Austin Ekeler Says Los Angeles Chargers Have to ‘Make Our Reputation Known By Winning Games’

Austin Ekeler #30 of the Los Angeles Chargers celebrates after the game against the Washington Football Team at FedExField on September 12, 2021 in Landover, Maryland.

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Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler is ready to build a culture for his team.

“Los Angeles is a very busy neighborhood,” 27-year-old Ekeler jokes to PEOPLE over FaceTime from the team’s practice facility. “We’re trying to get fans in the seats that are our own fans. You have to make a whole change in the culture to get the fans on your side, and that takes time and it takes a lot of consecutive winning.”

However, Ekeler knows his team often comes in second place in the city to the 2022 Super Bowl champions, the Los Angeles Rams. “We’re the new kids on the block and everyone’s pretty much established in the neighborhood. So, we gotta make our reputation known by winning games.”

Ekeler and the Chargers just narrowly missed the 2021-22 postseason, but ended their regular games with a 9-8 record, an improvement from their 7-9 finish a year earlier. “Until we continue year after year to show that we can be competitive and be fun to watch, then we’ll be able to build that,” he says.

Running back Austin Ekeler #30 of the Los Angeles Chargers celebrates after defeating the Las Vegas Raiders at SoFi Stadium on October 4, 2021 in Inglewood, California.

Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Los Angeles Chargers running back, Austin Ekeler

Ekeler says he and his teammates are “all trying to chase” the Rams’ level of success. “The situation is what it is right now,” he says, before getting into the downsides of playing professional football in Los Angeles. “We have a lot of opposing fans that like to come out to sunny, California and catch their team when they play the Chargers,” says Ekeler.

The Colorado native says the Rams have to deal with similar problems defending their home field. “L.A. is a busy neighborhood. It’s crowded out here, there’s so much entertainment. So even with the Rams winning the Super Bowl, they’re still gonna have the same problems we are.”

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Running back Austin Ekeler #30 of the Los Angeles Chargers looks on before a game against the Las Vegas Raidersat Allegiant Stadium on January 09, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Raiders defeated the Chargers 35-32 in overtime.

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Going into this season, Ekeler’s wants to “continue to stay efficient” on the field. “I feel like I’m one of the most efficient guys in the NFL,” he says. “That’s why I’ve been able to do the things I’ve done and just trying to continue that and keep that consistent. I feel like I’ve been playing at a high level for the past few years and trying to keep it up is not easy because this season NFL beats you down.”

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And Ekeler also hopes to “increase” his role with the team this season, particularly with the younger players. “I always want to have some type of upward trajectory in my role with the Chargers,” says Ekeler, who was signed with the team as an undrafted free agent in 2017. “As a younger player, I didn’t really have much of a leadership position. Now I find myself where I’ve kind of grown into that. I’ve been around the block a couple times.”

The Los Angeles Chargers will visit Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night.