Shawne Merriman To Help Homeless W/ Annual Coat Drive, 'This Means A Lot'

For the 22nd year in a row, Shawne Merriman will get out into the community in order to assist the needy ... and he tells TMZ Sports he couldn't be happier to do it!

The Chargers legend is hosting his annual Lights On Foundation Coat Drive later Saturday ... just before his alma mater, the University of Maryland, takes on Rutgers in a big college football game.

The ex-pass rusher says he'll personally be at the event -- helping collect "gloves, scarves, hats" and "anything that's going to keep people warm" as the cold winter months approach.

This will be the 22nd time Merriman's put it all on ... and he told us earlier this week it gets more and more fulfilling as the years go buy.

So far, Merriman tells us he's nabbed over 30,000 coats for homeless families ... and he says he still sees some of the same people at the event that he used to run into way back in the day.

"It's been amazing, man," he said of it all.