By Jay Paris | FOR THE AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

SAN DIEGO — For starters, it was a rough NFL debut.
“Obviously it was a setback a little bit,’’ Chargers right guard Louis Vasquez said. “Honestly, it wasn’t what I wanted it to be. But for missing the time I did, I think I held my own.’’

San Diego Chargers right guard Louis Vasquez is adapting to his new team's offensive strategy, a big change from his days as a Texas Tech lineman. (Mike Nowak)

Vasquez, the former Texas Tech standout, is getting his professional feet wet. That included a start two weeks ago, when Vasquez was partially responsible for two of the four sacks allowed by the Chargers in their preseason win over the Arizona Cardinals.

“It is a learning curve, but I think he is on the right path,’’ Chargers right tackle Jeromey Clary said. “He’s just got to keep grinding, keep going to work. He has the talent and he has the work ethic and it will all work out for him.’’

For the 6-foot-5, 325-pound Vasquez, it’s been a training camp with mixed results. While he has impressed coaches and teammates with his skills and want-to attitude, a foot injury robbed him of 10 days of practices.

Before being hurt, Vasquez, a third-round pick, was in a spirited battle with veteran Kynan Forney for the right guard spot left open when Mike Goff fled to Kansas City as a free agent last offseason.

Then Forney hurt his neck around the time Vasquez was returning. That plopped Vasquez into the starting lin

eup, where he had to wrestle with an active Cardinals front line.
And while Vasquez was far from perfect, coach Norv Turner has seen enough of Vasquez to feel upbeat about his future.

“He was really coming on and really playing at a high level, then he had the foot injury and really took a step back in the teaching and understanding of what exactly he needs to do,’’ Turner said. “But when he did it the way he can do it, he was outstanding. I think the guy is going to be a very, very special player.’’

Vasquez, a three-time all-Big -12 selection, comes from a special offense, one which spread the formation and passed as often as sunny days bathe San Diego. And that was among the obstacles Vasquez faced in his transition, learning the more balanced approach that is used by the high-octane Chargers.

But Turner scoffs at the notion that Vasquez is hindered by playing in the spread.
“I’m not a guy that worries about what kind of system somebody played in,’’ he said. “Good football players are good football players.

“If a guy can play, it doesn’t matter what style of play he’s been in. A right guard is a right guard. Louis is a very physical player. Any guy coming out of college football has a big transition coming into this league. He has a lot to learn, but I think he’s going to be an outstanding player.’’

Quarterback Philip Rivers, who tied for the NFL lead with 34 touchdown passes last year, thinks Vasquez’s past is a plus.

“You can look at it two ways,’’ Rivers said. “With those wide splits, it was tougher on him in pass protection. He had a lot more space to cover.

“And he is obviously a physical presence, and is a bright guy.’’

Vasquez is smart to know his blocking responsibilities are vastly different. But he’s not hung up on the fact that where he’s been is going to keep him from where he’s headed.

“Honestly, I think that is a little overstated,’’ Vasquez said of playing in the spread. “The footwork is different coming from the offense I played in and I’m still working on that.’’

He’s among the work-in-progress rookies getting accustomed to the demands of playing for an NFL team with Super Bowl aspirations.
“He has a lot of experience pass protecting and he has to improve some technique things because of the guys he is going to be playing against compared to the guys he played in college,’’ Turner said. “But he’s worked hard at it and he is a smart guy who has a good feel for playing.’’

Said veteran offensive lineman L.J. Shelton: “He can do anything that he is supposed to do physically. But just like any young guy he needs reps. He’s a rookie with a lot of ability and the quicker he masters the mental part of it the better off we will all be.’’

Vasquez figures to be better as the weeks progress, and to keep improving as his rookie season continues.

“Obviously you can’t match the game speed in practice at all,’’ he said of his first NFL contest. “But it was what I expected and I just expect it to get faster as we head into the season.’’

He does so with his first NFL camp on his growing resume.

“Camp was a little different than college,’’ he said. “I would say a lot more competitive and the speed of the game is a lot faster.’’

With Forney still dealing with his neck injury, Vasquez is running about half the time with the first unit, looking to shore up his shortcomings.

“There is always areas of the game I need to work on,’’ he said.
For starters, Vasquez’s real work is just beginning.