LOS ANGELES _ The first week of the season was a whirlwind for Hayes Pullard, the former USC linebacker who was waived by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 3 and claimed by the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 4.
Seven days after joining his new team, Pullard found himself in front of a raucous Sports Authority Field crowd of 76,324 on "Monday Night Football" playing far more than he expected in a 24-21 loss to the Denver Broncos.
"One thing Gus always said at Jacksonville is that you have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable," Pullard said, referring to Gus Bradley, the former Jaguars coach and current Chargers defensive coordinator.
"I wasn't expecting it, but you have to be ready. You know you haven't gotten many reps, you haven't prepared much, but when you get thrown into the fire, you have to be able to play like a starter."
Pullard played as much as a starter. His 32 snaps were more than starting linebackers Korey Toomer (27) and Kyle Emanuel (30).
Pullard was credited with seven tackles, second on the team behind linebacker Jatavis Brown's 14, but he missed a few tackles and was badly beaten in the first quarter when he was late to react to receiver Emmanuel Sanders' break off the right slot. With the ball on the Chargers 25-yard line, Sanders bolted past Pullard on a post pattern. Pullard was spared when quarterback Trevor Siemian's pass went off the fingertips of a diving Sanders in the end zone.
"I wasn't having too much fun early on because I wasn't expecting to play ... but overall, it went pretty smooth," Pullard, 25, said. "A lot of things need to get better. I need to tackle better in the red zone, and I almost got beat deep. I've got to fix those things."
Pullard's familiarity with Bradley's 4-3, cover-three scheme made him attractive to the Chargers. Pullard played 24 games, starting twice, for Jacksonville in 2015-2016, recording 24 tackles.
"He had some catching up to do," Bradley said. "Though he had a basic understanding of the defense, there are some subtle differences. For him to pick those things up and go into the first game, we were pretty pleased. But he left some things out on the field as well."
Bradley likes Pullard's size (6-foot, 235 pounds) and instincts and expects him to improve as he gets more comfortable with the Chargers.
A former standout at Los Angeles' Crenshaw High and a four-year starter at USC, where he led the team in tackles for three seasons, Pullard is eagerly anticipating Sunday's home opener against the Miami Dolphins in StubHub Center.
"Getting cut by Jacksonville was a blessing in disguise," Pullard said. "This is a dream come true, being from Los Angeles, going to Crenshaw and USC and now hearing the name 'L.A. Chargers.' "
