LaDainian Tomlinson Calls it a Career
Added on Jun 18, 2012 by Scott in
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One of the best running backs to ever grace an NFL field has called it a career. LaDainian Tomlinson retired as a San Diego Charger at a press conference today after 11 seasons with the Bolts and Jets. The soon to be 33-year-old Tomlinson was hinting at hanging up the cleats for months. He didn’t garner much attention on the free agent market and speculation had been growing he was closing out the football chapter in his life.
LT wasted little time making an immediate impact as a rookie after the Chargers selected him fifth overall in the 2001 draft. He totaled 1603 yards and ten touchdowns in his first professional season and went on to post eight consecutive years of 1000-yard rushing and double-digit touchdown campaigns.
His 145 rushing scores rank second all-time to Emmitt Smith’s 164, and his 13,684 yards on the ground is fifth on the all-time list. Not to be outdone, his 624 career receptions places him 55th among all wide receivers, tight ends and backs. Only Larry Centers and Marshall Faulk caught more passes as a running back.
Toss in a pair of rushing titles, an MVP in 2006, four first-team All-Pro nominations and a spot on the 2000s All-Decade roster, and it’s a foregone conclusion Tomlinson will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Now the debate will rage where he belongs on the list of the game’s greatest runners.
His last two seasons as a Jet were easily his least productive as he split time with starter Shonn Greene. His signature burst and elusiveness had diminished and his days as a featured back were over. Rather than endure another season on another team, LT did the right thing and walked away on his own terms with his reputation intact.
One of the best Chargers to wear the uniform, Tomlinson’s 918 points ranks second to kicker John Carney’s 1076 on the team’s all-time scoring list.
Source: NFL.com
