Tre Boston might not be a Los Angeles Charger if not for a chance encounter with an unusual man at a random gas station.

The then-free-agent safety had the choice to sign with either the Chargers, Buffalo Bills, or Pittsburgh Steelers. As he weighed his options, he was heading home to North Carolina when he stopped for some cheap gas.

"I crossed two lanes to get to the gas station ..." Boston told Eric D. Williams of ESPN. "There's a guy with three kids and he asked me for a little bit of change, or if I had a dollar or two. I gave him a 20.

"So he tells me thank you so much, and that God put me in his life for a reason. And in my mind I'm saying you're here for a reason, too. So in my mind I'm saying, should I ask him, 'L.A. or Buffalo.' And before I could ask him, my man told me, 'Thank you so much. There aren't too many people like you in this world, God's children. My name's Mike Daniels, but people call me L.A.'"

The conversation brought Boston to tears ... and to the L.A. Chargers.

"I ended up giving him $100 because I knew he changed my life, just like I knew I changed his life," he continued. "Honestly, that's the reason why I'm here. It didn't matter how much money was given to me. It didn't matter really who was on the team, it just happened to be a great fit."

If the veteran of three seasons can help turn around the Chargers' 20th-ranked pass defense, they'll have Mike Daniels to thank.