Jump to content

TNF: Chargers at Broncos - 8:25 PM EDT on CBS and NFLN


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 66
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Trials in perseverance: D.J. Fluker goes from homelessness to the NFL

By Jon Wertheim

 

If you have a thing for irony, consider the current role of Daniel Lee Jesus Fluker. A starting offensive tackle for the San Diego Chargers, Fluker goes by “D.J.” and he is essential security detail for the team’s quarterback, Philip Rivers. The 6-foot-5, 340-pound Fluker clogs the arteries to Rivers with remarkable effect. The Chargers are currently 5-2, largely because of the soaring excellence of Rivers, who, often untouched by the opposition, recently became the first NFL quarterback to post four straight games with a passer rating of 120 or better.

 

While Fluker’s current job is to protect Rivers, it was an unprotected river that marked the defining moment of his severe childhood that put him on a path of displacement, destitution and devastation.

 

For all the natural disasters that come without warning, Hurricane Katrina’s reputation preceded her arrival. In August 2005, residents of New Orleans knew a storm was coming. That included the Fluker family: D.J, his mother, two sisters and brother had left town and taken refuge in nearby Biloxi, Miss., when the storm hit. They were safe, but when the muddy Mississippi breached its banks, the Flukers’ modest home in the Lower Ninth Ward was destroyed. Without insurance or their possessions, they were suddenly consigned to living in their Ford Escort, all five of them. D.J. was 14 at the time and already weighed close to 400 pounds.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is anyone else getting sick of Denver being on national TV every single week?

 

Not at all. Watching Peyton play is simply a delight. Plus, the Broncos get a lot of high-profile matchups this year that merit primetime showings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...