Chargers : Ortmayer Denies Pursuit of Pelluer
THOUSAND OAKS — The fans at California Lutheran University Thursday were watching and comparing the arms of Troy Aikman, Steve Walsh and Billy Joe Tolliver. But the passer the football people were talking about was Steve Pelluer, the Cowboys’ unsigned veteran quarterback.
Aikman and Walsh are Dallas’ highly paid rookies. Tolliver is the second-rounder from Texas Tech the Chargers hope will soon lead them into the playoffs. The three will be on display twice more today and again Saturday when the two teams conduct a live scrimmage.
Cowboy Coach Jimmy Johnson said this week it was his understanding that the Chargers will pursue Pelluer in a trade if they are dissatisfied with Tolliver’s progress through Saturday.
Steve Ortmayer, the Chargers’ director of football operations, was downright testy when asked about Pelluer. “No,” Ortmayer said of Pelluer, “we’re not pursuing that.”
Asked if the Charger staff will evaluate Tolliver after Saturday, Ortmayer said, “Not only Tolliver. But Mark Malone, David Archer and Mark Vlasic.” The latter three are also Charger quarterbacks.
“Steve Pelluer is a very good quarterback and ought to be playing for somebody,” said Jerry Rhome, the Dallas quarterback coach who spent last year as the Chargers’ offensive coordinator. “I think he and his agent made a mistake playing hardball on his contract.”
Rhome also said Pelluer doesn’t fit into Dallas’ plans anymore. The Cowboys’ other two quarterbacks are Scott Secules and ex-Charger Babe Laufenberg.
“I’m just the high man on the totem pole,” said 29-year-old Laufenberg, referring to his age. Laufenberg was the Charger starting quarterback last year before the coaches replaced him with Malone.
Charger Notes
Center Don Macek has a sprained ankle and didn’t practice Thursday. Rookie center Courtney Hall strained an Achilles’ tendon early in practice and couldn’t finish practice. . . . The most impressive Charger unit was the defensive line, led by Lee Williams and Leslie O’Neal. It dominated the Cowboy offensive line in one-on-one drills. . . . Former Oklahoma Coach Barry Switzer, accompanied by his daughter, watched practice from the sidelines.
