LaDainian Tomlinson biography, LaDainian Tomlinson photo, LaDainian Tomlinson picture, LaDainian Tomlinson bio

LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers

LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers

LaDainian Tomlinson

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When LaDainian Tomlinson was growing up in Rosebud, Texas, he used to sleep with a football under his arm for safekeeping. If parents thought that their son would grow up into what Tomlinson is now, every kid’s stuffed animal would be replaced by a pigskin.

LT is what an NFL team dreams of when they draft a player. Especially when they select a player in the first five picks, which Tomlinson was in the 2001 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers.

When an agreement could not be reached for top rated quarterback Michael Vick, the Chargers decided to trade the No. 1 overall pick to the Atlanta Falcons for their No. 5 pick as well as other compensation. That No. 5 pick was used to select Tomlinson out of TCU.

Tomlinson started all 16 games for San Diego his rookie year, rushing for 1,236 yards on 339 carries and 10 touchdowns. He went on to rush for 1,683 yards in his second season, which currently was a career best until he rushed for 1, 815 yards in ’06.

LT has an NFL record 80 touchdowns in his first five seasons and in the ‘05 season, he showed everybody why he is a triple threat. He reached pay dirt 18 times on the ground, caught two and threw for four touchdowns, which is why fellow teammate Lorenzo Neal calls him “Superman without a cape”.

Thanks to a marvelous ’06 season, Tomlinson now holds the all-time NFL record for single season touchdowns with 31. He also grabbed the NFL's MVP award that year, in an utter landslide after help take the Chargers to a league-best 14-2 record and the postseason. Even though San Diego had an early exit from the postseason last year, no one can take away the year LT had, rushing for 1,815 yards, scoring 28 times on the ground and catching 56 passes for 508 yards and three receiving touchdowns.

Tomlinson holds the all-time record for most points scored in a single season with 186 and also has the honors for most consecutive games with at least one rushing touchdown with 18. In just six NFL seasons, he’s already the Chargers all-time rushing leader.

Many national pundits still debate regularly what team got the better deal in ’01. While opinions vary, it’s probably safe to say no one in the San Diego who is a Charger fan will ever disagree with the selection of L “Superman without a cape” T.

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Career

San Diego Chargers Official Player Bio: LaDainian Tomlinson
Career notes, photos and stats on LaDainian Tomlinson can be found at the Official Website of the San Diego Chargers.

NFL.com Player Profile: LaDainian Tomlinson
Find a small profile, game logs, stats and merchandise on LaDainian Tomlinson NFL.com. 

Rotoworld Player Page: LaDainian Tomlinson
Rotoworld.com has some of the best fantasy reporting and advice on the web. Click on the “Previous News” tab to get current and past information on LaDainian Tomlinson for your fantasy football team. 

LaDainian Tomlinson Wikipedia Page
Find a comprehensive background on LaDainian Tomlinson’s life and football career at Wikipedia.com.


Latest on LT

LT was close to making his first Super Bowl apperance, but the Chargers lost to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. Tomlinson was unable to play for most of the game due to a knee injury he suffered in San Diego's Divisional Round victory over the Colts. He finished with 1,474 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2007.


News and Commentary

Chargers' Tomlinson runs away with MVP award
LaDainian Tomlinson capped an amazing ’06 season with the league Most Valuable Player award.

LT’s show one you must see
Michael Lev sums up his whole column in the first sentence with this money quote:

‘Save up the money, plan the trip, make the drive. LaDainian Tomlinson is worth it.’

By arm or by leg, whatever it takes for Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson will do whatever it takes to win: by rushing, receiving or passing, LT just gets it done

NFL’s best back? Shaun chases Tomlinson
When pitted face to face, even the Seattle Post-Intelligencer Reporter has to give the nod to LT over Shaun Alexander for best back in the NFL

Tomlinson plays with a mission
This 2004 article from USA Today.com highlights why every team in the NFL needs an LT, not just because of his talent, but also his desire not to lose.

There’s just no defense for this
On October 16, 2005, in the Chargers' victory over the Oakland Raiders, LaDainian Tomlinson became the 7th player in NFL history to run, catch and throw for a touchdown in the same game.


LT Says

On winning NFL MVP honors:
"When you're MVP of the league, it's a great accomplishment. (The honor means) that I've had a great year, that's all, on a great team."

On his record-setting 31 touchdown season in 2006:
"It just kind of got on a roll. Touchdowns, as they say, come in bunches. That was kind of the way it happened. It seemed like once we started scoring that we couldn't stop."

On what it means to win the MVP award:
"Well, a victory is always better than any record."