LaDanian Tomlinson to retire as 5th all-time rusher

[63echo]

Adam Schefter


Running back LaDainian Tomlinson, the NFL’s fifth all-time leading rusher, will re-sign with San Diego and announce his retirement Monday.



HOFer or not? I used to love watching him play and got a little concerned that he might pass up Emmitt, but he fell off that pace pretty quickly. In a comments thread, a lot of people are propping him as a class act, but I'll never forget what a little bitch he was after that playoff game against the Pats.




**edit**

"Rusjer"

 

[Midswat]

Hall of Famer? Maybe, but not first ballot.

Have players like Curtis Martin and Jerome Bettis made it in yet? I honestly don't remember.

LT was a stud for a lot of years but I always like my HOF's from skill positions to have "signature plays".... and I'm drawing a blank when it comes to LT having any.

 

[63echo]

Hall of Famer? Maybe, but not first ballot.

Have players like Curtis Martin and Jerome Bettis made it in yet? I honestly don't remember.

LT was a stud for a lot of years but I always like my HOF's from skill positions to have "signature plays".... and I'm drawing a blank when it comes to LT having any.

Martin is going in this year, Bettis didn't make it.

LT has no rings. I hold that against him and don't feel he belongs (as a first ballot, anyway), but Ware might end up with zero and to me he's a first ballot guy, so I don't know. My bias screws with me since I don't watch other players near enough but it's hard to deny the 5th leading rusher, though...especially since these types of guys are getting rarer by the day.

 

[Cythim]

I'm putting him in the Hall because he did amazing things with very little help. I think if he had been born a decade earlier he would have been challenging Sanders and Emmitt as the league's top rusher. Instead he landed in an era dominated by passing and on a team that gave him little help. San Diego never would have sniffed the playoffs without him, he was the team for the better part of the 2000s.

 

[dbair1967]

I'm putting him in the Hall because he did amazing things with very little help. I think if he had been born a decade earlier he would have been challenging Sanders and Emmitt as the league's top rusher. Instead he landed in an era dominated by passing and on a team that gave him little help. San Diego never would have sniffed the playoffs without him, he was the team for the better part of the 2000s.

Love Tomlinson as a player with SD, but to suggest he was on a team that gave him "little help" is pretty retarded. He played on a losing team twice hin his career there and they had seasons where they won 11, 12, 13 and 14 games. 6 straight seasons they finished in the top-5 in scoring offense and they had a number of good defensive teams as well.

 

[Midswat]

I didn't understand the 'got little help' either argument.

 

[Jon88]

I didn't understand the 'got little help' either argument.

Me neither. There are tons of good players out there on bad teams. That doesn't mean they deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.

 

[bkeavs]

He is a no doubt first ballot hall of famer. Guy was an amazing running back that did everything really well

 

[Cythim]

Love Tomlinson as a player with SD, but to suggest he was on a team that gave him "little help" is pretty retarded. He played on a losing team twice hin his career there and they had seasons where they won 11, 12, 13 and 14 games. 6 straight seasons they finished in the top-5 in scoring offense and they had a number of good defensive teams as well.

I didn't understand the 'got little help' either argument.

What is San Diego doing without Tomlinson? Nothing. You forget that he was also a leading receiver on his team, averaging 3.5 recs and 28 yards per game. Rivers and Jackson didn't start contributing until 2008 and by then Tomlinson was past his prime. The defense was top 10 only once when Tomlinson was there. The team was top-5 scoring because Tomlinson was averaging more than a touchdown per game. Tomlinson was the team in San Diego and they didn't get him any help until it was too late.

 

[Cythim]

Me neither. There are tons of good players out there on bad teams. That doesn't mean they deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.

He was a great player who carried a bad team to the playoffs.

 

[marionbarberthe4th]

Anyone else wish emmitts record breaking one wasn't him crawling?

 

[dbair1967]

He was a great player who carried a bad team to the playoffs.

for a bad team they sure had alot of pro bowlers the last 8-10 years

just stop

 

[Cythim]

for a bad team they sure had alot of pro bowlers the last 8-10 years

just stop

lol

You seriously want to use the Pro Bowl as a factor for how good a player is? Considering how often Gurode made the Pro Bowl, I put zero stock in it. A popular team doesn't make a good team. Gates, Dielman, and Merriman were the only teammates to make a regular appearance. You are remembering the two seasons Tomlinson spent with Rivers and Jackson and calling that his career.

 

[Midswat]

What is San Diego doing without Tomlinson? Nothing. You forget that he was also a leading receiver on his team, averaging 3.5 recs and 28 yards per game. Rivers and Jackson didn't start contributing until 2008 and by then Tomlinson was past his prime. The defense was top 10 only once when Tomlinson was there. The team was top-5 scoring because Tomlinson was averaging more than a touchdown per game. Tomlinson was the team in San Diego and they didn't get him any help until it was too late.

I'm too lazy and disinterested to check, but I have this perception that San Diego has had a very talented roster competing year in and year out for a long time. Just never good enough to get over the hump - but that's par for San Diego's history.

I could be wrong though and maybe you're right. Maybe he did carry that team. Brees was good for them until he hurt his shoulder in what, 2004. Tomlinson was taken in 2001? Rivers has been good since he's been starting, since what, 2005? They've always had a tough defense, and play in a weak division. I don't know... just don't think he carried that team.

 

[Cythim]

Brees didn't break out until 2004, in part because he had no one to throw to and because Flutie was starting before him. Rivers came on in 2006 but only had Tomlinson and Gates to throw to. Tomlinson was still touching the ball 25 times for 150 yards a game.

As for the defense, it was still only top 10 once while Tomlinson was there.

 

[dbair1967]

lol

You seriously want to use the Pro Bowl as a factor for how good a player is? Considering how often Gurode made the Pro Bowl, I put zero stock in it. A popular team doesn't make a good team. Gates, Dielman, and Merriman were the only teammates to make a regular appearance. You are remembering the two seasons Tomlinson spent with Rivers and Jackson and calling that his career.

Do I really need to make you look stupid here and post all the "good" players they've had over the years?

Tomlinson didnt make them a double digit win team by himself oh clueless one

 

[Cythim]

Do I really need to make you look stupid here and post all the "good" players they've had over the years?

Tomlinson didnt make them a double digit win team by himself oh clueless one

Good players make an average team, how many good players do the Cowboys have? Tomlinson was carrying the Chargers for the better part of a decade and deserves to be in the HOF for it.

 

[marionbarberthe4th]

Good rb's always carry average teams to the playoffs. Just look at Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, MJD

 

[ZeroClub]

He is a no doubt first ballot hall of famer. Guy was an amazing running back that did everything really well

I too think he should be a first ballot hall of famer. He was a great player.

 

[Sheik]

Tomlinson was awesome for like a 5 year stretch. They rode him hard for that period.

He was a TD machine for them. I remember another RB that was great who played with an awesome supporting cast in his most productive years. . .