Manti Te’o attends first San Diego Chargers practice since surgery

Manti Te’o had a tough rookie season thanks to a foot injury that he says dogged him throughout the year. Now the San Diego Chargers linebacker is healthy and ready to make his sophomore season one that establishes him as a threat on the Chargers defense.

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Te’o told ESPN.com,that he feels good now that he’s had some time to settle into his new job as an NFL linebacker and that he feels as though he has more control of his body than he did during his rookie campaign.

"“I’m lighter. I feel good. I feel in control, and that’s something as a football player that is very important — to feel that you’re in control of your body.”"

To go along with a better physical shape is the fact that Te’o will be in his second season with San Diego, giving him exponentially more comfort heading into training camp than he did last year. “You have a year under your belt, so you know what’s going on,” Te’o said. “You know what to expect and what’s expected of you. And you just come in and work hard.”

Manti Te’o still has about six weeks to get back into shape and to work on any other elements of his game before training camp begins in late July. The Chargers are hoping the second year linebacker can make a bigger impact on the defense.

If he can, the team could improve on its surprising 9-7 campaign in which San Diego gave the AFC champion Denver Broncos all they could handle in the divisional playoff round.