LaDainian Tomlinson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
LaDainian Tomlinson

Tomlinson in 2017
Los Angeles Chargers
Position:	Special assistant
Personal information
Born:	(1979-06-23) June 23, 1979 (age 46) Rosebud, Texas, U.S.
Height:	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight:	215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school:	University (Waco, Texas)
College:	TCU (1997–2000)
NFL Draft:	2001 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5
Career history
As player:
San Diego Chargers (2001) New York Jets (2010)
As executive:
Los Angeles Chargers (2017–present) Special assistant
Career highlights and awards
NFL Most Valuable Player (2006) NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2006) Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year (2006) 3× First-team All-Pro (2004, 2006, 2007) 3× Second-team All-Pro (2002, 2003, 2005) 5× Pro Bowl (2002, 2004–2007) Bart Starr Award (2008) Bert Bell Award (2006) 2× NFL rushing yards leader (2006, 2007) 3× NFL rushing touchdowns leader (2004, 2006, 2007) NFL scoring leader (2006) NFL 2000s All-Decade Team PFWA NFL All-Rookie Team (2001) Los Angeles Chargers Hall of Fame Los Angeles Chargers No. 21 retired Doak Walker Award (2000) Jim Brown Trophy (2000) Unanimous All-American (2000) Second-team All-American (1999) 2× WAC Offensive Player of the Year (1999, 2000) 2× First-team All-WAC (1999, 2000) TCU Horned Frogs No. 5 retired NFL records Most rushing touchdowns in a season: 28 (2006) Most touchdowns from scrimmage in a season: 31 (2006) Most consecutive games with a touchdown: 18 (tied) Most points scored in a single season: 186 (2006)
Career NFL statistics
Rushing attempts: 3,174 Rushing yards: 13,684 Rushing touchdowns: 145 Receptions: 624 Receiving yards: 4,772 Receiving touchdowns: 17
Player stats at PFR
Pro Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame

LaDainian Tarshane Tomlinson (born June 23, 1979), often called "LT", is a retired American football player. He was an amazing running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played most of his career with the San Diego Chargers.

Tomlinson was picked fifth overall in the 2001 NFL draft after a great college career at TCU. He played nine years with the Chargers, earning five Pro Bowl selections. He also won two NFL rushing titles. In 2006, he was named the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) for breaking the record for most touchdowns in a single season. After his time with the Chargers, he played two seasons with the New York Jets before retiring. In 2017, he was honored by being elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

LaDainian Tomlinson's Early Life and High School

Tomlinson was born in Rosebud, Texas, on June 23, 1979. His mother was a preacher. He started playing Pop Warner Little Scholars football when he was nine years old. He even scored a touchdown the very first time he touched the ball!

He went to University High School in Waco, Texas. There, he played football, basketball, baseball, and ran track. He started as a linebacker and fullback in football. But he really shined as a running back. In his senior year, he ran for 2,554 yards and scored 39 touchdowns. This earned him many awards.

Growing up, Tomlinson was a big fan of the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Hurricanes. He looked up to famous running backs like Walter Payton and Emmitt Smith.

College Football Success at TCU

Tomlinson received a scholarship to play for Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, Texas. He played for the TCU Horned Frogs from 1997 to 2000. Before he arrived, TCU's football team hadn't been very successful.

Breaking Records in College

In his junior year, Tomlinson became the starting running back. He ran for 1,850 yards and 18 touchdowns. On November 20, 1999, he set a new NCAA Division I record. He rushed for an amazing 406 yards and scored 6 touchdowns in one game against UTEP! He led the NCAA with 20 rushing touchdowns that year.

His senior season was even better. He rushed for over 100 yards and scored at least one touchdown in every game. He led the NCAA again with 2,158 yards and 22 touchdowns. He won the Doak Walker Award as the best college running back. He was also a finalist for the 2000 Heisman Trophy, which is a huge honor.

Tomlinson finished his college career with 5,263 rushing yards. This was the sixth-highest total in NCAA Division I history at the time. TCU honored him by retiring his No. 5 jersey in 2005. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

College Statistics and Awards

Here's a look at his college stats:

His college awards include:

• Consensus first-team All-American (2000)
• Doak Walker Award (2000)
• Jim Brown Trophy (2000)
• 2x All-WAC First-team (1999–2000)
• 2x WAC Offensive Player Of the Year (1999–2000)
• College Football Hall of Fame inductee (2014)

Becoming an NFL Star with the Chargers

In the 2001 NFL draft, the San Diego Chargers had the first pick. They traded it to the Atlanta Falcons for the fifth pick and other draft choices. With the fifth pick, the Chargers chose LaDainian Tomlinson. He was exactly who they wanted!

Rookie Season (2001)

Tomlinson warming up during his time with the Chargers.

Tomlinson quickly became a starter for the Chargers. In his very first game, he carried the ball 36 times for 113 yards and two touchdowns. This was a new record for a Chargers player in their first game. He kept up his strong play, rushing for over 100 yards in three of his next four games.

He finished his rookie season with 1,236 rushing yards. This was the second-most in Chargers history at the time. He also had 367 receiving yards, breaking a team record for total yards from scrimmage. Even though the Chargers had a tough season, Tomlinson showed he was a future star.

Building Momentum (2002-2005)

In 2002, Marty Schottenheimer became the Chargers' new head coach. He was known for focusing on the running game, which was perfect for Tomlinson. Tomlinson had an incredible season, rushing for 1,683 yards and 14 touchdowns. He even tied a team record with 39 carries in one game! He was selected for his first Pro Bowl and named a Second-team All-Pro.

In 2003, the Chargers signed Lorenzo Neal, a fullback who would block for Tomlinson. Tomlinson later said Neal was key to his success. That year, Tomlinson had 1,645 rushing yards and a career-high 100 receptions. He also threw his first touchdown pass! He led the entire league with 2,370 yards from scrimmage.

In 2004, Tomlinson signed a big contract. He continued to score touchdowns, leading the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns. The Chargers made the playoffs for the first time in eight years. In 2005, he broke the NFL record for most consecutive regular season games with a rushing touchdown (18 games). He even ran, caught, and threw for a touchdown in the same game!

MVP Season and Record-Breaking Achievements (2006)

Tomlinson takes a handoff from Philip Rivers in 2006.

The 2006 season was truly special for LaDainian Tomlinson. He played with a new starting quarterback, Philip Rivers. Tomlinson had an amazing streak of eight games in a row where he rushed for at least two touchdowns and 100 yards.

In Week 11, he scored his 100th career touchdown in just 89 games. This made him the fastest player ever to reach that milestone, beating legends like Jim Brown and Emmitt Smith.

In Week 14, he broke the NFL record for most touchdowns in a single season, reaching 29. He finished the season with an incredible 31 total touchdowns (28 rushing, 3 receiving). He also broke the record for most points scored in a single season with 186. Tomlinson led the league with 1,815 rushing yards, earning his first NFL rushing title.

For his incredible performance, Tomlinson was named the Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player. He was the first Chargers player to win this award. He also won the Offensive Player of the Year and the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for his work on and off the field.

2006 Touchdowns Week by Week

Later Years and Retirement

Continued Success and Injuries (2007-2009)

Tomlinson warming up in 2008.

In 2007, the Chargers got a new coach, Norv Turner. Tomlinson continued to play well, winning his second straight NFL rushing title with 1,474 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also became the fourth fastest player to reach 10,000 rushing yards. He had a streak of seven seasons with over 1,200 rushing yards, matching Eric Dickerson's record. He was named First-team All-Pro for the third time.

However, Tomlinson started to deal with injuries in the playoffs. In 2008, he had a torn tendon in his groin. This limited his playing time and production. In 2009, he had career lows in rushing yards and attempts, but still scored 12 rushing touchdowns. This gave him nine straight seasons with at least 10 touchdowns, which is an NFL record.

Joining the New York Jets (2010-2011)

After nine seasons, the Chargers released Tomlinson in 2010. He then signed with the New York Jets. He was excited for a chance to win a Super Bowl. In his first season with the Jets (2010), he rushed for 914 yards and 6 touchdowns. He helped the Jets reach the AFC Championship game, where they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Tomlinson in 2011 with the Jets.

In 2011, his final season, Tomlinson took on a new role as a third-down back, focusing more on catching passes. He had a career-high 10.7 yards per reception. He played his former team, the Chargers, and the Jets won.

Retirement and Legacy

On June 18, 2012, LaDainian Tomlinson officially retired from the NFL. He signed a special one-day contract with the San Diego Chargers to retire as a Charger. The Chargers honored him by retiring his No. 21 jersey, meaning no other player will wear it.

At the time of his retirement, Tomlinson was fifth in NFL history for career rushing yards (13,684) and second for career rushing touchdowns (145). He also caught 624 passes for 4,772 yards and 17 touchdowns. He was known for his versatile playing style, including throwing seven touchdown passes in his career!

Tomlinson was also known for his "teardrop" celebration after scoring. He wore a distinctive dark visor to help with migraines from stadium lights. He was often called "L.T.", a nickname he shared with famous linebacker Lawrence Taylor.

In 2017, LaDainian Tomlinson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. During his speech, he spoke about his ancestors and called for racial unity.

NFL Career Statistics

Here are some of LaDainian Tomlinson's NFL statistics:

Regular Season

Postseason

Awards and Honors

Tomlinson being tackled by Jeremiah Trotter at the 2006 Pro Bowl.

• Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee (2017)
• NFL MVP (2006)
• NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2006)
• Walter Payton Man of the Year (2006)
• 3× First-team Associated Press All-Pro (2004, 2006, 2007)
• 5× Pro Bowl (2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)
• 2× NFL rushing leader (2006, 2007)
• NFL 2000s All-Decade Team
• Inducted into the San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame (2015)
• No. 21 retired by Chargers (2015)
• Best Male Athlete ESPY Award (2007)
• Bart Starr Man of the Year Award (2008)

Personal Life and Beyond Football

Tomlinson in 2004.

LaDainian Tomlinson is a Christian. He met his wife, LaTorsha Oakley, while they were both students at TCU. They got married in 2003 and have two children.

After retiring from playing, Tomlinson joined the NFL Network as an analyst in 2012. He still works there, sharing his football knowledge. He also helps the Los Angeles Chargers as a special assistant to the team's owner. His job is to help build a new fanbase for the team in Los Angeles.

Tomlinson has his own charity foundation. It helps high school and college students, provides meals for people in need, and raises money for after-school programs. This charity work is one reason he received the Bart Starr Award in 2008.

His nephew, Tre Tomlinson, also played football at TCU and is now in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams.

Images for kids

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  Tomlinson against the Cleveland Browns in 2006. He scored 3 of his NFL single-season record 31 touchdowns in the game.

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  Tomlinson threw for seven touchdowns in his career.