Bruise Brothers (San Diego Chargers)

The Bruise Brothers were a group of American football players who played on the defensive line for the San Diego Chargers (now known as the Los Angeles Chargers) in the National Football League (NFL). The foursome, consisting of Fred Dean, Gary Johnson, Louie Kelcher, and Leroy Jones, formed one of the most dominant lines of their era. The Chargers selected Johnson, Kelcher, and Dean in the first two rounds of the 1975 NFL Draft, and they traded for Jones the following year. They helped San Diego lead the league in sacks in 1980.

In the 1975 draft, the core of the Bruise Brothers was formed when the Chargers drafted Johnson (first round, 8th overall pick), Kelcher (second round, 30th overall), and Dean (second round, 33rd overall) with three of their first four picks. Each of the three became an All-Pro player during his career.ESPN in 2009 ranked San Diego's 1975 draft class as the team's best draft ever, and it is widely considered one of the best drafts for any franchise. The Chargers acquired Jones from the Los Angeles Rams in 1976 for a future draft choice. Dean and Johnson became the primary pass rushers, while Kelcher and Jones developed into strong defenders against the run.

In 1978, they were considered the strength of the Chargers' defense.Sports Illustrated lauded their pass rushing ability, calling them an "awesome young front four" that was "better than average against the run, and its pass rush has clearly helped an unheralded secondary rank among the league's best."Don Coryell became San Diego's head coach in the middle of 1978, and they won three consecutive AFC West titles starting in 1979.

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