Sports
Chargers draft pick Joe Alt following in his father's NFL footsteps
They were both first-round picks, this father and son, but the boy now will forever hold an advantage over the old man.
Joe Alt was taken fifth overall by the Chargers on Thursday, four decades after John went 21st overall to the Kansas City Chiefs.
“We’re a little competitive in our family,” John said, smiling. “So that will be one of the ‘gotchas,’ I’m sure.”
The Chargers introduced their latest first-rounder Friday afternoon at their training facility in Costa Mesa, Joe Alt explaining that he felt gratitude and “straight excitement” for the opportunity before him.
Listed by the NFL at 6-foot-9, 321 pounds, he’s expected to add a significant presence for the Chargers at right tackle on offense.
The addition of Alt marked another step in coach Jim Harbaugh’s expressed desire to transform the Chargers into a more powerful, line-of-scrimmage force.
Alt, 21, sounded ready for the assignment when he was asked what he liked best about playing offensive line.
“Being able to hit someone every single play,” he answered. “You don’t have a play off. You’re going to be throwing your head in there whether it’s a pass or a run.”
As a Charger, Alt said he would wear No. 76, the same number he had at Notre Dame and the one his father wore for 13 years as an offensive tackle for the Chiefs beginning in 1984.
Chargers draft pick Joe Alt arrives to be introduced at a news conference in Costa Mesa on Friday.
(Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)
John Alt, listed at 6-8, 298 pounds, was a two-time Pro Bowl player who started 149 NFL games after coming out of the University of Iowa.
Both Alts reached the pros in part because of the athleticism they possessed inside their large frames.
Explaining that he “might have been a little better athlete,” John said he ran a 4.96-second 40-yard dash in the pre-draft process compared to 5.05 for his son. He also said his vertical jump was eight inches superior.
“We’ve been competing a little bit,” John said, smiling again. “You know how is it. You remember things the way you want them sometimes.”
Alt was in the second grade when his father began coaching him, a tutelage that continued through Alt’s time at Totino-Grace High School, near Minneapolis.
Knowing his son had a similar body type, John said he always figured Alt was destined to play offensive line. But for much of the time he was growing up, Alt was a quarterback before moving to tight end for his junior year of high school.
Chargers draft pick Joe Alt, left, poses with his parents, Carolyn, center, and John during a news conference in Costa Mesa on Friday.
(Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)
“I just wanted to give him a chance to play some other positions and learn the game,” John said. “I think that’s a great experience for anybody.”
Said Alt of his dad: “He was there. He allowed me to really learn what football was and [gain] an appreciation for the game and what it did for me and my family.”
All along, the two worked on offensive line-type drills, John emphasizing footwork and agility, particularly after Alt experienced a five-inch growth spurt, reaching 6-7 midway through high school.
John said he realized that if his son could maintain his coordination “through that period of growth, he’d come out the other end with what he wanted.”
Still, Alt was not highly recruited, with Iowa and Minnesota being the only Big Ten schools to pursue him. But the idea of reaching the NFL remained a constant driving influence, Alt explained.
“Football’s all I can remember growing up,” he said. “Walking into the basement, my dad’s jersey was hung up at the bottom of the steps. It was a dream for me for my entire life.”
Alt’s brother, Mark, is a professional hockey player and spent a brief time with the Kings in 2020-21. Alt said he gave up hockey in the second grade because “I got a little heavy for it.”
Now, he finds himself as a weighty addition in the rebuilding of the Chargers, a team Harbaugh and his assistants have touted as an ideal destination for offensive linemen.
“Being wanted is one of the best feelings in the world,” Alt said. “Being [at] a position that the coaches and people feel matters just makes you want to do it that much more and do it for them because they care so much about it.”
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The Las Vegas Raiders and the Baltimore Ravens made a blockbuster trade ahead of the start of NFL free agency.
Las Vegas is trading five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens, per multiple reports.
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium on Aug. 23, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
The Raiders will receive two first-round picks from the Ravens, including the No. 14 overall pick in next month’s NFL draft, one report said.
The 28-year-old Crosby had 10 sacks last season and has reached double digits four times in his seven seasons.
Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Jonah Laulu (96) and defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) celebrate during the second half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans in Houston, Texas, on Dec. 21, 2025. (Ashley Landis/AP Photo)
The Raiders last appeared in the playoffs back in 2021 but have gone 7-27 over the past two seasons. They have the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, which is expected to land them Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
The Ravens, meanwhile, are entering a new era, after firing longtime head coach John Harbaugh and replacing him with former Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.
Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders sniffs smelling salts during an NFL game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on November 20, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Two top City Section baseball teams, El Camino Real and San Fernando, faced off Friday in a pitcher’s duel that went eight innings.
Senior Ray Pelayo of San Fernando kept throwing strikes, keeping El Camino Real off balance for 7⅔ scoreless innings with eight strikeouts and one walk. But then came a balk that scored the winning run in El Camino Real’s 1-0 victory.
Hudson December threw six scoreless innings for El Camino Real and Andrew Katzman struck out three in two scoreless innings.
South Torrance 4, El Segundo 3: In a battle of unbeaten Pioneer League teams, South Torrance (6-0) received a walk-off single from Owen Rhodes in the bottom of the seventh. El Segundo tied it 3-3 in the top of the seventh on a two-out, three-run home run by Chase Mattoon. Issac Orozco struck out nine in five innings and also homered for the Spartans.
Crespi 3, Saugus 2: Justin Kim had two RBIs for the Celts.
Sylmar 7, Legacy 1: Rickee Luevano threw a two-hitter with nine strikeouts.
Sierra Canyon 12, West Ranch 1: Isaias Tirado hit a three-run home run and four pitchers combined to give up five hits.
Mater Dei 15, Rockwall-Heath (Texas) 1: Ezekiel Lara had three hits and five RBIs in Texas. Earlier, the Monarchs gave up seven runs in the third inning of an 8-1 loss to Rockwall-Heath.
St. John Bosco 1, Gahr 0: Star closer Jack Champlin got a strikeout to end the game, finishing two shutout innings of relief. Champlin drove in the game’s only run with an RBI double in the sixth inning. Julian Garcia struck out six with no walks in five innings for St. John Bosco.
San Juan Hills 11, Cypress 0: Garrett Gandolfo threw five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and Clay Riggs contributed three RBIs for San Juan Hills.
Santa Margarita 1, Damien 0: Warren Gravely IV had the only RBI in the Eagles’ win. Tyler Unter struck out six in five shutout innings.
Garfield 9, Cleveland 7: Omar Martinez had three hits and Victor Alvarez drove in three runs for Garfield. Joshua Pearlstein finished with three hits for Cleveland.
Palos Verdes 8, West Torrance 0: Kai Van Scoyoc struck out nine in five innings and Asher Friedman had a home run and a double for Palos Verdes.
Valencia 12, Chatsworth 0: An eight-run second inning helped lead the Vikings to a five-inning win.
Bishop Amat 13, Gardena Serra 2: Joaquin Ortiz finished with three hits and four RBIs.
Corona Centennial 19, Eastvale Roosevelt 3: Devin Bishop and Emiliano Castaneda each hit home runs for Centennial.
Servite 6, Anaheim Canyon 1: Mickey Cabral went three for four and Cole Grothues struck out three in 2⅓ innings of scoreless relief.
Corona Santiago 5, Crean Lutheran 4: Jonathan Thorton delivered three hits and two RBIs for the Sharks.
Fullerton 1, Chaparral 0: Garrett Wrightman threw four innings of scoreless relief and Caleb Brown had an RBI double in the third inning for Fullerton.
Edison 11, Tesoro 7: Ben Wilson hit a grand slam and finished with five RBIs for Edison.
El Dorado 10, Granada Hills 4: Lorenzo Favela hit a three-run home run to lead El Dorado.
Ayala 7, San Dimas 1: Caleb Trugman struck out nine with zero walks in a complete game.
Loyola 14, Venice 1: Wyatt Clougherty had three hits and Luca Marucci contributed three RBIs for Loyola.
Softball
Norco 5, Torrance 0: Coral Williams struck out 10 in six innings. Leighton Gray and Rae Logue hit home runs.
Garden Grove Pacifica 4, Anaheim Canyon 2: Natalia Amezquita had a two-run single for Pacifica.
Orange Lutheran 7, Perry 1: Mia Scott had four RBIs for the Lancers.
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 15, Culver City 0: Ellayne Tellez-Perez had three hits and five RBIs.
Sports
Chargers’ Justin Herbert gushes over Madison Beer in heartfelt birthday tribute: ‘Changed my life forever’
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Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert gushed over 27-year-old singer Madison Beer in a heartfelt birthday tribute on social media, offering fans a rare glimpse into the couple’s relationship.
The two-time Pro Bowl quarterback, who normally shies away from the public eye, posted a series of photos to his Instagram Stories on Thursday.
Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers warms up prior to a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at SoFi Stadium on Dec. 8, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
“Happy birthday to my favorite person of all time,” Herbert wrote in a post that showed the couple on the sidelines of one of his NFL games. “I love you so much. You’ve changed my life forever.”
In another photo appearing to show the couple out to dinner, Herbert wrote, “I am the luckiest guy alive…”
Herbert, who turns 28 later this month, shared another photo of the “Make You Mine” artist petting goats and captioned the photo, “My goats.”
The couple was first linked together in August when they were spotted together on the set of one of Beer’s music videos in Los Angeles. Herbert and Beer were photographed in October on the sidelines of a Chargers game at SoFi Stadium, seemingly confirming the dating rumors.
Quarterback Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers and singer Madison Beer attend an NBA game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on Oct. 24, 2025. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
The same month, Herbert went viral after blocking a rogue basketball from hitting Beer when the two sat courtside at a Los Angeles Lakers game.
Herbert signed a five-year, $262.5 million extension with the Chargers in July 2023. Despite proving himself to be one of the elite young quarterbacks in the NFL, Los Angeles’ offensive struggles have seen the team fall short in back-to-back playoff appearances.
Quarterback Justin Herbert (10) of the Los Angeles Chargers blocks a basketball from hitting Madison Beer as they attend a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on Oct. 24, 2025. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
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The team’s offensive coordinator, Greg Roman, was fired in January and replaced with former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, who is regarded as one of the top offensive minds in football.
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