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After a brief respite in the hills of Northwest Georgia, the Chatsworth Cheetah — a most appropriate byname for Ladd McConkey — has returned to Los Angeles with his sights set on continuing his football career with the Los Angeles Chargers, who have a highly regarded quarterback, Justin Herbert, and a new coach, Jim Harbaugh.

Ladd has not brought up in conversation the results of the 2021 Orange Bowl with the coach, but he has reserved a little needling for the Charger assistants who were members of the Michigan staff for that game, which Georgia won, 34-11.

“You should be thankful we did not get into the playoffs this past season or you might not have won the national title,” Ladd kidded them during recent OTAs. In that game, which enabled the Bulldogs to move on to play Alabama for the national championship, Ladd caught two passes for 14 yards and had one rush for eight yards. Ever the team player, he said this about that in a recent conversation, “We had nine guys to catch balls in that Orange Bowl game which means that the team stats are the most important stats.”

While you would never hear this little man, comparatively speaking, with the biggest of hearts come with a fool hardy quote, he says he feels “comfortable” with the Charger offense.

“I really like Justin Herbert,” he said in our recent conversation. “He has such great ability; he has a terrific work ethic and a great relationship with his teammates.”

Ladd’s refreshing resumé is deserving of longevity. In addition to a storybook high school and college career, if he flourishes with the Chargers, he will utilize the experience to do some good for the world.

That is likely to happen anyway. He is certainly not the one-dimensional athlete we are so often introduced to. He was just as proud of his degree from the Terry College of Business at UGA as he was his two national championship rings. He played his final season as a college graduate and won a National Football Foundation post-graduate scholarship.

He grew up playing games and excelling but loving sports for the pure joy of competition. The fun of playing with an accent on versatility makes you aware that his refreshing attitude was the same as it was back in Murray County. Football, basketball, baseball, track — it didn’t matter the season, he was eager to compete. Pickup games were as constant as sunrises. He was simply having fun. His 6-foot, 185-pound frame cast him as a “little guy,” but what set him apart were the results. He was adept at making big plays — the sort that had game changing effect.

At home in the woods, dropping a 12-point buck, which he could field dress with rapid aplomb, or outwitting a seasoned Tom (turkey) with canny shotgun accuracy; or casting for abundant bream or bass will always bring about comparable exhilaration that comes with making a productive and defining play that helps his team negotiate victory.

His self-scouting report discloses that while he wasn’t the biggest or the strongest in his developmental years, “I could run pretty fast.” He confirms that athletic alacrity runs in his family. Competition, too. Early on he wanted to outdo his brother Hinton. You know who had the advantage, initially. When little brother grew up a bit, it was a different story. The process, however, brought significant dividends for the development of a young man with a perennial smile.

Now Ladd has the greatest challenge of his young life. Every Charger is bigger and better than most of those he crossed swords with during his time as a Southeastern Conference receiver. Never the cocky, trash talking type, Ladd remans enamored with competition at the highest level and his confidence brings about a belief and faith that his next chapter in football will be favorable.

Attention to detail is part of his DNA and he relishes time spent in the tape room. He respects the veteran players, saying, “It is amazing. I am a rookie, and I line up with guys who are 10 years older than me.”

His first impression was to graphically understand that pro football is a business. For those players who fared poorly upon arrival, they had cleaned out their lockers before he met them.

He believes his Georgia experience has prepared him to play in the NFL.

“The Charger offense is very familiar. We like to run the ball and utilize the play-action passing game, just like it was with the Bulldogs,” he says.

Today he is enjoying football just as he always has, but he knows it will not last forever, which brought up the question of what does he want to do when the reality of life after football comes about?

“Maybe coach,” he grins. “Like on the high school level, help young kids.”

Altruism runs deep in his makeup, which means that when he settles down in the community of choice, he will not only be a good neighbor, but he will also extend a helping hand to those in need.

It would be difficult to find a more all-American boy than Ladd McConkey, the mountain kid who has followed his heart to the next level, but we can rejoice in the belief that the best is yet to come.