COSTA MESA, Calif. -- Los Angeles Chargers coach Brandon Staley vividly remembers his sales pitch to then-free agent linebacker Eric Kendricks.
From his home in Southern California, Staley sat on the phone with Kendricks, who was vacationing in Hawaii with his wife, Ally, before the anticipated arrival of their baby.
The call lasted about an hour, with the two able to connect on the topics of family and football. For Staley, the conversation easily could have stretched longer if he didn’t feel an obligation to allow Kendricks to return to vacationing.
“There's some times where you just feel like you've known someone a lot longer than you have,” Staley said.