San Diego Chargers

2012 record: 7-9

The final AFC stop in For The Win‘s “five most important useless facts” series is the San Diego Chargers, where the team and its fans hope that a new head coach and general manager can get them back to the playoffs for the first time since 2009.

Recent editions:

Friday: Oakland Raiders

Thursday: Kansas City Chiefs

Wednesday: Denver Broncos

1) Manti Te’o taught fellow rookie D.J. Fluker how to swim.



The linebacker used the lessons learned from his father in his native Hawaii to teach the team’s first-round pick, offensive tackle D.J. Fluker, how to swim while they were at the NFL rookie symposium in June. Fluker had been scared to try swimming again after a scary incident where he sank to the bottom of a pool when he was four.

2) Fluker’s mother gave him the middle name Jesus because she wanted him to “be special.”



The 6-foot-5, 339 pound offensive tackle’s given name is Daniel Lee Jesus Fluker. He explained its origins to the Birmingham News in 2009.

“When I was born, they said I was the biggest baby at the hospital,” Fluker said. “I was about two feet long and 12 pounds. My mom gave me two middle names. She thought she was having a girl, but had me instead. She named me Jesus because she wanted me to be special.”

3) Fluker isn’t the only Chargers player whose name has Biblical origins.



According to his team bio, the origins of offensive tackle King Dunlap’s (his full name is King David Dunlap V) name come from the Bible’s King David. His son, King Dunlap VI, continues his family’s tradition.

4) San Diego fans are more supportive of the Chargers than Green Bay fans are of the Packers.



At least that’s what a recent study by students in Emory University’s Sports Marketing Analytics program says. The research ranked the most loyal fanbases of all 32 NFL teams and placed the Chargers 11th, with the Packers at 14th. Call us skeptical.

5) Don Johnson is on the Chargers coaching staff.

No, not that Don Johnson. Defensive line coach Don Johnson survived the offseason coaching regime change to return for his fifth season with the team. His unit ranked sixth in the NFL against the run in 2012, with young defensive ends Cory Liuget and Kendall Reyes expected to improve in 2013.

Tuesday: The five most important useless facts about the Dallas Cowboys