Hawks get ready for San Diego's Tomlinson

By DAVID ANDRIESEN
P-I REPORTER

SAN DIEGO -- With a football in his hands, LaDainian Tomlinson might be
the most exciting man in America.

His face hidden behind a black visor, the San Diego Chargers tailback
makes cuts the NFL hasn't seen since the heyday of Barry Sanders,
leaving stiff-armed linebackers and league records in his wake.

As a teammate says, "LT is the king of the NFL."

Without a football, however, the king is about as exciting as a sack
lunch. Take away the diamond-studded hoop earrings and he could be
anyone, a soft-spoken waiter or a bank teller. There is no hint of NFL
superstar.

While his teammates carouse the bars and clubs of San Diego's Gaslamp
District, Tomlinson can be found at his home in suburban Poway with his
wife, LaTorsha, and their dogs (a pair of pocket dogs named Coco and
Fendi for her; a pit bull named Sweetness, after idol Walter Payton,
for him).

While other superstars invent ever more ridiculous methods of on-field
self-aggrandizement, Tomlinson, who has accomplished more than any of
them, greets each milestone by seeking out his offensive linemen for
handshakes and hugs. When he was selected to the Pro Bowl after the
2004 season, Tomlinson paid for the entire line to go to Hawaii with
him.

Every home-game Sunday, after being pounded on for three hours,
Tomlinson soaks in a hot tub and then takes 21 underprivileged kids,
called "The 21 Club," out to dinner and sends them home with bags of
school supplies. Before his head hits the pillow, he has usually gone
over the basic defensive schemes of the next week's opponent.

"Soft-spoken, hard-working, incredibly focused," Chargers center Nick
Hardwick says of the man who has led San Diego to eight consecutive
victories heading into Sunday's game against the Seahawks at Qwest
Field. "He's got his mind-set on things above what normal professional
athletes have their minds set on.

"He wants to be more than a football player, he wants to be more than a
Pro Bowler. He wants to be the best that's ever been on the field.
That's his approach, and you can tell every time he steps on the field
how serious he is."

As a result, he's piling up some serious records.

Shaun Alexander's season touchdown record of 28 stood for less than a
season, and Tomlinson has 31 with two games to play. It's just the
second time in history the record has increased by more than one.

Last week Tomlinson set an NFL season scoring record, racing past the
mark of 176 set in 1960 by Paul Hornung, who was a running back and a
kicker. That record stood longer than Babe Ruth's season home run
record.

A record 28 of Tomlinson's touchdowns are rushing touchdowns. He has
three touchdown catches and two scoring passes, which don't count in
his touchdown total. In his career, Tomlinson is 7-for-10 passing with
six touchdowns, one short of Payton's career record for touchdown
passes by a running back. Rumor has it Chargers coach Marty
Schottenheimer has even put in a third-down quick kick play for
Tomlinson.

Tomlinson has had multiple touchdowns in eight consecutive games,
eclipsing John Riggins' mark.

"To be honest, (the records) kind of all run together at this point,"
Tomlinson said. "I can't keep track of them. I leave that to you guys
(the media).

"There's definitely satisfaction (about the touchdown record), though.
As you get close to the record, you start thinking about it and people
start talking about it, and when it happens it becomes a relief. My
thought process was, 'OK, it's over. Now you can just play football
without people talking about it.' "

Fat chance. People are going to be talking about Tomlinson for a long
time.

"I've said it before: He is the finest running back to ever wear an NFL
uniform," said Schottenheimer -- who played against Jim Brown. "At some
point you just run out of superlatives."

Small back, big heart

Even with all that talent, there's every reason Tomlinson shouldn't be
where he is, shouldn't be who he is.

He could have ended up dead in a street fight or locked up in prison,
the fates that befell two of the five older half-siblings his father
had out of wedlock. He might have ended up at a small college where
he'd never have gotten noticed, which is what happens to most
undersized players who play only a year at tailback in high school. He
could have fallen into the lazy work habits and dangerous lifestyles of
many of those around him.

Tomlinson has always credited his mother, Loreane Chappell, with giving
him the opportunities and the character to succeed. In college he had
her face tattooed on his bicep, but had the misfortune of selecting a
tattoo parlor without a dictionary -- under her face were inked the
words, "MY INSPERATION."

"She's been instrumental in my life for a long time, and still is,"
Tomlinson said. "Mom has always been there."

Tomlinson's father, Oliver, was a builder of mobile homes in tiny
Marlin, Texas, who was permanently disabled by a back injury when
LaDainian was 4 and left the family when he was 7. By then, he'd given
his son a love for football, and in particular for the Dallas Cowboys.

Chappell supported the family working in a hospital, and managed to set
aside enough money to send Tomlinson to the football camp of new
Cowboys star Emmitt Smith. Tomlinson was inspired -- here was a
similarly undersized back who had achieved greatness. Why not
Tomlinson?

His next obstacle was Leroy Coleman, the football coach at Waco's
University High School. Coleman's system was clear: seniors carry the
ball, underclassmen block for them. Tomlinson was a linebacker as a
sophomore and a fullback as a junior. Just when he'd earned his shot to
carry the ball, Chappell landed a real estate job in Dallas.
Reluctantly, she agreed to let Tomlinson stay behind in Waco with a
family friend for his senior year.

Tomlinson rushed for 2,554 yards and 39 touchdowns in 15 games, leading
his team deep into the high-stakes Texas prep playoffs. But the big
programs such as Texas weren't knocking at his door. At 5-feet-10 and
195 pounds, he was considered small and some questioned his durability.
Plus he hadn't hit anyone's radar until his senior year.

Tomlinson showcased his skills at all the state all-star games, where
he became friends with a pair of future Chargers teammates,
Purdue-bound quarterback Drew Brees and Texas signee and cornerback
Quentin Jammer.

"He was just a guy in the game, just like a lot of us were," Jammer
said. "We knew what colleges people were going to, but other than that
... we were just guys trying to do something with our lives. Now he's
the king of the NFL. Who knew?"

Texas Christian University, a perennial doormat that had been left
behind when most of the Southwest Conference bolted for the Big 12,
might not have known it was getting the future king, but the Horned
Frogs welcomed him with open arms.

It was a fortuitous marriage for both player and school. In 1997,
Tomlinson's first year, the Horned Frogs went 1-10. By his junior year,
when Tomlinson led the nation in rushing, they were 8-5, just the
second time TCU had won as many as eight games since 1959.

As a senior in 2000, Tomlinson was the subject of a massive Heisman
Trophy campaign, and he did his part, finishing with 2,158 yards, the
fourth-highest total in NCAA history. He finished fourth for in the
voting behind Chris Weinke, Josh Heupel and Brees. TCU finished 10-2,
the first time the Frogs had won in double digits since their national
championship season in 1938. It started a span of five 10-win seasons
in seven years that has brought in a wave of money and prized Texas
recruits, vaulting TCU into the big time.

"They gave me an opportunity that I took advantage of to go to college,
and in turn we kind of helped each other," Tomlinson said. "It was
something special."

It was quickly becoming apparent Tomlinson was special as well -- and
not just on the field. After winning the NCAA rushing title as a
junior, he gave the award plaque to his offensive linemen, who hung it
in their meeting room. As part of his Heisman campaign, he made a video
called "Teachers are the Real Heroes," which was distributed to 300
local schools.

As TCU offensive tackle David Bobo told Sports Illustrated that year,
"How often is your best player your best teammate?"

San Diego had the top pick in the NFL draft in 2001 and wanted
quarterback Michael Vick, but the Chargers had been negotiating with
him and were afraid they'd be unable to sign him. They swapped picks
with No. 5 Atlanta, which nabbed Vick and left the Chargers to
nervously hope Tomlinson would fall to them. He did. In the second
round, San Diego took Tomlinson's old friend Brees, who will likely
finish second to him in this year's MVP voting.

Genuine, humble superstar

The king of the NFL occupies probably the worst locker at the Chargers'
practice facility, jammed into the back corner of a tiny alcove, the
same small space where Ryan Leaf once famously berated a reporter.

Tomlinson doesn't care -- sitting at his locker isn't a big part of his
day. He goes through what by all accounts is one of the most grueling
year-round conditioning programs in the NFL, and has never missed a
game because of injury.

"Keep working, that's it," Tomlinson said of his regimen. "Just keep
working and good things happen."

When good things happen, Tomlinson is quick to credit his linemen, an
approach that worked well for Sanders and Smith. He mentions his
blockers in every interview, and took them aside to thank them in
advance before last week's record-setting game.

"LT's the biggest superstar in the NFL right now, and he's the most
humble guy you'll meet," rookie tackle Marcus McNeill said. "He's real
genuine. I don't know if that's because he's country or what, but you
enjoy blocking for a back like that who's humble and pats you on your
back for every yard he gets."

"I don't think there's anybody out there better right now, as far as a
man and a player," Jammer said. "Best player in the league, and he
carries himself like he was a rookie. He listens to people. He's a real
humble guy, and he doesn't let all the hype get to him. I love him the
way he is, and I think the people in the league respect him for the way
he carries himself. He has character.

"When people celebrate (in the end zone), they celebrate themselves. He
knows that everything he does, there's a team effort behind it."

So don't expect any Terrell Owens-type antics, no matter what
stratosphere Tomlinson hits. Handing the ball to the official is more
LT's style.

"He doesn't have to do the Chad Johnson or T.O. or any of the other
guys who get in the end zone and act like (idiots) and try to draw
attention to themselves," Hardwick said. "His play speaks for itself.
Everybody respects his game."

'He is San Diego right now'

Looking around San Diego, you won't find giant Tomlinsons plastered to
the sides of buildings, or "LT for MVP" posters in shop windows. The
frenzy is subdued, which, considering the man and the city, seems
entirely fitting.

"It doesn't feel like anything, to be honest with you," Tomlinson said
of being the biggest thing in town. "It's not really a big deal to me.
The great thing about San Diego is people are laid back. It's not like
you're in Chicago or something where people are always bugging you for
autographs. San Diego is real laid back and a nice city. I like it
here."

Even his teammates don't bother him.

"I've been waiting two years for an autograph," Hardwick said. "I've
got a jersey sitting in the bottom of my locker, and I'm afraid to ask
him for an autograph because I know he's signed so many. I might do
that at some point.

"You don't see many jerseys around here besides 21 jerseys. Maybe a few
(Shawne) Merriman jerseys sprinkled in here and there, but it's all
about No. 21 right now. He is San Diego right now."

There is at least one Tomlinson jersey in San Diego this week that's
purple and bears No. 5. Tomlinson on Tuesday night attended the
Poinsettia Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium with his Chargers backup, Michael
Turner. The game pitted TCU against Turner's alma mater, Northern
Illinois, and a Horned Frogs victory meant Turner had to wear
Tomlinson's TCU jersey the rest of the week.

"You can't necessarily tell, but he's a fun guy," guard Mike Goff said.
"He holds the single-season record, but he jokes around and is just one
of the guys. That's what just makes you want to work that much harder
for him, because he's such a great guy and such a joy to be around.

"If we have to ride his shoulders to the Super Bowl, that's fine with
me."

This year's Super Bowl is a major goal for Tomlinson, but as always,
he's thinking bigger.

"I have long-term goals to win multiple Super Bowls and try to become
the best running back to ever play the game," he says without a hint of
hyperbole. "That's what I've been saying since I was a kid.

"They're goals, but at the same time it's a stretch."

It's looking like less of a stretch every time LT takes the field.

ONE-MAN GANG

San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson, who set an NFL season scoring record
(186 points) Sunday against Kansas City, is practically a team offense
all by himself. Tomlinson has rushed for 28 touchdowns and caught three
scoring passes for a total of 31, more rushing and receiving TDs than
21 other teams.

Team Rush Rec. Total
Dallas Cowboys 20 23 43
New Orleans Saints 15 25 40
Philadelphia Eagles 12 27 39
Indianapolis Colts 16 22 38
New England Patriots 15 22 37
Cincinnati Bengals 12 24 36
Chicago Bears 13 22 35
Pittsburgh Steelers 14 21 35
Jacksonville Jaguars 18 15 33
New York Giants 11 22 33
LaDainian Tomlinson 28 3 31
Seattle Seahawks 5 25 30
Kansas City Chiefs 13 16 29
New York Jets 14 15 29
Atlanta Falcons 9 19 28
Baltimore Ravens 10 18 28
Denver Broncos 11 17 28
St. Louis Rams 9 19 28
Green Bay Packers 9 17 26
Arizona Cardinals 10 15 25
San Francisco 49ers 10 15 25
Buffalo Bills 8 17 25
Tennessee Titans 13 11 24
Washington Redskins 9 15 24
Detroit Lions 9 14 23
Houston Texans 10 13 23
Carolina Panthers 6 16 22
Cleveland Browns 7 15 22
Minnesota Vikings 10 12 22
Miami Dolphins 7 14 21
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5 13 18
Oakland Raiders 5 7 12

Go Bolts !