SAN DIEGO, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- San Diego Chargers center Cory Raymer will miss the balance of the 2002 NFL season after undergoing surgery Monday to repair a ruptured left Achilles tendon. Raymer is expected to be placed on injured reserve this week.
Jason Ball, an undrafted rookie free agent from New Hampshire, replaced Raymer at center against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
Raymer, who was in his ninth season out of Wisconsin, came south for this season after playing for the Washington Redskins in 2001. He should be able to do physical work again in six months.
"It's really unfortunate, but it's part of our game," said Chargers Coach Marty Schottenheimer. "Somebody goes down in this business and somebody else steps up. The young man from New Hampshire did a pretty solid job, being thrust into that situation the way he was. That's about as tough a situation that you can be thrown into with the way their defense was playing. He really did a very, very nice job in there."
Meanwhile, the news on two Pro bowl defenders from last season was a bit better.
Linebacker Junior Seau (ankle) and strong safety Rodney Harrison (groin) both said they are "day-to-day." Harrison is hoping to practice some on Wednesday, while Seau should be okay, Schottenheimer said, "as long as he gets in one practice by Friday."
Seau suffered his injury near the end of the game, while Harrison has missed the last two-and-a-half games after straining his groin on the last play of the first half of the season opener at Cincinnati.
