at right guard , but he was returned to right tackle . During practice , he had to spend time at both positions after the injuries . Although he did not start at guard until the sixth game , he played guard in the opener after Jeremy Ciulla got injured . Although , he had to stretch beyond his past experiences and natural position , he was able to seek fifth - year seniors Jake Long and Adam Kraus as mentors . The 2007 rivalry game against Ohio State was a prime example of his lack of experience with pass blocking . He had difficulties pass blocking against Vernon Gholston , who posted three quarterback sack s . With the departure of Mike Hart , Mario Manningham , Adrian Arrington , Jake Long , Chad Henne , and Adam Kraus to the National Football League and Justin Boren ' s defection from the team , the 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team entered the season for new head coach Rich Rodriguez with only three returning offensive starters : Schilling , tight end Carson Butler and fullback Mark Moundros . Backup quarterback Ryan Mallett transferred and two senior offensive linemen ( Jeremy Ciulla and Alex Mitchell ) declined to use their fifth years of eligibility . Schilling was virtually the only returning offensive lineman with any experience . Aside from Schilling , the projected opening game starting offensive line had a total of three career starts . Offensive line injuries continued to affect the lineup through the early part of the season with David Molk ( center ) , David Moosman ( right guard ) and Schilling ( right tackle ) being the only players to start each of the first four games . Even Schilling was a bit injured , causing him to be handled delicately during practice . In the first five games , the team used four different starting offensive line combinations due to injuries . For much of the season , Rodriguez ' offense started six freshmen . By the seventh game the line returned to full strength and used the opening day lineup . In the week before the last game of the season against Ohio State , Schilling injured his knee in practice . As a result , he did not play in the final game . Nonetheless , he was honored by the team at the end of the season as the team ' s best offensive lineman . The young offense had all but one of its starters returning for the following season . As a fourth - year junior , Schilling entered the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season opener with the second most career starts ( 26 ) on the 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team behind punter Zoltan Mesko ( 38 ) . He switched to left guard from right tackle in 2009 . In the Ohio State game , he was notable for losing a shoe during the game and trying to play without it . He was recognized as an honorable mention 2009 All - Big Ten Conference selection by both the coaches and the media . As a fifth - year senior , Stephen Schilling was watchlisted for the Outland Trophy award for lineman . He was also , elected co - captain and participated in a season long fanmail program where he responded to Michigan fan questions made by email and on Facebook every Friday . Following the Big Ten Conference season , he was selected as an honorable mention All - Conference selection by both the coaches and the media . Following the season , he participated in the 2011 Senior Bowl . During Schilling ' s senior season , Denard Robinson had a record - setting season on offense : he broke Drew Brees ' Big Ten single - season total offense record of 4 , 189 yards . Robinson fell 116 yards short of Tim Biakabutuka ' s Michigan school record of 1 , 818 rushing yards . However , he led the conference in both total offense and rushing yards per game . Professional career . Pre - draft . Schilling was one of 56 offensive linemen invited to participate in the February 24 — March 1 , 2011 NFL Scouting Combine . He ranked sixth in the bench press with a total of 30 repetitions . He ranked ninth in the 20 - yard shuttle with a time of 4 . 62 . San Diego Chargers . Schilling was picked with the 201st overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers . He was waived by the team on September 3 , 2011 , but he was signed to the practice squad on September 5 . He was activated from the practice squad on October 26 . He was activated prior to week 8 , but did not play . He played in the subsequent weeks and started in both weeks 11 & 12 . In week 13 , he was not in the starting lineup , but remained active and played . He was released from the roster on August 31 , 2012 . He was re - signed to the Chargers on December 4th , 2012 . Personal . He has a girlfriend named Katie who is a University of Michigan Law School student and who was a Michigan Women ' s soccer player as an undergraduate . He is a recreational golf er . In high school , he was superstitious about wearing the same underwear and undershirt for every game . He also ate a Friday meal at Subway .