Never giving up on L.T.
By Nick Pinkerton
Just this past Monday, San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson was released. The nine-year veteran out of TCU will spend his offseason not only finding a solution to his rapidly declining productivity, but also finding a new team.
Ever since he entered the NFL, Tomlinson, or "L.T.," dazzled fans with his jukes, stiff arms and agility as he kept running right into the record books.
But as we've seen for at least three years, L.T. is nowhere near the elite performer he once was.
Though he wears a tinted visor with his helmet, you could not see a clearer example of a defeat-stricken player than Tomlinson sitting on the bench alone in the playoffs two seasons ago, helmet still shielding his face. As the visor remained, so did his downfall.
L.T. gained only 730 yards on the ground at 3.3 yards per carry last season -- numbers that should not reflect an every down back. It seems the once coveted No. 1 fantasy draft pick is nothing more than a late-round afterthought.
But L.T. means much more to me, and he always will. That's why I am not giving up on someone who is a Hall of Fame player and a Hall of Fame person.
I grew up witnessing the best of L.T. mostly in high school. Watching him was like watching your favorite player as a kid, with your eyes widening and jaw dropping almost every time he touched the ball. The way he dominated the open field and kept his legs moving through tacklers was fairly unique, though resembling Barry Sanders and Emmitt Smith.
However, what impressed me the most about Tomlinson was his ability to be one of the best role models for children, aside from being one of the most talented players in the NFL.
L.T., who experienced the death of his brother and grandfather from a car accident growing up, has given back to many communities through his own foundation, football camp and fundraisers.
Despite his all-around efforts, L.T. was just about absent in the playoffs over the last couple years, battling injuries, sitting in silence on the bench and telling the media he expected to depart from the Chargers soon.
This said, I think that, in part, Tomlinson embodies someone who has never wanted anything more than to win, and that anything short of that is not worth showing to millions of others. He understands the reality of sports but will not stop where he is in order to taste Super Bowl victory.
That's why I know he will find the strength to keep playing through his shortcomings and triumph. L.T. still has work to do.