Bob Gregor

Robert Lee Gregor (born February 10, 1957) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive back for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Washington State Cougars. He was selected by the Chargers in the fourth round of the 1980 NFL draft. After missing the 1980 season while on the injured reserve list, the hard-hitting Gregor started for San Diego the following three seasons, but he was sidelined by injuries each year.

Early life Gregor was born on February 10, 1957, in Riverside, California. He attended Monte Vista High School in Danville, where he played football as a flanker, cornerback and punter, and was named the team's most valuable player. earning all-league honors in the 100-yard dash and starring as a triple jumper. As a fifth-year senior in 1979, Gregor was called "one of the hardest hitters in this game", by Jim Walden, who by then was the Cougars' head coach. According to Walden, "only injuries" prevented Gregor from being one of the top players in the Pac-10 Conference.

Professional career The San Diego Chargers selected Gregor with their second pick of the 1980 NFL draft, choosing him in the fourth round with the 108th overall pick. The Chargers had him rated as the top strong safety and 28th best player in the draft, which was counter to the NFL trend of valuing a defender's coverage skills over their hitting ability. However, he was placed on injured reserve before the 1980 season began due to shoulder and ankle injuries. Later, the team wanted to add him to their active roster midseason, but he would have needed to be placed on waivers, which Coryell said would be too risky, believing another club would claim him. The Chargers fell one game short of the Super Bowl that season, losing to Oakland in the AFC Championship Game. The defense was blamed for the loss, allowing a 28–7 lead to the Raiders before the offense rallied to within 34–27 with 6:52 remaining in the game.

Looking to improve their defense and reach the Super Bowl, San Diego hired Jack Pardee in 1981 as its new assistant head coach in charge of their defense. Pardee inherited a Chargers unit that ranked 18th out of 28 teams in points allowed per game (20.4) during the regular season, However, it also ranked sixth in yards allowed per game (293.2). With the height and range that Pardee desired, Gregor started the first six games at free safety. The team's second-leading tackler at the time, he was sidelined for the next games by a pinched nerve in his neck, which hampered him for the rest of the season. Their defensive backfield was much maligned. The Chargers were again denied a trip to the Super Bowl after losing to Cincinnati in a frigid AFC title game known as the Freezer Bowl.

Under new San Diego defensive coordinator Tom Bass in 1982, Gregor moved to strong safety. In the season opener, Gregor and fellow safety Andre Young played a large part in forcing Denver into six turnovers. In the third game, Gregor dislocated his elbow against the Raiders, Gregor missed the next five games of the nine-game season, shortened by a strike that year. Reflecting on his history, he called the injuries "frustrating". The injury was not initially considered to be season-ending, but he eventually underwent two arthroscopic surgeries. Nonetheless, Gregor's season ended after he tore ankle ligaments in week 7 against Kansas City and was placed on injured reserve.

After years of ranking among the worst defenses in the NFL, San Diego decided during the offseason to begin an extensive youth movement. On July 9, 1985, Gregor was among eight veterans, including six on defense, who were released. Jerry Magee of The San Diego Union wrote that "the slightly built Gregor ... played with a recklessness that was his own undoing." In 2015, a federal judge approved a settlement plan that could potentially cost the league $1 billion in payments to players over 65 years.