LaDainian Tomlinson News: Pro Sports Daily

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November 18

San Diego Union-Tribune

"Straight out of Cal, remember, he started with New Orleans. The so-called Big Easy long had been an exciting and fun town, unless you were talking about its National Football League team. The Saints, oh yes, they went marching in all right. Left-hut. Right-hut. Left, right, left. "We had, you know, the traditional two-back set," said Chuck Muncie yesterday, recalling his first four-plus years in the NFL. "Run some sweeps here, run left off-tackle, right dive there, maybe catch a swing pass here and there.""

Tomlinson delivers

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November 16

San Diego Union-Tribune

"Shaun Phillips walked off the field, helmet in hand, teammates all around, and yelled something that seemed unfathomable a month ago. "Somebody's tied for first place." Yep. When are we going to learn?"

Emotional Tomlinson savors victory

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November 9

San Diego Union-Tribune

"They were for so long practically inextricable, big days by LaDainian Tomlinson and Chargers victories. No more. Yesterday, by any statistical measure, was one of the worst games of Tomlinson's Hall of Fame career. Yet there he was at the end, that diamond-bright smile beaming, embracing the head coach he hasn't seen eye to eye with for much of the past 2½ years. Tomlinson has been talking about how he wants to play five more years. But he knows that might not happen and his career is closer to its sunset than its sunrise. "I've been through a lot in my career; it's hard work," he said softly as he stood alone in the locker room an hour after yesterday's 21-20 win over the Giants. "I don't ..."

LT: 'We finally came together'

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November 9

San Diego Union-Tribune

"Philip Rivers never stopped running from the time he left the field. Eric Weddle, after perhaps the game of his career, was the last player off the field. His smile was ear to ear as he jumped up (way up) to chest-bump big Marcus McNeill. "Welcome to New York," LaDainian Tomlinson shouted from the doorway to the locker room. Welcome to a new season. Midway through 2009, the Chargers are showing they could pull a 2007 redux, only maybe better. "We just finally came together," Tomlinson said. "It usually takes us awhile to build that whatever you've got to have — that 'it' factor. But when we get it, we get our swagger going (and) it's tough to stop us." The Chargers had shown they were ..."

LJ understands LT's slow start

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October 23

Kansas City Star

"It was only three seasons ago that LaDainian Tomlinson and Larry Johnson were at the top of the pile of NFL running backs. Neither will be anywhere close to that Sunday when Tomlinson's Chargers and Johnson's Chiefs meet at Arrowhead Stadium. Johnson is 22nd in the league with 309 yards but is averaging a feeble 2.7 yards per carry and doesn't have a touchdown. Tomlinson has been held back by injuries and with 140 yards isn't among the league's top 50 rushers. He has only one touchdown. "His experience is a little bit different," Johnson said." He's been hurt, he's been nicked up. "He always started slow sometimes. The next thing you know he's down for five touchdowns, six touchdowns. It ..."

Vonnie Holliday faces Tomlinson once more, this time as a Bronco

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October 18

Denver Post

"In 12 NFL seasons, Vonnie Holliday has played against LaDainian Tomlinson more times than he can count. In intraconference play with the Green Bay Packers; in interdivisional play twice a year as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. All the while, the San Diego Chargers running back has been a focal point for Holliday and the teams he has been a part of. So, despite circumstantial evidence to the contrary, the Broncos' defensive end is taking the same approach into Monday night's game at Qualcomm Stadium. "I haven't watched L.T. yet this year," Holliday said. "You hear stuff through the media, just like I heard that the Broncos weren't any good this year. That's the same kind of stuff I'm ..."

LT, Rivers assert team's 'quiet confidence'

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October 15

San Diego Union-Tribune

"These are not the words of a team coming off an embarrassing loss on national television, a group that for the third straight season has yet to find its collective step in the early going. "It's a quiet confidence," running back LaDainian Tomlinson said Wednesday when asked how the Chargers were feeling going into Monday's game against the Denver Broncos. "You look in each man's eyes in that locker room, you can tell there is something extra." Later, quarterback Philip Rivers voiced the same sentiment without being asked specifically about Tomlinson's comments."

Tomlinson rushes for 15 yards, but 'felt pretty good'

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October 5

San Diego Union-Tribune

"LaDainian Tomlinson never had a chance to show what he could do. "We got down so fast, we couldn't run the ball," Tomlinson said after a night in which he carried just seven times for 15 yards. In all, the Chargers gained just 16 yards on the ground, their lowest rushing total in a regular-season game since at least 1992. "We had 15 plays in the first quarter-and-a-half," head coach Norv Turner said after the Chargers lost 38-28 to the Steelers."

LaDanian Tomlinson Seems Destined to Miss his Second Straight Game

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September 25

San Diego Union-Tribune

"Darren Sproles has been in the NFL since 2005. He's played in 53 games, including the postseason. Remarkably, more than 10 percent of his career touches have come in the first two games of this season. And while Chargers head coach Norv Turner wouldn't want to wear out his dynamo in this manner over a full season, he is going to ride Sproles while he can and while he has to. LaDainian Tomlinson missed practice again yesterday and seems destined to miss his second straight game Sunday, so Sproles and Michael Bennett will be the tailbacks against Miami."

Tomlinson officially ruled out for Sunday's game

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September 19

San Diego Union-Tribune

"The insurance policy will get cashed early, as the expected became official yesterday and LaDainian Tomlinson was ruled out for tomorrow's home opener against the Baltimore Ravens. That means Michael Bennett and Darren Sproles will get the bulk of the carries, as Tomlinson misses a regular-season game because of injury for the first time in his career. Tomlinson sat out the 2004 season finale when coach Marty Schottenheimer rested many of his starters before the playoffs. Tomlinson also missed the divisional playoff loss to Pittsburgh last January, his only start ever missed to injury."

Week One best bets include Brady, Tomlinson

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September 15

Buffalo News

columnist Jay Skurski

"If Las Vegas provided lines on things like who will have the best fantasy production in Week One, Tom Brady's name would be taken off the board. The abuse the New England quarterback has doled out to the Buffalo Bills in their recent meetings borders on criminal. In his record-setting 2007 alone, Brady went 54 for 68 (79.4 completion percentage) for 684 yards and nine touchdowns (zero interceptions) against the Bills. With a national audience on Monday night waiting to see if Brady is indeed healthy, he is my No. 1 play for the first week of fantasy football. Here's the rest of my team of recommended starters, based on a squad of two running backs, two wide receivers, a tight end, flex ..."

Peterson or LT as best back?

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September 4

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"This might be difficult to believe, but the key ingredient to Adrian Peterson's 75-yard touchdown run Monday night in Houston wasn't his speed. Sure, it was important that Peterson had the ability to break away from the Texans' defenders. But what was even more significant is that before Peterson sped up, he slowed down. In a nutshell, Peterson practiced patience. "That's what it was," Peterson said Wednesday when asked about scoring on the opening play from scrimmage. "Those were the first words that came out of (running backs coach Eric Bieniemy's) mouth. How patient I was." Peterson's willingness to let the play develop in front of him and his ability to pressure the linebacker into ..."

Don't look for LT in anymore preseason tilts

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August 28

San Diego Union-Tribune

"It appears the LaDainian Tomlinson preseason show has run its course, or at least will go on hiatus. Head coach Norv Turner Thursday said he hadn't decided whether Tomlinson will play in Saturday night's nationally televised exhibition game at Atlanta. But asked whether he had concerns about Tomlinson playing on artificial turf, Turner said, "You're reading my mind now." Tomlinson, who has 12 carries in two games after not playing in a preseason game for three years, would like to play against the Falcons."

Is risking Tomlinson worth Chargers' reward?

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August 20

Orange County Register

columnist Marcia C. Smith

"LaDainian Tomlinson grabs the football as if it were a newborn baby. He cradles it, then cuts left, dashes between linemen, breaks right and sprints toward the open field. He's running for the end zone, scurrying away from the calendar. He has been practicing at Chargers Park like the explosive L.T. of Ol', not like an old L.T. Tomlinson is also unselfishly offering himself up to play in the Chargers' second preseason game on Saturday at Arizona, and Coach Norv Turner, fighting every cautious urge to bubble-wrap the 30-year-old franchise running back until it's time for the games that actually matter, has reluctantly obliged. Playing Tomlinson in the preseason - his first since 2005 - may ..."

LT sees first preseason action in 4 years

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August 16

San Diego Union-Tribune

"LaDainian Tomlinson played and walked away smiling. "It felt good," he said. Shawne Merriman stalked the sideline after his first turn on the field in 11 months. "It feels great," Merriman said. All is well. The Chargers lost 20-14 to the Seattle Seahawks last night in their preseason opener at Qualcomm Stadium as two Charlie Whitehurst turnovers led to 10 Seattle points in the second half. That, as usual, was unimportant. At this point, with most starters out shortly after the second quarter began, there is one thing paramount for the Chargers: A team that stumbled to a .500 record in 2008, with many of its key players injured from the start of the season and then throughout, is healthy ..."

LT: 85 percent sure he'll play in preseason

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August 11

San Diego Union-Tribune

"Might Qualcomm Stadium erupt Saturday in the kind of ovation that is rarely, if ever, heard in August? If LaDainian Tomlinson has his way, it will. And he's optimistic he'll have his way. Yes, the preseason's phantom might actually carry the ball in an exhibition. "From what I've been told, it's pretty encouraging," Tomlinson said Monday at training camp. "So I'd say it's 85 percent." Tomlinson has voiced a desire to play every August, but he has not touched a ball in the preseason since Aug. 21, 2005. He has just 14 carries in his eight career preseasons. "This year could be different," Tomlinson said. "I wouldn't rule out me playing.""

Turner believes using Sproles more will help Tomlinson

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March 25

San Diego Union-Tribune

"The Chargers will have the highest-paid running back tandem in the NFL in 2009, and coach Norv Turner believes it will serve them well. Turner doesn't believe LaDainian Tomlinson necessarily needs a caddie, but he thinks slightly expanding Darren Sproles' role will help the future Hall of Famer. "If you talk about being around the great backs, they're at their comfort level when they get 22, 23, 25 carries," Turner said Tuesday at the NFL owners'meetings. "(Tomlinson) had (a career-low 292) carries last season. I'd expect him to have more. I'd expect him to be in the 320s. That's what he does. He can handle it, and he'll be prepared to handle it. "We have a luxury. We have a very good ..."

Numbers show compromise in new Tomlinson deal

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March 18

San Diego Union-Tribune

"The numbers on LaDainian Tomlinson's reworked contract are in, and they tell a story of compromise. Tomlinson forfeited at least $6.125 million in potential salary over the three years on the deal, though he does have a chance to earn back $2 million of that by reaching yardage milestones in 2010. Tomlinson, credited last week by team President Dean Spanos and General Manager A.J. Smith for helping the team create salary cap room so it could try to sign other players, afforded the Chargers approximately $4.1 million in cap relief over the three years. As reported previously, Tomlinson will make $6.725 million in 2009, same as in the old contract. But $2.875 million was in a signing ..."

Tomlinson takes a step back to move forward

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March 17

Orange County Register

columnist Marcia C. Smith

"LaDainian Tomlinson pulled on the headphones and took a seat on the stage Friday for 710 ESPN Radio's "Lunch with a Legend" at Morton's The Steakhouse. This was lunchtime, with Tomlinson's interview for the "Mason"

Tomlinson agrees to restructured deal with Chargers

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March 11

San Diego Union-Tribune

"Dean Spanos was not going to let LaDainian Tomlinson leave. "What he's done since his career started here, what he's meant to the community and the fans and the organization, it was unthinkable he wouldn't be here," said the Chargers' president and CEO said Tuesday night. Spanos spoke shortly after an accord was reached, with Tomlinson agreeing to take the pay cut the team said he must in order for the franchise and arguably its most popular player ever to avoid a divorce. Tomlinson credited Spanos with smoothing the way to the restructured three-year contract that will keep the iconic running back in San Diego. "I really appreciate the role Dean played throughout this process," ..."

With talks in 'final stages,' signs point to LT staying

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March 10

San Diego Union-Tribune

"It's close. Will he stay or will he go? Indications are that we'll know sooner rather than later. Talks regarding a restructured contract are ongoing between LaDainian Tomlinson and the Chargers, and those talks reportedly are in the "final stages." It would appear that the continued discussions are good news for those who want LT to stay in San Diego. Both sides have always said they want Tomlinson to be a Charger in 2009. The team believes Tomlinson, if healthy, has at least another year of being an elite running back. Tomlinson lives here, likes it here and would like to stay in the same uniform his entire career. That's best for him now and probably best for his legacy. The ..."

Saints' quarterback Drew Brees would love to 'snatch' Chargers tailback LaDainian Tomlinson if he comes free

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March 9

New Orleans Times-Picayune

"If it were up to Saints quarterback Drew Brees, he'd love to be reunited with close friend and former teammate LaDainian Tomlinson if the San Diego Chargers cut the former MVP tailback loose. While discussing Tomlinson's contract standoff on San Diego radio station XX 1090 AM, Brees said the "best case scenario" would be for Tomlinson to stay in San Diego because of what he's meant to the team, the fans and the community. But he also admitted, "I'm just waiting for the opportunity if he is available to come and snatch him away." When asked if he has discussed that possibility with Tomlinson, Brees said, "I think that's pretty obvious, don't you think?" When the radio hosts jokingly brought ..."

Stay or go? Decision now in LT's hands

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March 7

San Diego Union-Tribune

"It's been almost two weeks since the Chargers and LaDainian Tomlinson's agent began the back and forth of a contract restructure for the iconic running back. The back and forth is finished. This is up to Tomlinson now. It's a matter of whether he wants to play for less money in San Diego. Information is coming in this saga like water from a drippy faucet. But my understanding is that Tomlinson has the Chargers' final offer. That offer could be for two years or three years. Whatever it is, it will be for less money than the $24 million he is scheduled to make by 2011. What form the new money takes (signing bonus, roster bonus, incentives) is not known. We heard Thursday on 1090-AM from ..."

No decision today: Tomlinson's status remains unclear

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February 26

San Diego Union-Tribune

"LaDainian Tomlinson's future with the Chargers is still up in the air. "All I can tell you is everything is ongoing," Chargers General Manager A.J. Smith said Thursday in delivering his state-of-the-Chargers address. "I've got nothing more to add at this time. But I will add this: We would love to have him. We hope he returns." The Chargers are hoping to restructure Tomlinson's contract, which has three years remaining, to reduce the $6.725 million owed the former league Most Valuable Player for next season, with Tomlinson receiving a new signing bonus to be paid over five years."

LT's fate could be decided Thursday

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February 26

San Diego Union-Tribune

"Amid indications the LaDainian Tomlinson saga could be resolved Thursday, Chargers General Manager A.J. Smith will address the media at noon. Silent since last week about Tomlinson and, really, all things regarding his team, Smith will talk the usual injury specifics and be vague about plans for free agency and the draft. He will announce topics he refused to confirm or deny Wednesday, including the retention of restricted free agents Malcom Floyd and Cletis Gordon, both given a second-round tender, which guarantees them $1.45 million. (The Chargers did announce the re-signing of guard Kynan Forney to a two-year deal potentially worth $4.5 million.) There could be a surprise or two, as ..."

For LT, time is the heart of the matter

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February 23

San Diego Union-Tribune

columnist Tim Sullivan

"LaDainian Tomlinson is like a vintage sports car: exquisitely engineered, continually thrilling, and repeatedly down for repairs. The miles accumulate along with the memories, until the cost of maintenance consumes the rush of pulse-pumping, responsive speed. All running backs reach the point of diminishing dazzle, the career crossroads at which what they are can never again match what they once were. If LT has not already reached that point, it is close, and it is coming. This is the way of all flesh, and all flash, and there's no one to fault but Father Time. Thus the Chargers' interest in reconfiguring LT's contract should not be viewed as an insult, but as an inevitability. Both ..."

Risky business for Chargers, LT's reps

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February 23

San Diego Union-Tribune

"The Chargers and representatives for LaDainian Tomlinson are talking to each other. But no word regarding progress, or lack thereof, is coming out of either camp. As the two sides negotiate over how the future Hall of Famer could remain in San Diego, questions linger about how long it will take and under what terms Tomlinson could stay. With the NFL scheduled to have no salary cap in 2010, a deal heavily laden with incentives seems unlikely because those incentives would count against the 2009 cap if reached. Any restructuring - which would reduce Tomlinson's base salary for 2009 and beyond - would likely include a new signing bonus that could be spread out over five years for the ..."

Tomlinson talks are expected to heat up this weekend

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February 21

San Diego Union-Tribune

"Even before the principals began arriving here Thursday for the NFL Scouting Combine, meetings between the Chargers and LaDainian Tomlinson's agent were set for this weekend. Ed McGuire, Chargers assistant general manager, was scheduled to arrive in Indianapolis on Friday night, and sources said a series of discussions between him and Tomlinson's agent, Tom Condon, will take place after that. (McGuire is the team's chief negotiator; General Manager A.J. Smith rarely speaks directly with agents.) A source said Thursday that a meeting was set between McGuire and Condon for Sunday, but that likely will be just one of several components of a back-and-forth between the sides over a ..."

Smith calls Tomlinson in effort to clear the air

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January 27

San Diego Union-Tribune

"The Chargers on Monday made moves to reach out to their star running back and to their fans. First, General Manager A.J. Smith called LaDainian Tomlinson to talk to him about comments he made last week that have drawn fire across the nation and inside his organization. The team then posted a story on its Web site. “It was important to me that LT know exactly what happened,” Smith said on the site. “I just answered a question and unfortunately my response was inappropriate. After reading my response to the question, I can see why it was interpreted the way it was. I absolutely meant no disrespect toward LT – none. I have the utmost respect for him on two fronts – as a player and as a ..."

Tomlinson-Smith public saga must stop now, Merriman says

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January 26

San Diego Union-Tribune

"Quietly, some Chargers players have expressed indignation in recent days over the LaDainian Tomlinson saga. Particularly, players have privately expressed consternation over General Manager A.J. Smith's comments in which he was interpreted as mocking the star running back. Sunday, one player who rarely censors what he says and who has strong beliefs and no fear spoke out. "That (stuff) doesn't help bring a Super Bowl to San Diego," linebacker Shawne Merriman said. "And that (stuff) needs to stop, period. It needs to stop now." That is not far from the thinking from the top of the organization. Sources said that team President Dean Spanos is "very upset" about the Tomlinson situation ..."

LT can resolve his predicament by making a cut – in his salary

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January 25

San Diego Union-Tribune

columnist Tim Sullivan

"LaDainian Tomlinson's latest move is a misdirection play. In announcing that he has "absolutely no control" should the Chargers decide to trade him, LT has omitted an important detail: Everything is negotiable. If Tomlinson is disinclined to take a hike, he could volunteer to take a pay cut. He could acknowledge that an NFL running back who will turn 30 as a recurring injury risk no longer merits the highest base salary at his position. He could declare and then demonstrate that dollars are a secondary consideration at this stage of his Canton-bound career. He could seize the initiative from A.J. Smith, back the Bolts into a more awkward position than they already occupy, and free up ..."

Abrupt? Egotistical? Smith can be both. But did he mock LT? No

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January 25

San Diego Union-Tribune

columnist Kevin Acee

"Since writing the story that included the now-infamous A.J. Smith quotes regarding LaDainian Tomlinson's Web site posting, I've been traveling and digesting the national and local reaction to Smith's words. My reaction to the reaction: Wow! If you don't know what quote I'm referring to, I'm surprised you're even reading this. Anyone with a passing interest in the NFL has heard or read about what Smith said and the idea he is a horrible human for mocking Tomlinson. I definitely see where that interpretation comes from. Repeating someone's words to fashion your own quote would certainly not seem to be an attempt to show respect. But as the person who elicited the quote, I feel a certain ..."

Did the San Diego Chargers Allow LaDainian Tomlinson To Turn Soft?

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January 24

San Diego Union-Tribune

"Regardless of where LaDainian Tomlinson winds up next season, there is a question about his toughness. He has had a significant injury in four out of the last five seasons. In 2004 it was his groin. In 2005 it was his ribs. In 2007 it was his knee. In 2008 it was his toe and groin. Let me get down to the bottom line here: You can't just be tough because you've decided to be mentally strong. Over the past four seasons, Tomlinson has only been hit in real games. He doesn't get hit in training camp, the preseason, or practice. The guys he is getting hit by are banging from training camp on. It is physically impossible for a guy that doesn't get hit to be anywhere near as tough as a guy that ..."

Tomlinson: ‘I have no intentions of leaving San Diego’

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January 21

NFL.com

"If LaDainian Tomlinson has any say in the matter, he’s staying with the Chargers. Amid published reports last week that the Chargers were weighing their options on Tomlinson’s future with the team — which include options from keeping him at his current salary level to attempting to renegotiate his contract, trading him or releasing him — the five-time Pro Bowler responded Wednesday with a message on his personal Web site. “I have been getting a lot of messages on my site regarding me leaving San Diego,” Tomlinson wrote. “I feel that I need to make it very clear that I have NO intentions of leaving San Diego. San Diego is where my career started and where I’d like it to end. I have nothing ..."

Weighing the options will decide LT's fate

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January 17

San Diego Union-Tribune

"The Chargers - meaning President Dean Spanos, General Manager A.J. Smith, Vice President Ed McGuire and head coach Norv Turner - will consider four options with regard to LaDainian Tomlinson's future with the team. Within the next month, they will either keep him at his current salary level, approach him about a contract renegotiation, try to trade him or release him. All four options - releasing him or attempting to work out a new contract, or both, appear to be the most likely scenarios - will be weighed with several factors in mind. And all those factors can really be boiled down to one objective. "How do we do all the things we need to do," Smith said Friday. "That's what we have to ..."

Spanos' words to Tomlinson: 'Don't jump to any conclusions'

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January 16

San Diego Union-Tribune

"Chargers president Dean Spanos spoke with LaDainian Tomlinson on Thursday and then addressed the furor surrounding his iconic running back. "We talked about the situation and I just tried to explain everything that must be considered," Spanos said on the team's Web site. "I told him we haven't even started our discussions and won't for awhile, so don't jump to any conclusions. And I told him I would call him personally to make sure he's aware of everything that's going on." Spanos declined further comment. Tomlinson, who is traveling for another opinion on his injured groin, did not return a phone message. According to a source, Spanos expressed to Tomlinson that the team has not ..."

Defensive struggles ultimately did in Bolts

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January 16

San Diego Union-Tribune

"Defense wins championships. For all the reasons the Chargers are home right now, look no further than that cliché. The Chargers finished the 2008 season ranked 15th in the NFL in points allowed, 25th in yards allowed and 31st in passing yards allowed. Now, it was a strange year. Linebacker Shawne Merriman, perhaps the most disruptive player in the league, played just one game before succumbing to two torn ligaments. Coordinator Ted Cottrell and his players did not handle the loss of Merriman well. Cottrell was gone at midseason and replaced by inside linebackers coach Ron Rivera. The statistics and results were greatly improved once Rivera's changes set in. But there remain holes. ..."

LT's hefty contract weighing heavy on offseason decisions

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January 14

San Diego Union-Tribune

columnist Tim Sullivan

"What remains of LaDainian Tomlinson's contract might as well be payable in Monopoly money. Pro football players get their guaranteed money up front and are subsequently paid only until management's mood changes. The end, customarily, is abrupt. The sport is about as sentimental as a sledgehammer. That LaDainian Tomlinson is the greatest player the Chargers have ever employed is largely irrelevant to A.J. Smith's personnel decisions. LT is a running back whose next birthday is No. 30, whose last season suggested slippage and whose 2009, 2010 and 2011 salaries are a large liability easily eliminated. Unlike other major sports, the National Football League negotiates long-term contracts that ..."

L.T. looking ahead to future

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January 12

San Diego Union-Tribune

"LaDainian Tomlinson Sunday missed his first-ever start due to injury. "It's not a good feeling," he said afterward. Having to watch much of the Chargers' past four postseason games, sidelined last year by a sprained knee and this year by a torn tendon in his groin, has Tomlinson unsure but motivated about his future. "What I'm looking forward to is proving I can play every game again," Tomlinson said after the Chargers' 35-24 playoff loss to Pittsburgh. "I've always prided myself more than anything on being there every game. For me, I want to get back to that point where I'm playing every game." The man who could not be stopped for so many years - gaining more yards and scoring more ..."

Tomlinson reveals his groin muscle is torn, not strained

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January 8

North County Times

"LaDainian Tomlinson spared reporters the suspense of waiting for Friday injury's report to reveal his injury status. He said on Wednesday that he' s doubtful to play in Sunday's AFC divisional round playoff at Pittsburgh, which, in NFL-speak, means there's a 75 percent chance he won't play against the Steelers. Tomlinson also revealed new details about the severity of an injury the Chargers have continually called a strained groin that might anchor him to the sideline. "It's definitely torn," Tomlinson said. "?- If it was a strain, I'd be able to play with it. Trust me. A lot of guys have strains." Tomlinson got hurt in the Dec. 28 regular-season finale against Denver. He was in the midst ..."

'Helpless' LT to sit this one out

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January 8

San Diego Union-Tribune

"No one is saying publicly that LaDainian Tomlinson will not play Sunday. But he won't. That's the private resignation of those in the know, and it is apparent in every move Tomlinson makes and pretty much everything he says. “I don't think anybody can know the frustration,” said Tomlinson, dealing with a debilitating injury for the second straight postseason. “It's tough dealing with it. ... I really sometimes want to go home and stay and lock myself up and not go in public just because all my life all I ever wanted to do was play football. That's all I ever wanted to do, win a championship. “To feel so helpless, to be at this point where we have a chance to do it and again, I can't do ..."

L.T. may miss rest of playoffs

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January 5

San Diego Union-Tribune

"While they're using phrases like "day to day" and "we'll see," no one in the Chargers organization truly expects LaDainian Tomlinson to play Sunday at Pittsburgh. But the Chargers will not place Tomlinson on injured reserve, in the hope that he still could play in the postseason. "He might be able to play in another week if we were able to go on," coach Norv Turner said. "Or maybe he could play in another week after that." The likelihood, according to sources, is that Tomlinson's severely strained groin will keep him out the rest of the postseason and will require surgery. But Turner reported Sunday that the injury "is not any worse" after Tomlinson played on it Saturday. Michael ..."

Uncertainty surrounds LT

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January 4

San Diego Union-Tribune

"The hard part? The truly hard part? In the end, it wasn't being on the sideline and watching another Chargers running back win the game in OT. That was the nice part. The hard part was not being able to celebrate. Not being able to jump in the air along with everybody else on the sideline. Not being able to break into a full sprint toward Darren Sproles and wrap his arms around him. "I just realized that everybody was running past me," LaDainian Tomlinson said. "I couldn't run." Whether Tomlinson can run in next weekend's divisional playoff game at either Tennessee or Pittsburgh is unclear, although judging from Saturday night's events without access or a working knowledge of MRI ..."

Source: Tomlinson has torn tendon, will attempt to play

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January 3

ESPN.com

"San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson has a detached tendon that connects one of his adductor (groin) muscles to his pubic bone, according to team sources. Tomlinson has been listed as a game-time decision against the Indianapolis Colts in Saturday night's AFC wild-card playoff game with a groin strain, and sources say he is going to attempt to play because physical therapy has given him some relief. His playing status is expected to be determined after he tests the injury during a pregame warmup. Doctors discovered through scans that Tomlinson had an "avulsion" on one of three adductor muscles, meaning a tendon that connects the muscle to the pubic bone has detached, team ..."

LJ and LT appear to be feeling NFL wear and tear

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December 14

Kansas City Star

"Shortly after Larry Johnson's career arc began to shoot upward during his spectacular 2005 season, an opposing coach sounded a warning no one wanted to heed. "Right now, he's a force in their offense," said Bill Parcells, then coaching in Dallas and preparing the Cowboys to face the Chiefs, who were routinely giving Johnson the ball 35 times a game. "But it's a rare person who can take that physically for a prolonged period of time. That's what separates them. It's a difficult position to play. You have a bull's-eye on your chest every week, and sometimes that bull's-eye gets a little heavy. "You can really separate most of the great players from the guys whose candle burned brightly for a ..."

Respect still there for Tomlinson

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November 23

Indianapolis Star

columnist Mike Chappell

"It has not been vintage LaDainian Tomlinson. The Chargers running back the Indianapolis Colts face this evening in San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium has averaged 68.6 yards per game, 3.8 yards per attempt. Not since his rookie season in 2001 have the numbers been so, well, un-Tomlinson-like. But lest we jump to conclusions, let's check the videotape. Which the Colts did. "I don't see anything different,'' insisted defensive end Raheem Brock. "He still looks good to me. I'm watching film and he's still making plays.'' Yet Tomlinson has cracked the 100-yard barrier only twice this season, peaking at 106 yards at Oakland in late September. "He's still an elite runner and he's still dangerous,'' ..."

Tomlinson not ready to concede season

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November 18

San Diego Union-Tribune

"LaDainian Tomlinson has seen this play out before. Try as he might, he can't be optimistic. The Chargers running back and resident realist said Monday he feels the season slipping away with the maddeningly inconsistent Chargers at 4-6 and running out of time to chase down the suddenly resurgent Denver Broncos (6-4). "I think so, I really do," Tomlinson said. "Two games back, you're not out of it, but it's like blown opportunities we keep on talking about. Whenever you keep blowing opportunities, at some point opportunities don't come about anymore. When the opportunity comes, you open the door and take it. If you don't, it passes you by and goes to somebody else." Tomlinson spoke again ..."

It's ludicrous to write LT's final chapter

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November 11

San Diego Union-Tribune

columnist Nick Canepa

"Rumors of LaDainian Tomlinson's demise not only are greatly exaggerated, they're asinine. But the doubting villagers are out there all right, in force, waving torches, ready to storm the once-impregnable Castle LT. You don't get my e-mails. You send them. LT is finished. Done. Toast. I'm told the Chargers' tailback can't run anymore. He was football's Napoleon, but what remains of his skills are Waterloo. He's Elba toast. Now there is one big pile of manure. I'll be the last one to sit here and tell you LT, at 29, is everything he was five years ago, or even two years ago. Not many people are. But to say he's finished is beyond ridiculous. He's not, and it's obvious he's not. Just because ..."

Tomlinson runs more, appears healthy in losing effort Sunday

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October 27

San Diego Union-Tribune

"Just like LaDainian Tomlinson requested, the Chargers were stubborn with the run Sunday, at least until it didn't make sense to be so. And true to his word, Tomlinson appeared healthy, as he came through big in his first game since meeting with coach Norv Turner and asking that the Chargers run more. "We got a good flow," said Tomlinson, who ran 10 times for 85 yards in the first half and finished with 105 yards on 19 carries, his rushes dropping off in the second half as the Chargers faced a big deficit. "That was nice," center Nick Hardwick said. "We were cooking a little bit there until we couldn't. We got after it, got aggressive, sticking on blocks." Entering Sunday, Tomlinson had ..."