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Is the best back ever LT the TD machine?
by CHAREAN WILLIAMS
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson has scored an NFL-record 15 touchdowns the past five games. He scored his biggest compliment from the man whose record he broke.
"He is a fine young man," Jim Brown said in a telephone interview. "He is an example of the way it should be, a rarity in today's game -- the me generation.... He isn't hollering on the sideline like T.O. that he wants the ball all the time. He has all my respect as a player."
Tomlinson, 27, broke Lance Alworth's team record for career touchdowns earlier this season. Tomlinson has 98 touchdowns in 88 games. Brown and Emmitt Smith reached 100 touchdowns the quickest in NFL history, needing 93 games.
Tomlinson has 18 touchdowns this season, only three from breaking the Chargers' single-season team record. He is on pace for 32 this season, which would break the NFL record of 28 set last season by Seattle's Shaun Alexander.
A year ago, Tomlinson joined Hall of Famer Lenny Moore in the NFL record book by scoring in his 18th consecutive game, a streak that dated to the 2004 season.
"I think you've got to be determined to get in the end zone, whether it's from 20 yards, 30 yards or from 2 yards," Tomlinson said in a national conference call. "...The thing that's going to push you over is how bad you want it -- your determination to score."
Tomlinson is only 47 touchdowns behind Marcus Allen for third in NFL history. Jerry Rice is the all-time leader with 208. At his current pace, the former TCU standout would need six more seasons to break Rice's record.
"It's obviously something that people are going to start to talk about, but it's not something I'm going to think about or even talk about, because I'm only in my sixth year," Tomlinson said. "I've still got, hopefully, a lot of years left."
Tomlinson has scored touchdowns of 1 yard and 74 yards in his career, and everything else in between. His favorite score covered only 8 yards, but, in a 41-17 victory over the New England Patriots last season, Tomlinson broke three tackles and dragged a defender across the goal line with him.
"It was just an 8-yard run, but I think it exemplified the way I run," Tomlinson said. "That one stands out probably the most to me."
Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer already ranks Tomlinson as the best running back of all time.
"I spent a couple of years here saying he was the best," Schottenheimer told reporters two weeks ago. "The more I was around him, the more I became convinced that he is the best that I've ever seen. My timeline goes back to probably Jim Brown. I imagine that there were some terrific backs before that, but Jim Brown was the guy that I always viewed as being the best all time. Certainly, you can make an argument for it either way.
"LaDainian brings just versatility to everything that we do because he can run, catch and throw it. He is a good pass protector. He is really the complete running back."
Brown rushed for 12,312 yards and scored 126 touchdowns in his nine seasons. He retired in 1966, almost 13 years before Tomlinson was born. But Tomlinson has become as big a fan of Brown as Brown is of Tomlinson.
Tomlinson met Brown two weeks ago in Cleveland before the Chargers beat the Browns 32-25. They exchanged phone numbers and plan on keeping in touch.
"Jim Brown was obviously a guy who really stuck out, not only because of his size and strength, but the way he was able to move just because he is a big guy," Tomlinson said. "He was able to move in and out of the hole, cutting, and it was just awesome to see him run [on tape]."
Brown refuses to compare running backs, but he does play favorites. Brown loves Tomlinson.
"What [Tomlinson] has is intelligence; he has a fine offensive line; he has cutting ability; he has speed, and he has balance; and he has tremendous upper body strength," Brown said. "These things allow him to make good decisions and utilize whatever is necessary at the time."
IN THE KNOW
LT effect
LaDainian Tomlinson, key to San Diego's offense since his 2001 rookie season, has played in 88 of 89 regular-season games. The Chargers' record when LT...
Rushes for more than 100 yards: 24-8
Rushes for fewer than 100 yards: 20-36
Carries 20 times or more in a game: 32-18
Carries fewer than 20 times in a game: 12-26
Scores a TD: 35-25
Scores multiple TDs: 22-4
Scores no TDs: 9-19
Throws a TD pass: 3-2
Has a play 70 yards or longer: 4-1
Rushes for more than 200 yards: 4-0
Has 200+ total yards: 9-1
by CHAREAN WILLIAMS
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson has scored an NFL-record 15 touchdowns the past five games. He scored his biggest compliment from the man whose record he broke.
"He is a fine young man," Jim Brown said in a telephone interview. "He is an example of the way it should be, a rarity in today's game -- the me generation.... He isn't hollering on the sideline like T.O. that he wants the ball all the time. He has all my respect as a player."
Tomlinson, 27, broke Lance Alworth's team record for career touchdowns earlier this season. Tomlinson has 98 touchdowns in 88 games. Brown and Emmitt Smith reached 100 touchdowns the quickest in NFL history, needing 93 games.
Tomlinson has 18 touchdowns this season, only three from breaking the Chargers' single-season team record. He is on pace for 32 this season, which would break the NFL record of 28 set last season by Seattle's Shaun Alexander.
A year ago, Tomlinson joined Hall of Famer Lenny Moore in the NFL record book by scoring in his 18th consecutive game, a streak that dated to the 2004 season.
"I think you've got to be determined to get in the end zone, whether it's from 20 yards, 30 yards or from 2 yards," Tomlinson said in a national conference call. "...The thing that's going to push you over is how bad you want it -- your determination to score."
Tomlinson is only 47 touchdowns behind Marcus Allen for third in NFL history. Jerry Rice is the all-time leader with 208. At his current pace, the former TCU standout would need six more seasons to break Rice's record.
"It's obviously something that people are going to start to talk about, but it's not something I'm going to think about or even talk about, because I'm only in my sixth year," Tomlinson said. "I've still got, hopefully, a lot of years left."
Tomlinson has scored touchdowns of 1 yard and 74 yards in his career, and everything else in between. His favorite score covered only 8 yards, but, in a 41-17 victory over the New England Patriots last season, Tomlinson broke three tackles and dragged a defender across the goal line with him.
"It was just an 8-yard run, but I think it exemplified the way I run," Tomlinson said. "That one stands out probably the most to me."
Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer already ranks Tomlinson as the best running back of all time.
"I spent a couple of years here saying he was the best," Schottenheimer told reporters two weeks ago. "The more I was around him, the more I became convinced that he is the best that I've ever seen. My timeline goes back to probably Jim Brown. I imagine that there were some terrific backs before that, but Jim Brown was the guy that I always viewed as being the best all time. Certainly, you can make an argument for it either way.
"LaDainian brings just versatility to everything that we do because he can run, catch and throw it. He is a good pass protector. He is really the complete running back."
Brown rushed for 12,312 yards and scored 126 touchdowns in his nine seasons. He retired in 1966, almost 13 years before Tomlinson was born. But Tomlinson has become as big a fan of Brown as Brown is of Tomlinson.
Tomlinson met Brown two weeks ago in Cleveland before the Chargers beat the Browns 32-25. They exchanged phone numbers and plan on keeping in touch.
"Jim Brown was obviously a guy who really stuck out, not only because of his size and strength, but the way he was able to move just because he is a big guy," Tomlinson said. "He was able to move in and out of the hole, cutting, and it was just awesome to see him run [on tape]."
Brown refuses to compare running backs, but he does play favorites. Brown loves Tomlinson.
"What [Tomlinson] has is intelligence; he has a fine offensive line; he has cutting ability; he has speed, and he has balance; and he has tremendous upper body strength," Brown said. "These things allow him to make good decisions and utilize whatever is necessary at the time."
IN THE KNOW
LT effect
LaDainian Tomlinson, key to San Diego's offense since his 2001 rookie season, has played in 88 of 89 regular-season games. The Chargers' record when LT...
Rushes for more than 100 yards: 24-8
Rushes for fewer than 100 yards: 20-36
Carries 20 times or more in a game: 32-18
Carries fewer than 20 times in a game: 12-26
Scores a TD: 35-25
Scores multiple TDs: 22-4
Scores no TDs: 9-19
Throws a TD pass: 3-2
Has a play 70 yards or longer: 4-1
Rushes for more than 200 yards: 4-0
Has 200+ total yards: 9-1
