SAN DIEGO - With the NFL's most disturbing offseason in recent years now over (Google search: "Michael Vick, dogfighting" and "Adam 'Pacman' Jones, strip club"), player misconduct is a concern at the start of training camps.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has already exerted his zero tolerance policy, suspending the Titans' Jones for the season and banning Vick from Falcons training camp indefinitely without allowing due process of law to take its course in both cases.

Which brings Chargers general manager A.J. Smith's own stern philosophy on player misconduct to the forefront if you're one of his players.

"The philosophy that we have around here, which our players know and I think everybody knows is you're a San Diego Charger for one year, regardless of your contract," Smith said. "That's just how we operate."

Steve Foley and Terrence Kiel know about Smith's philosophy first hand. The Chargers - who had seven off-the-field incidents in 2006 - released the former linebacker and safety in March after multiple run-ins with the law.

Now look to the present: Smith may not have to worry about enforcing his own tough policy. In light of the negative publicity the NFL has received, the Chargers sound like they get it.

"I think anytime a situation like that happens, it kind of wakes you up a little bit because you're a part of this league," running back LaDainian Tomlinson said. "And you understand that anything you might get into off the field - any kind of trouble - if that type of thing happens to you, it can affect the team.

"As players, that's something we have to think about. We can't be selfish and think about ourselves. So we've got to make sure we take care of our business off the field."

Then there are those who feel the wake-up call came last September. During that month, Foley was shot by an off-duty police officer while under the influence of alcohol, and Drug Enforcement Administration agents arrested Kiel at the team's facility for allegedly transporting codeine-based cough syrup.

"I think it was last season, early in the year, when we had all that drama with this guy and that guy," wide receiver Kassim Osgood said. "We had our off-the-field distractions, and you could see what toll it takes on your team."

Added cornerback Quentin Jammer: "I think we all learned from some of the past mistakes. It happened. We lived and moved on. I don't think anything like that will ever happen again."

Conventional wisdom says that negative occurrences off the field will affect what happens on it. And for a team like the Chargers, who feel they're destined for this season's Super Bowl, any non-football interference could be detrimental to their ultimate goal.

"The last thing we need is any distractions," said linebacker Shawne Merriman, who was suspended for four games last October for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

"And that's not from just the team but from anywhere. In order to get where we want to go, we got to stay focused and avoid as much distraction as possible."

The majority of last year's problems stemmed, in one way or another, from San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter.

"While I know there are a bunch of guys … obviously I'm married with three children and never really had to live that life anyway," quarterback Phillip Rivers said. "But, you know, guys know to be careful and be smart, and guys take care of one another."

One Charger who enjoys the night-life said he goes out cognizant of avoiding trouble.

"I've told my friends before 'Hey, man, if I'm with you, you can't be popping off to people like that and starting fights in the club and drinking too much,'" Osgood said. "Basically, we got to check our own friends and let them know that we're in the limelight. When you hang with me, people are watching us and what we do."

Smith is also keeping a close eye. And like every NFL general manager, he's hoping for zero incidents, so he doesn't have to enforce zero tolerance.

"I don't know if we're going to get (100 percent), but we know what we want and what we expect," Smith said. "But the most important thing is that if we don't get it, and you don't do what you're supposed to do, the chances are real, real high you're not going to be a Charger, and now you're going to look for your next team.

"I hope that message is out there."

- Contact staff writer Simon Samano at simon_samano@yahoo.com.