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The San Diego Chargers have potentially lost defensive lineman Kwame Geathers to a serious leg injury. Geathers was injured in the first quarter of Sunday's preseason game vs. the San Francisco 49ers.
#Chargers defensive tackle Kwame Geathers was in a pile when he got bent backwards but his left leg stuck. Cart's out for him.
— Derek Togerson (@DerekNBCSD) August 24, 2014
Geathers had to be carted off the field and into the locker room after lying on the field for about six minutes. He's the brother of current Bengals defensive end Robert Geathers, who's in Arizona getting set to play the Cardinals in their preseason game.
"It helps a little bit, being able to go home and know you're going to get some football out of it, too," Kwame said in an offseason interview with ESPN. "They're going to talk about it and tell you what you need to do. And just hearing it over and over, hopefully it will stick with you."
The Geathers family has a strong football tradition. Both Kwame and Robert played for the Georgia Bulldogs, and Kwame was there from 2001-03.
Another one of their brothers, Clifton Geathers, played for South Carolina, and currently plays for the Washington Redskins.
Their father, Robert Geathers, Sr., played at South Carolina and was a third round NFL draft pick of the Buffalo Bills in 1981. Robert and Kwame's uncle, James "Jumpy" Geathers, played at Wichita State and 13 seasons in the NFL.
"If" Kwame's injury was serious enough that he has to have some kind of surgery performed today, it's possible Robert doesn't play tonight and leaves to be with his brother.