The 6-1, 235-pound Highsmith spent the 2008-09 seasons with the Cardinals after being signed as an undrafted rookie from Louisiana State where two of his teammates were Chargers wide receiver Buster Davis and fullback Jacob Hester. Highsmith played in 20 games over two seasons for the Cardinals and had 17 career stops on defense and 15 on special teams.

As a collegian, he was a three-year starter at LSU and a member of the Tigers’ 2007 BCS National Championship team. Highsmith’s cousin is Alonzo Highsmith, who spent seven seasons in the NFL with Houston, Dallas and Tampa Bay. Ali is named after former world championship boxer Muhammad Ali, with whom his grandfather was a former sparring partner.

Highsmith will wear No. 98.

The Chargers also announced that wide receiver Bryan Walters has been Waived-Injured (hamstring). If he is not claimed by another team, Walters will be placed on the Chargers’ Reserve-Injured list.

The 6-1, 248-pound Butler was chosen with the 79th overall pick in the third round of April’s draft. An honorable mention All-America and a second-team All-Pac-10 choice for the Huskies, Butler started two seasons and tallied 238 tackles, 28 tackles for loss and four sacks.

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There is no autograph session on Wednesday. An autograph session for kids 14-and-under will take place at Chargers Fanfest on Saturday, Aug. 7.

Fans will get the chance to buy tickets to their game of choice when single-game tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. PT.

Fans can purchase tickets for any of the Chargers’ 10 preseason or regular season home games at the team’s ticket office at Gate C at Qualcomm Stadium; online at Chargers.com; or by calling TicketMaster at 800-745-3000 or visiting any TicketMaster outlet in person.

For those who prefer to purchase tickets directly from the Chargers’ ticket office at Gate C at Qualcomm Stadium, the first 100 fans that buy tickets at the stadium on Saturday will receive a free 2010 Chargers yearbook autographed by one of the team’s players.

Media Alert: The best suggested time for b-roll of fans purchasing tickets would be 10:00-10:30 a.m. on Saturday.

Season tickets are also still available and can be purchased on Saturday. Season tickets are available at Chargers.com and at the ticket office at Qualcomm Stadium, which is open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fans can also purchase tickets over the phone by calling 1-877-CHARGERS.

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 2010 HOME SCHEDULE

SAT. AUG. 14 CHICAGO BEARS 6:00 p.m.
SAT. AUG. 21 DALLAS COWBOYS 6:00 p.m.
SUN. SEP. 19 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 1:15 p.m.
SUN. OCT. 3 ARIZONA CARDINALS 1:15 p.m.
SUN. OCT. 24 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 1:15 p.m.
SUN. OCT. 31 TENNESSEE TITANS 1:05 p.m.
MON. NOV. 22 DENVER BRONCOS 5:30 p.m.
SUN. DEC. 5 OAKLAND RAIDERS 1:05 p.m.
SUN. DEC. 12 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 1:15 p.m.
THU. DEC. 16 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS 5:20 p.m. 

“Antonio is a special player and person. He is everything we are looking for in a Chargers player,” said General Manager A.J. Smith. “His talent and contributions to our team speak for themselves. His work ethic and desire to be the best are unmatched. He has been a major part of the success we have had over the past several years, and we are thrilled he will continue to be with us for years to come.”

The only current Charger named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team (2000-09) and one of the Chargers’ 50 Greatest Players of All-Time, Gates is one of the most-highly decorated tight ends to ever play the game. He had a memorable season in 2009, leading the team with 79 catches, racking up a career-best 1,157 yards, and scoring eight touchdowns. His 14.6 yards per catch average was the highest in the NFL among all tight ends.

Gates is a six-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro.

"I’ve been blessed my whole career to be with one team," Gates said. "It’s always good to get (the contract) out of the way. The goal is to win a championship. We all are human and it becomes a distraction even though you might not want it to be. It’s always great to be able to go ahead and do what you need to do and get it out of the way."

Since his rookie season of 2003, Gates leads all tight ends in touchdown catches (59). He ranks second in yards (6,223) and third in catches (479). Gates has led the Chargers in catches each of the last six seasons (2004-09).

There are presently seven modern-era tight ends enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Gates’ career touchdown total of 59 exceeds all seven. The Hall of Fame list includes former Charger Kellen Winslow, along with John Mackey, Ozzie Newsome, Dave Casper, Jackie Smith, Charlie Sanders and Mike Ditka.

Winslow has long been regarded as the greatest tight end in franchise history, yet Gates is on the verge of sharing or laying claim solely to that distinction. He heads into 2010 within range of Winslow’s career totals for receptions (541) and receiving yards (6,741). Gates needs just 62 catches and 518 yards to equal Winslow’s career statistics.

The San Diego Chargers were notified today by the National Football League that wide receiver Vincent Jackson will miss the first three regular-season games of 2010 for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse.  The following statement was issued today by an NFL spokesperson:

“Vincent Jackson of the San Diego Chargers has been suspended without pay for the first three games of the 2010 regular season for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse.

“Jackson’s suspension begins on Saturday, September 4.  He will be eligible to return to the Chargers’ active roster on Monday, September 27 following the team’sSeptember 26 game against the Seattle Seahawks.

“Jackson is eligible to participate in all preseason practices and games.”

Note: The NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse is posted on nflmedia.com.  From the home page, click on "Resources" and then "About the NFL."

Chargers General Manager A.J. Smithissued the following statement:  “Obviously we’re disappointed.  Vincent made a mistake and now must deal with the consequences.  It’s unfortunate, but we’ll deal with it and move on.”

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The Chargers have agreed to four-year contracts with third-round draft pick Donald Butler and fifth-round pick Cam Thomas.

The Chargers now have signed or agreed to contracts with five of their six draft picks three weeks before training camp begins in full. First-round choice Ryan Mathews is the remaining unsigned pick.

Butler, a 6-foot-1, 248-pound inside linebacker, earned second-team All-Pac-10 honors as a senior at Washington. He made 91 tackles, one sack, forced three fumbles and intercepted two passes. Butler led all linebackers at the NFL Combine, where he bench pressed 225 pounds 35 times.

Thomas, the 6-foot-4, 335-pound defensive tackle out of North Carolina, made 23 tackles last season, blocked a kick and was credited with three quarterback pressures. Thomas earned a Senior Bowl invitation following the season and sacked Oklahoma State quarterback Zac Robinson during the All-Star game. 

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A public celebration of the life of San Diego State and San Diego Chargers Head Coach Don Coryell will take place Monday, July 12 at 2 pm at the Viejas Arena at San Diego State University. Featured speakers scheduled to participate in the celebration of Coach Coryell’s life include NFL Hall of Fame members Dan Fouts, John Madden and Joe Gibbs, along with San Diego State and NFL alum Fred Dryer, and former Chargers and Aztecs assistant coach Jim Hanifan. Long-time friends and those who knew him best will share their fondest memories and stories of how the coaching legend impacted so many lives.

The Celebration is free open to the public.

In lieu of flowers and to honor Coach Coryell’s living legacy, donations may be made to the Don Coryell Scholarship Endowment at San Diego State Universityand mailed to:

The Campanile Foundation
Attn: Don Coryell Scholarship Fund
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-4313
Tax ID #33-0868418

For additional information on the Scholarship Endowment as well as the Celebration of Don Coryell’s Life, contact Bob Moosbrugger at bobm@mail.sdsu.eduor 619-594-0291.

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A Celebration of Life of San Diego State and San Diego Chargers Head Coach Don Coryell will take place Monday, July 12 at 2 pm at the Viejas Arena at San Diego State University. Long-time friends and those who knew him best will share their fondest memories and stories of how the coaching legend impacted so many lives. The Celebration is open to the public.

In lieu of flowers and to honor Coach Coryell’s living legacy, donations may be made to the Don Coryell Scholarship Endowment at San Diego State University and mailed to:

The Campanile Foundation
Attn: Don Coryell Scholarship Fund
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-4313
Tax ID #33-0868418

For additional information on the Scholarship Endowment as well as the Celebration of Don Coryell’s Life, contact Bob Moosbrugger at bobm@mail.sdsu.edu or 619-594-0291.

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