Heck, even living back east as a kid we rooted for John Hadl and those UCLA style uniforms.
Ah, then you knew the Hadl to Alworth routine!
The Chargers used to play in Balboa Stadium, which served as my high school’s stadium too, so I’ve loved the team since they first came to town from Los Angeles. We’d get to see the players up close, but of course, we weren’t allowed onto the field while they were there.