A new weight room looked familiar to Denzel Perryman.

Its gray walls and red-cushioned seats, inspired by the school colors at Sweetwater High, matched the colors of Coral Gables High, his alma mater in Miami. In 2007, a freshman Perryman began to build himself into an NFL linebacker one bench press, one squat, one power clean at a time.

He took a moment Tuesday.

“This reminds me of my high school,” he said, addressing dozens of Sweetwater students who were presented the weight room. “The same color floor mats, the same color red door, the same color racks and weights. … This weight room right here, this is where I started my high school and my career.”


Perryman is still building.

The 2015 second-round pick flew from Miami to San Diego this week, specifically for the facility’s Tuesday unveiling. The new workout area was part of a $63,000 grant from the Chargers, who say they’ve invested more than $5 million in about 120 schools across the city and county through their Chargers Champions foundation since 2001. This offseason, Perryman has his mind on sustained contribution.

Last season was impressive and all.

It needs only to be the start.


“My mindset is not to take a step back, number one,” Perryman, 23, said. “Continue where I left off. In the second half, I got to start. I was making this play; I was making that play. I want to continue that for a whole season. I know I’m going to have a bad play down the road, but the goal is to try to not have a bad game or let my worst game be my best game.

“I just don’t want to fall off. I want to be better than I was last year.”

Perryman worked his way into the fold as a rookie.

He missed part of the Chargers’ spring workout program and training camp to minor injuries. He played catch-up at the start of the season, most of his playing time coming on special teams. In Week 2, he was credited with five special-teams tackles, three of which came on the Bengals’ lone three kickoff returns. His first start came in Green Bay in Week 6 following a Manti Te’o ankle injury. Perryman forced a fumble on running back Eddie Lacy and started the next week before a biceps ailment forced him to miss the next two games. He returned after the Week 10 bye, promptly being re-inserted into the permanent lineup.


It was a different Chargers defense soon after that.

A physical force in the interior, Perryman had a team-high 51 tackles with two sacks in the final seven games. His presence was viewed as part of the reason for San Diego’s improved play down the stretch. San Diego allowed the NFL’s fifth-fewest passing yards (993) and ninth-fewest points (91) over the final five weeks. It ranked 20th and 30th, respectively, in the first 11 games.

Coach Mike McCoy was present at Tuesday’s unveiling.

He characterized Perryman as “special.”


“Without a doubt,” McCoy said. “As you saw from what we were doing defensively once he got in there and started playing every down for us, he makes us a better football team.”

It’s a start Perryman wants to continue.

He left the Sweetwater campus and drove back to Chargers Park, heading for the team weight room.

“I’m just grinding every day,” Perryman said, “trying to get better and better.”