"LOS ANGELES -- Almost everything is a competition between Los Angeles Chargers outside linebackers Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu. It's commonplace to hear one of them yelling the other's name in the locker room, sometimes to annoy, other times for a challenge. Last season, the competition of choice was shuffleboard; this season, it's cornhole, and occasionally ping pong. Tuipulotu's never afraid to trash-talk Mack; "that was weak as hell, OG," he once told Mack during a game of cornhole. Mack laughed it off: "watch this.""
"Across his 12 NFL seasons, Mack has accomplished nearly everything a defender can -- a Defensive Player of the Year award, five All-Pro selections, over 100 sacks -- it's a resume destined for Canton. But team success has eluded him. Mack is 0-5 in the postseason, including two painful losses in his first three seasons with the Chargers. Despite interest from other contenders in the offseason, he returned to Los Angeles ahead of this season because he believed this roster"
Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu maintain a constant competitive rapport that combines playful banter with serious on-field development. Tuipulotu openly admires Mack and models his growth on Mack's example. Mack brings a Hall of Fame-caliber resume but has faced postseason disappointment, including an 0-5 playoff record. Mack chose to return to Los Angeles believing the roster and defense could make deeper postseason runs. Mack's experience and mentorship have accelerated Tuipulotu's emergence as a promising edge rusher, bolstering one of the NFL's stronger defensive units.
Read at ESPN.com
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