Running back LaDainian Tomlinson, the NFL's fifth all-time leading rusher and the San Diego Chargers' first-round pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, will re-sign with San Diego and immediately announce his retirement from the National Football League at a press conference on Monday, June 18, 2012 at Chargers Park.
Running back LaDainian Tomlinson, the NFL's fifth all-time leading rusher and the San Diego Chargers' first-round pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, will re-sign with San Diego and immediately announce his retirement from the National Football League at a press conference on Monday, June 18, 2012 at Chargers Park.
Let us relive LaDainian Tomlinson's storied Chargers career as we celebrate one of the greatest running backs in NFL history and one of the greatest players to ever wear a Chargers uniform.
April 21, 2001 – After trading down to the fifth overall selection, the Chargers select LaDainian Tomlinson out of Texas Christian University.
September 9, 2001 – In his first professional game, Tomlinson rushes for 113 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-3 win vs. the Washington Redskins. He becomes only the 20th player in league history since 1970 to eclipse the 100-yard mark in his first game.
September 30, 2001 – He records his first career three-touchdown game in a 28-14 win vs. the Cincinnati Bengals.
LT at the 2001 NFL Draft. |
November 25, 2001 –He snatches a career-high 13 passes out of the backfield for 72 yards.
December 30, 2001 - Tomlinson ends his first season setting a team record with 1,603 total yards from scrimmage. He also sets a team rookie record with 1,236 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.
October 20, 2002 – He runs the ball a career-high 39 times, including a game-winning 19 yard trot into the end-zone in a 27-21 overtime victory at the Oakland Raiders.
December 29, 2002 – Tomlinson ends his second season once again setting team records with 1,683 rushing yards and 2,172 total yards from scrimmage.
December 7, 2003 – He records a career-high 148 receiving yards in a 14-7 win at the Detroit Lions.
December 28, 2003 – Tomlinson rushes for a career-high 243 yards and a pair of scores in a 21-14 win over the Raiders. He ends the season as the first player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards and catch 100 passes in the same season. His 2,370 total yards from scrimmage rank him second in league history.
December 26, 2004 – Tomlinson finishes the season with a league-high 17 touchdowns leading the Bolts to their first AFC West title in 10 years.
October 16, 2005 – He becomes the seventh player in league history to throw, catch and run for a touchdown in a 27-14 win at Oakland. He also ties Lenny Moore’s NFL record by scoring in 18 straight games, and sets a new league record by rushing for a touchdown in 14 consecutive games.
December 31, 2005 – He breaks Chuck Muncie’s team record for touchdowns scored by rushing for his 20th score of the season. He also moves past Lance Alworth to become the Charger’s all-time leading rusher in yards from scrimmage.
November 19, 2006 – He runs for three touchdowns and catches another in a 35-27 win at the Denver Broncos, marking the third straight game with at least three scores. In the process he becomes the fastest player to reach 100 touchdowns in NFL history.
December 31, 2006 - Tomlinson finishes the 2006 campaign obliterating the NFL record books, setting new highs with 28 rushing touchdowns, 31 total touchdowns, and 186 points scored. With that, he becomes the first Charger to ever be named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player by the Associated Press. He also wins the franchise’s first rushing title with 1,815 yards. Off the field he’s named the recipient of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
December 9, 2007 – Tomlinson rushes for his third overtime game-winning touchdown of his career in a 23-17 victory at the Tennessee Titans. The three scores set an NFL record.
December 30, 2007 – He finishes the year with his second consecutive rushing title, running for 1,474 yards. Tomlinson also leads the league with 15 rushing touchdowns, becoming the first player to ever score 15 or more touchdowns in six consecutive seasons.
January 6, 2008 – Tomlinson leads the Chargers to their first playoff victory of his career, a 17-6 win over the Titans.
December 28, 2008 – He ends the season by rushing for three touchdowns in a 52-21 victory over the Denver Broncos.
December 25, 2009 – Tomlinson finishes the season by setting NFL marks in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and total touchdowns for an entire decade (2001-2009).
