Players

  Chargers fans were ecstatic when Chargers President Dean Spanos announced on March 10 that LaDainian Tomlinson had agreed to a new three-year contract and would continue his Hall of Fame career in San Diego.

  With that behind him, Tomlinson is focused on 2009. Beset by a nagging toe injury suffered in Week 1 and a groin injury in the season finale, LT vowed to return stronger than ever.

  Tomlinson’s career accolades are almost too numerous to mention. The NFL’s 14th all-time leading rusher with 11,760 yards, he currently holds or shares a total of 28 team records along with a handful of NFL all-time marks. Tomlinson will begin the ’09 season with 126 rushing touchdowns, second-most in NFL history and 141 total touchdowns, tied with Buffalo’s Terrell Owens for fourth all-time. He’s scored 10-or-more touchdowns in all eight of his NFL seasons and is the only player in league history who can boast that claim.

  Another 1,000-yard season, which has been the norm for LT, would catapult him past more of the NFL’s greats and all the way into seventh place on the all-time rushing list. Tomlinson has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his first eight NFL seasons, one of only three players in NFL history to do so, sharing that distinction with Barry Sanders (1989-98) and Curtis Martin (1995-04).

  Nearly every time Tomlinson reaches an NFL milestone, he is among the fastest - if not the fastest - to do so. In 2008, he reached 11,000 career rushing yards faster (117 games) than every back except Eric Dickerson (103), Jim Brown (107) and Sanders (115).

  In 2007, he tied Emmitt Smith as the fourth-fastest to 10,000 yards (106). In ’08 he also reached 15,000 scrimmage yards faster than any other player and two years prior in ’06, he tied Brown as the third-fastest to 10,000. And when it’s come time to reach the end zone, Tomlinson hasn’t wasted any time there either. He’s the NFL’s fastest to both 100 rushing touchdowns and 100 total touchdowns.

  Known not only for his fleet feet but also for his outstanding hands, Tomlinson is one of the league’s most-adept pass catchers out of the backfield. He holds the rare distinction of being just the fifth player in NFL history to rush for more than 10,000 yards and catch 500 career passes, and back in 2003, he became the first player in league history to rush for 1,000 yards and catch 100 passes in the same season.

  In 2007, Tomlinson captured NFL titles for rushing yards (1,474) and rushing touchdowns (15), but he was injured during the playoffs. He suffered a knee injury in the AFC Divisional Playoffs at Indianapolis and missed nearly all of the following week’s AFC Championship Game in New England. The injury occurred just weeks after Tomlinson scored his NFL-record third game-winning touchdown in overtime in a December game at Tennessee. It marked a frustrating end to a season that saw Tomlinson become the first player since Edgerrin James (1999-00) to win consecutive league rushing titles and the first player ever to score 15-or-more touchdowns in six consecutive seasons.

  Tomlinson also faced despair off the field in 2007. In February, his father and older stepbrother were killed in a single-car accident near Waco, Texas. And in October, Tomlinson and wife, LaTorsha, were forced to flee their home in the middle of the night when flames from a wildfire roared perilously close to their home. Firefighters waged a heroic battle though, literally stopping the fire at the Tomlinson’s back fence, preserving their home and all of its contents, including LT’s memorabilia collection. That December, Tomlinson hosted an event to support the first responders and volunteers who helped fight the fires and personally donated 300 flat-screen televisions to families that lost their homes in the fires.

  The personal and professional hurdles overcome 2007 came on the heels of a landmark season for Tomlinson and the Chargers in 2006. He guided the team to a franchise-record 14 wins en route to selection as the NFL’s Most Valuable Player, the team’s first-ever league MVP award. Tomlinson garnered 44 of a possible 50 MVP votes and finished second to only Tiger Woods in voting for the Associated Press’ Male Athlete of the Year Award. Tomlinson shattered a host of NFL records in 2006, most notably setting new league marks for rushing touchdowns (28), total touchdowns (31) and points scored (186). His scoring average of 11.6 points per game was the most since the legendary “Golden Boy,” Paul Hornung’s 12.2 ppg average for the Green Bay Packers in 1961. Tomlinson won his and the team’s first league’s rushing title with 1,815 yards and just missed out on the title for yards from scrimmage by 11 yards. He became only the fifth player in league history to score 20-or-more touchdowns in consecutive seasons and set 10 other NFL records, including touchdowns in a five (15) and six-game stretch (19); touchdowns through the first 10 (22) and 12 (26) games of a season; games with two or more touchdowns (8); games with four touchdowns (3), games with three rushing touchdowns (5), consecutive games with three rushing touchdowns (3) and consecutive games with three or more total touchdowns (4) and consecutive multi-touchdown games (8). He shared the league’s mark for consecutive four-touchdown games (2).

  Tomlinson’s accolades in 2006 extended beyond the playing field, as he was honored with the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. One of LT’s childhood idols, Payton is the only other man to win MVP and Man of the Year honors in the same season. Passing along values that were instilled at an early age by his mom, Loreane, Tomlinson and his wife, LaTorsha, have teamed up to become community leaders in both San Diego and their native Texas. Together, they oversee the Tomlinson Touching Lives Foundation. The foundation hosts events throughout the year, including youth football camps in San Diego and Texas, a golf tournament, a fishing trip for kids from The Monarch School for homeless and at-risk teens in San Diego, a Thanksgiving program in which they provide more than 2,100 San Diego families with complete holiday dinners and a Christmas program in which they give away more than 1,500 holiday gifts to the patients at San Diego’s Children’s Hospital and Health Center. At each Chargers’ home game, LT hosts “The 21 Club,” where he invites 21 kids from San Diego youth groups and nonprofit organizations to attend a game. After the game, LT invites the children down to the field where they get a one-on-one visit with their football hero. Another important branch of the Touching Lives Foundation is the “School is Cool Scholarship Fund,” which awards 30 annual scholarships to college-bound students based on academics, community involvement and volunteerism. Of the 30 students selected by Tomlinson each year, 15 are selected from San Diego and 15 are chosen from LT’s alma mater, University High School in Waco, Texas. Proceeds from his annual golf tournament help support the scholarship fund.

  In 2009, Tomlinson and Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner were selected as Most Caring Athletes by USA Weekend Magazine. He and Warner will be featured on the magazine’s cover this Fall. Last year’s winners were quarterback Eli Manning and former professional golfer Annika Sorenstam.

   From his very first game in a Chargers uniform, Tomlinson seemed destined for greatness. He ran for 113 yards in his NFL debut against Washington in 2001, becoming only the 20th player in the NFL since 1970 to eclipse 100 yards in his first-career game. And as rookie, he would go on to set a team record with 1,603 total yards from scrimmage, while setting team rookie-records for rushing yards (1,236) and rushing touchdowns (10).

  A year later in 2002, he shattered team records with 1,683 rushing yards and 2,172 total yards from scrimmage, ranking second in the NFL in rushing and third in yards from scrimmage. His 15 total touchdowns were sixth in the league.

  2003 brought more milestones as Tomlinson caught a team-record 100 passes and racked up 2,370 total yards from scrimmage, second-most in NFL history (Marshall Faulk, 1999). He became just the eighth player to post consecutive seasons with 2,000-or-more scrimmage yards. Among his individual game accomplishments in ’03 were a pair of 200-yard rushing performances, the third and fourth of his career, which tied him with Jim Brown, Earl Campbell and Barry Sanders for the second-most in league history behind O.J. Simpson’s six.

  In 2004, he led the NFL in rushing touchdowns for the first time in his career with 17. It set the stage for a big year in 2005 when he tied Lenny Moore’s NFL record by scoring a touchdown in 18 straight games and set a new NFL record by scoring a rushing touchdown in 14 straight games. Tomlinson also had a chance to stand alongside two of the greats in Chargers history during that amazing run of ’05. In the season finale against Denver, he scored his 20th touchdown of the season, passing Chuck Muncie’s team record 19 in 1981. Coincidentally, Muncie was at the game that day and afterward greeted LT on the sidelines to congratulate the team’s new touchdown king. Tomlinson also shared the spotlight that day with another Charger great as he moved past Lance Alworth to become the team’s all-time leader in career yards from scrimmage. Though Alworth wasn’t at the game to congratulate LT, the two met earlier in the season when Alworth had his No. 19 jersey retired by the club.

  Jersey retirement was a familiar subject for LT in 2005 as he also had a jersey retired by his alma mater, Texas Christian University. During the Chargers’ November bye week, Tomlinson returned to the Fort Worth campus and was honored during “LT Day” at the school’s Amon Carter Stadium. At halftime of the Horned Frogs’ game against UNLV, a ceremony was held at midfield during which LT was joined by nearly 50 former teammates. His No. 5 Horned Frogs jersey was honored so that no other player will ever be allowed to wear that number without Tomlinson’s approval. During the ceremony, a highlight video was shown and Tomlinson was serenaded by the capacity crowd with an “LT” chant.

  Tomlinson was honored yet again by his home state in 2009 when he was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.

  Away from football, Tomlinson enjoys quiet time at home. He and LaTorsha own a home in the San Diego suburb of Poway where they live with their three dogs: Coco, Fendi and Sweetness. Coco is a teacup poodle; Fendi is a miniature Yorkshire terrier, and Sweetness is a pit bull named after Walter Payton. A superstar’s house wouldn’t be complete without a sports memorabilia room and LT’s includes autographed helmets from some of his favorite NFL players, including Payton, Brown and Sanders.

  Tomlinson enjoys traveling and going to the movies for his weekly “date night” with LaTorsha. This year, they traveled to Washington D.C. to attend President Barack Obama’s Inauguration and in March, visited Whistler, British Columbia where they learned how to ski. Past travels have included trips to Hawaii, Jamaica, Mexico Costa Rica and the Bahamas.

  LT’s individual hobbies include playing basketball and golf. In his yard is a full basketball court in the purple and white colors of his beloved TCU and that court is where Tomlinson and several of his teammates convene for pickup games during the offseason.

  TRANSACTION HISTORY: First-round pick (5), April 21, 2001…signed, Aug. 23, 2001…signed eight-year contract, Aug. 14, 2004...agreed to new three-year contract thru 2011, March 10, 2009.

  2009: Scored a 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter of week 1. Ankle injury kept him inactive for weeks 2-3. Had his best game of the season thus far in week 6, contributing 100 all-purpose yards (70-Rushing, 30-Receiving). Week 7, broke for a season-long 36-yard to ignite the first touchdown of the game. Finished with 23 rushes for 71 yards against the Chiefs. Rushed for 56 yards and two touchdowns in week eight's victory over the Raiders which put him at 12,027 yards for his career. Reached the 12,000 yard mark in just 132 games, the fourth fastest in NFL history behind Hall of Famers Jim Brown(115 games), Eric Dickerson(118 games), and Barry Sanders(125 games). Against the Eagles in week 10, rushed 24 times for 96 yards and two touchdowns. The rushing performance put him in 12th place on the NFL's All-time rushing list passing Thurman Thomas and Franco Harris. The two touchdowns were 145th and 146th of career, moving him past Marcus Allen and into third place on the NFL's All-time rushing touchdown list.

  2008: Pro Bowl third-alternate…scored twice in 4Q Wk 4 at Oakland to lead team to 28-18 come-from-behind win…Fed Ex Ground NFL POW after helping lead team to third-straight AFC West title with three-TD performance in Dec. 28 win over Denver…outing vs. Broncos included season-long 45-yard run…started Jan. 3 AFC Wild Card Playoffs vs. Indy and scored TD, but left game early due to groin injury…INA for Jan. 11 AFC Divisional Playoffs at Pittsburgh.

  2007: First-team All-Pro by AP, Sporting News and ESPN.com…All-NFL by USA Today Sports Weekly, and All-NFL and All-AFC by PFW and PFWA …Pro Bowl starter…Chargers MVP and Offensive POY…17-yard TD pass to Antonio Gates in season opener vs. Chicago… SI.com Offensive POW and Stud of Week by USA Today.com after four rush TDs, 198 yards rushing and 214 total yards from scrimmage vs. Oakland Oct. 14…FedEx Ground NFL POW and Stud of Week by USA Today.com after 177 yards and two second-half TDs to break 10-10 tie in 24-10 win at KC Dec. 2…GW TD on 16-yard run in OT at Tennessee Dec. 9…also had 4Q TD catch and finished game with 146 yards rushing, most allowed by Titans in ’07…116 yards and two TDs Dec. 16 vs. Detroit, combining with Darren Sproles (122 yards, two TD) to become first pair of RBs to rush for at least 116 yards and two scores in same game since Tank Younger and Dan Towler of Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 24, 1954 vs. Chicago…first time two Chargers RBs had two rush TDs each in same game since James Brooks and Chuck Muncie at Cleveland on Dec. 5, 1982…scored game-clinching 4Q TD on one-yard leap on 4th-and-goal for 17-6 lead in Jan. 6 AFC Wild Card Playoffs vs. Tennessee…started AFC Divisional Playoffs at Indy, but inj. left knee in 2Q…fumbled on play during which he was injured, ending streak of 708 consecutive carries without fumble, NFL’s longest streak by RB…started AFC Championship Game at NE, but left game after two series due to knee…DNP in Feb. 10 Pro Bowl.

 2006: NFL MVP, Offensive POY and first-team All-Pro by AP...shared Walter Payton NFL Man of Year Award with Drew Brees...Pro Bowl …Best Player in NFL by SI and Sportsman of Year by Sporting News…also NFL POY and All-Pro by TSN…Bert Bell Award as Professional Player of Year by Maxwell Football Club…RB of Year by NFL Alumni Association… MVP, Offensive POY, first-team All-NFL and first-team All-AFC by PFW and PFWA…FedEx Ground NFL POY…MVP and Offensive POY by CBS Sportsline.com and Dallas Morning News …All-Pro by USA Today Sports Weekly, ESPN.com and SI.com…ESPY Awards at July 2007 ESPN show for ’06 Male Athlete of Year, Best NFL Player, Record-Breaking Performance and “Like Nothing Else” Award...Chargers’ MVP… NFL.com All-Interview Team and PFWA “Good Guy”…FedEx Ground NFL POW after TD and 131 yards, including 58-yarder in 1Q of Sept. 11 season opener at Oakland… FedEx Ground NFL and Chargers Alumni POW after tying team record and scoring career-high four rush TDs in 48-19 win at SF Oct. 15…first TD was 84th of career for sole possession of team’s all-time TDs record, passing HOF WR Lance Alworth… scored 89th-91st TDs of career Oct. 29 vs. St. Louis to tie Emmitt Smith as second-fastest player in NFL history to 90 TDs (85 games)…scored 90th TD on 38-yard run in 1Q for longest TD run of season…erupted for 183 vs. Rams to end streak of five games without 100 yards...early in 4Q, went over 8,000 rushing yards and became eighth player in NFL history to do so in fewer than 90 games…AFC Offensive POM for November…AFC Offensive, FedEx Ground NFL and CBS Radio/Westwood One/Amtrak POW after 172 yards and three TDs vs. Cleveland Nov. 5... averaged 9.6 ypc vs. Browns, then second-highest of career…combined with Oct. 29 St. Louis game, became first NFL player since ’03 and fifth since ’00 to rush for 170+ yards and two TDs in consecutive games…FedEx Ground NFL and SI.com Offensive POW, and USA Today Stud of Week after scoring four TDs Nov. 12 in Cincinnati, helping lead Chargers to improbable 49-41 come-from-behind victory… scored three of his four TDs in second half, including third and fourth with 14:55 and 14:40 left in 4Q for first lead of game (42-38), erasing 21-point deficit… AFC Offensive, FedEx Ground NFL and SI.com Offensive POW and USA Today Stud of Week after scoring four TDs in 35-27 win at Denver Nov. 19…scored 100th career TD in game and upped season total to (22) new team record…set team single-season scoring record, scored team-record 20th rushing TD, another for GW in 4Q and threw 19-yard TD pass to Gates in 21-14 win over Oakland Nov. 26 …FedEx Ground NFL and SI.com Offensive POW and USA Today Stud of Week after scoring two TDs and rushing for 178 yards Dec. 3 in Buffalo…AFC Offensive, FedEx Ground NFL, CBS Radio/Westwood One/Amtrak and SI.com Offensive POW after scoring three TDs Dec. 10 vs. Denver to set new NFL single-season TD record (28, Shaun Alexander, 2005)…AFC Offensive and FedEx Ground NFL POW and USA Today Stud of Week after rushing for season-high 199 yards, including career-long 85-yard TD run, on NBC’s SNF Dec. 17 vs. KC…85-yard run was third-longest in team history and Bolts’ longest since ’62…finished game with 204 total yards from scrimmage and went over 2,000 for season… rushed for 123 yards in Seattle on Christmas Eve for his franchise-best ninth-straight 100-yard game and 10th overall of season…rushed for 66 yards against Arizona Dec. 31 to finish season with 1,815 yards and claim NFL rushing title and team record…rushed for 123 yards and team playoff record two TDs in Jan. 14 AFC Playoffs vs. NE…58-yard catch in 2Q was team playoff record…finished with 187 total yards from scrimmage, most by Charger since 1963 AFL Championship Game…started and scored 3Q TD in Pro Bowl.

 2005: Pro Bowl...Sporting News All-Pro…Chargers MVP and co-Offensive POY…NFL.com All-Interview...held without catch in season opener vs. Dallas, ending streak of 63 consecutive games with catch…TD run Sept. 18 at Denver marked NFL-record 14th consecutive game with one…AFC Offensive, FedEx Ground NFL, CBS Radio/Westwood One/ Amtrak and Chargers Alumni POW after racking up 192 yards and three TDs vs. NY Giants Sept. 25 on ESPN SNF…FedEx Ground NFL POW after logging 134 yards and two TDs in 41-17 win at NE Oct. 2 to end Patriots’ NFL-record 21-game home winning streak…AFC Offensive and FedEx Ground NFL POW and Game Ball from ESPN NFL Prime-Time host Chris Berman after scoring rushing TD, catching TD pass and throwin TD pass at Oakland Oct. 16 ...fifth player since 1966 to perform trifecta…tied Lenny Moore’s (1963-65) NFL record by scoring TD in 18th consecutive game…streak ended one week later in 20-17 loss at Philadelphia Oct. 23...17-yard TD pass to Eric Parker in 28-20 win over KC Oct. 30…was third-consecutive pass that went for TD...became first player to throw three consecutive passes for TDs since Minnesota’s Daunte Culpepper Dec. 24, 2004 vs. GB… Fed Ex Ground NFL and CBS Radio/Westwood One/Amtrak POW after four-TD performance in 31-26 win over NY Jets Nov. 6…Midseason MVP by ESPN.com, Offensive MVP by NFL.com, SI.com and CBS SportsLine.com…PFW Midseason All-Pro …beat Washington Redskins with 41-yard TD run on second play of OT at FedEx Field Nov. 27…capped 184-yard, three-TD performance… also tied game late in 4Q with 32-yard TD run…briefly left Raiders game Dec. 4 in 2Q with chest injury but returned to finish… left Indy game Dec. 18 in 4Q due to same injury… scored 20th TD of season Dec. 31 vs. Denver to break Chuck Muncie’s team record of 19 (1981)...also passed Lance Alworth (9,721 yards) in Broncos game to become team’s all-time leader in total scrimmage yards.

 2004: Pro Bowl…first-team All-Pro by AP and College & Pro Football Newsweekly...NFL.com All-Interview…team record for career carries in season opener at Houston...became Chargers’ all-time leading rusher during 147-yard effort vs. Tennessee Oct. 3…finished game with 4,979 career yards to pass Paul Lowe (4,972)…team-record 44th career rushing TD vs. Oakland Oct. 31…Chargers Alumni POW after season-high 164 yards and 37 carries Nov. 21 at Oakland…also scored game-deciding TD in 4Q… FedEx Ground NFL POW after 131 yards and TD vs. TB Dec. 12…111 yards and two TDs during snow and ice storm in AFC West-clinching win at Cleveland Dec. 19…career-long 74-yard TD catch at Indy Dec. 26…INA vs. KC Jan. 2 to rest for postseason…carried team-record 26 times and caught nine passes in Wild Card Playoffs vs. NY Jets…started and sealed AFC’s 38-27 victory in Pro Bowl with four-yard TD run late in 4Q.

 2003: Pro Bowl first-alternate…AP second-team All-Pro…USA Today “All-Joe…Offensive POY and All-Pro by SI.com… Chargers’ MVP, Offensive POY and co-Most Inspirational…JB Award for community service from James Brown of FOX NFL Sunday…first-ever NFL TD pass (21 yards) to Drew Brees Sept. 28 at Oakland…AFC, PFW and SI.com Offensive POW after racking up 200 yards, including 70-yard TD run, at Cleveland Oct. 19…third-career 200-yard rush game to become fastest player in NFL history to record three (38 games)…FedEx Ground NFL POW after 162 yards and two TDs, including then career-long 73-yarder, vs. Minnesota Nov. 9…also had 55-yarder vs. Vikes...team-record 16th career 100-yard game Nov. 30 vs. KC...career-high 148 yards receiving and two TDs, including then career-long 73-yarder in 14-7 win at Detroit Dec. 7…144 receiving yards and two more TDs, including 68-yarder, one week later vs. GB...first RB in team history with consecutive 100-yard receiving games and first Charger since 1999…set team single-season record for catches by RB during Packers game...broke team’s single-season receptions record Dec. 21 at Pittsburgh...PFW Offensive POW after rushing for team-record 243 yards and two TDs, including 4Q  GW, in 21-14 win over Oakland Dec. 28…243-yard effort was second-best in NFL in 2003…was team-record seventh 200-net yard game of career and fifth of season.

 2002: Pro Bowl… team MVP and Offensive POY… second team All-Pro from AP and Football Digest…AFC Co-Offensive POW after tying Gary Anderson’s then team-record with 217 yards and scoring two TDs on runs of 37 and 58 yards vs. NE on Sept. 29… scored GW TD on 19-yard run in OT at Oakland Oct. 20…tied team record and set career high with 39 carries for 153 yards vs. Raiders, while also catching first-career TD pass…Nov 10, became first RB since 1998 to rush for more than 100 yards vs. St. Louis in TWA Dome, going for 120 and TD vs. Rams...AFC and PFW Offensive POW after rushing for 220 yards, including season-long 76-yarder, and three TDs vs. Denver Dec. 1.

 2001: AP Offensive ROY runner-up…team’s Offensive POY…Pro Bowl third-alternate… PFW All-Rookie… AFC Rookie of Month for September…113 yards and two TDs on rookie-record 36 carries in NFL debut Wk 1 vs. Washington… became 20th player in NFL history since 1970 to rush for more than 100 yards in first career game…career-high 13 receptions vs. Arizona Nov. 25, most-ever by Chargers RB.

 COLLEGE: Second player in college football history to rush for 2,000 yards in season and 5,000 in career… 5,263 career rush yards was sixth in I-A history…ninth player in I-A history to rush for more than 5,000 yards… combined for 4,008 yards and led nation as junior and senior, becoming third player to lead the nation in rushing back-to-back years…2,158 yards as senior were fourth-best in NCAA history…I-A single-game record 406 yards vs. UTEP as junior…school-record 54 TDs, eighth in NCAA history…school records for 100-yard games (21), all purpose yards (6,337) and longest run (89t)…Doak Walker Award in 2000 and Football News’ Offensive POY…consensus All-America as senior and ­AP second team as junior…two-time WAC Offensive POY and three-time all-conference…WAC Player of Week 11 times…played at TCU from 1997-00…general studies degree.

  PERSONAL: Born in Rosebud, Texas…second-team all-state, district MVP and offensive POY as senior at Waco (Tex.) University HS.