What has happened to LaDanien Tomlinson?

wilheim · Jan 18, 2010

I am watching a TIVO of yesterday's Jets vs Chargers game and watching LT is actually sad. He looks washed up. Now it could have been the particular circumstances of the game but for a proud and future Hall of Famer like LT his game was pretty dismal.

LT in his prime - He became the fastest player ever to score 100 touchdowns. On November 19, 2006, Tomlinson accomplished the milestone in 89 games with 102, beating the previous record of 93 games held by Jim Brown and Emmitt Smith. On Dec. 3, 2006, Tomlinson became the first running back to rush for at least 1,236 yards in his first six NFL seasons.

His number vs Jets yesterday: 12 carries for 24 yards (2 YPC) with a long run of 5 yards his best play of the game..

On the season in 14 games LT rushed 223 times for 730 yards a 52 YPG average and a 3.3 YPC average, his lowest ever. He did score 12 running TDs in the high powered Charger offense and caught 20 passes for 153 yards and no TDs. His worse season statistically by far.

I guess nine seasons of pounding that running backs take have taken their toll on his body. LT has 12,490 yards rushing with 138 TDs along with 530 catches for 3955 yards and 15 additional TDs making him a shoo in for the HOF. LT only lost 12 fumbles out of 3410 touches, this is an incredible stat..

Career highlights and awards
College awards and honors
5× Pro Bowl selection (2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)
4× First-team All-Pro selection (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)
2× Second-team All-Pro (2002, 2003)
AP NFL MVP (2006)
PFWA NFL MVP (2006)
Co-Walter Payton M.O.Y (2006)
Best NFL Player ESPY Award (2007)
Best Record-Breaking Performance ESPY Award (2007)
Best Male Athlete ESPY Award (2007)
List of NFL records

Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2009
Rushing yards 12,490
Rushing average 4.3
Rushing TDs 138
Receptions 530
Receiving yards 3,955
Receiving TDs 15

I won't be surprised to see him call it quits this off season.

Great player who is at the twilight of a wonderful career..Next stop NFL HOF..

wil.

Betallsports · Jan 18, 2010

Even though he Rushed for 1100 yards Last season, his Avg. per carry was down ( about 3.8 )

This Season, 730 with a 3.3 avg. per carry.

he did have an injury at some point ( I forgot when ).....BUT, I believe his numbers are down because of the Chargers going more with the Pass.

IMO....I think he is still a good RB, just not a Premiere RB...as he lost a step or two.

NyMets609 · Jan 18, 2010

have you ever seen a player of his calibur decline so quickly? it wasn't even like it happened over a few years...it just happened with a flash of the eye....

joebatters · Jan 18, 2010

Yes, this is kinda strange. Went from maybe the best player in the NFL
2-3 years ago, to where he is now. Just a shell of his former self. My first thought is that he probably not healthy, or maybe the Chargers pissed him off. I mean, just a couple of years ago LT was dynamite.

niltes · Jan 18, 2010

the chargers offensive line is very weak.
any running back would look mortal running behind
them.

Betallsports · Jan 18, 2010

Even his Receiving Stats are Down.....

<TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=stathead bgColor=#05173c><TD colSpan=20>Receiving Stats</TD></TR><TR class=colhead align=right><TD width="8%" align=left>YEAR</TD><TD width="8%" align=left>TEAM</TD><TD>G</TD><TD>REC</TD><TD>YDS</TD><TD>AVG</TD><TD>LNG</TD><TD>TD</TD><TD>FD</TD><TD>FUM</TD><TD>LOST</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow align=right><TD align=left>2001</TD><TD align=left>SDG</TD><TD>16</TD><TD>59</TD><TD>367</TD><TD>6.2</TD><TD>27</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>12</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>1</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>2002</TD><TD align=left>SDG</TD><TD>16</TD><TD>79</TD><TD>489</TD><TD>6.2</TD><TD>30</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>20</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>1</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow align=right><TD align=left>2003</TD><TD align=left>SDG</TD><TD>16</TD><TD>100</TD><TD>725</TD><TD>7.3</TD><TD>73</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>26</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>0</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>2004</TD><TD align=left>SDG</TD><TD>15</TD><TD>53</TD><TD>441</TD><TD>8.3</TD><TD>74</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>16</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>0</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow align=right><TD align=left>2005</TD><TD align=left>SDG</TD><TD>16</TD><TD>51</TD><TD>370</TD><TD>7.3</TD><TD>41</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>15</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>1</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>2006</TD><TD align=left>SDG</TD><TD>16</TD><TD>56</TD><TD>508</TD><TD>9.1</TD><TD>51</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>22</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>0</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow align=right><TD align=left>2007</TD><TD align=left>SDG</TD><TD>16</TD><TD>60</TD><TD>475</TD><TD>7.9</TD><TD>36</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>21</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>0</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>2008</TD><TD align=left>SDG</TD><TD>16</TD><TD>52</TD><TD>426</TD><TD>8.2</TD><TD>32</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>19</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>0</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow align=right><TD align=left>2009</TD><TD align=left>SDG</TD><TD>14</TD><TD>20</TD><TD>154</TD><TD>7.7</TD><TD>36</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>1</TD></TR><TR class=colhead align=right><TD colSpan=2 align=left>Career</TD><TD>141</TD><TD>530</TD><TD>3955</TD><TD>7.5</TD><TD>74</TD><TD>15</TD><TD>158</TD><TD>8</TD><TD>4</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

D2bets · Jan 18, 2010

niltes said:
the chargers offensive line is very weak.
any running back would look mortal running behind
them.

I really don't think that's it. He just doesn't have the snap and the thrust in his runs that he used to.

LT Has been at it for 8 years. If you look around that is just around when most RB's begin to slide hard. The very longest go maybe 12-13 years. It's just not a position with a real long career span. These guys take so many hits that at a certain point it can just slow them down permanently. Really makes the accomplishments of some of the more durable RB's that much more impressive. Even among the best, guys like Walter Payton and Emmit Smith, they lasted 12 and 14 years, but Emmit's last couple weren't much. Sanders 9 years, Martin 11 years, Dickerson 10 years, Dorsett 11 years, Brown 8 years, Faulk 10 years, James 10 years, Allen 13 years, Thomas 12 years, Barber 9 years, Alexander 8 years.

Basically a top-tier RB is looking at a career span of 8-10 years, with a few being able to hang on for a couple extra. I don't know that you'll ever see a 10-year veteran RB as the best in the league. Just doesn't happen. Barry Sanders may have been an exception if he had stayed, but that is so incredibly rare, and maybe he knew that he was slowing down.

Most other positions have longer possible career lifespans.

D2bets · Jan 18, 2010

I think this is why the best course of action for a team is to DRAFT good running backs rather than trading for already accomplished RB's in their twilight.

eoghater · Jan 18, 2010

jeckll · Jan 18, 2010

RBs have short careers, this is nothing new. It's really a rare RB who stays at the peak of his game more than a few years.

D2bets · Jan 18, 2010

Among the top 28 in rushing yards this season they were all drafted within the last FIVE years with the exception of Thomas Jones (who was a part timer for his first 5 seasons) and Ricky Williams (who has less games under his belt for obvious reasons).

It's very challenging for teams like SD with LT and Seahwaks with Alexander to let the guy go rather than hang on for too long to what you had. Fans don't understand.

wilheim · Jan 18, 2010

eoghater

I appreciate your effort but all I see is a red X in your post. That does not mean others do not see what you posted.

Thanks, wil..

Betallsports · Jan 18, 2010

wilheim said:
I appreciate your effort but all I see is a red X in your post. That does not mean others do not see what you posted.

Thanks, wil..

It's LT's Dance Video.......

WorldNumberOne · Jan 18, 2010

average back lasts 4 years.

he did it big time for around 8.

he can afford to take a few steps back

eoghater · Jan 18, 2010

wilheim said:
I appreciate your effort but all I see is a red X in your post. That does not mean others do not see what you posted.

Thanks, wil..

np, it was me being a jackass and posting his dance video.

For the real answer, he's just burned out physically with a pretty mediocre offensive line. We'll be making the same discussion with chris johnson and adrian peterson in 2 years or so.

D2bets · Jan 18, 2010

eoghater said:
np, it was me being a jackass and posting his dance video.

For the real answer, he's just burned out physically with a pretty mediocre offensive line. We'll be making the same discussion with chris johnson and adrian peterson in 2 years or so.

Johnson's only got 2 years under his belt. He might have 4-5 more good years, but at the same time this year may end up being his peak. Hard to beat the season he just had.

doubledeuce22 · Jan 18, 2010

looks like 'LT' will have some extra time to film cheesy dance videos this offseason. fraud.

FairWarning · Jan 18, 2010

NyMets609 said:
have you ever seen a player of his calibur decline so quickly? it wasn't even like it happened over a few years...it just happened with a flash of the eye....

Us fantasy football players see this all the time with RB's. They take so much abuse, the body can't take it anymore. Shawn Alexander, Larry Johnson, Priest Holmes, Edgerrin James, Emmitt Smith, Marshall Faulk... the list goes on.

JackStraw77 · Jan 18, 2010

It's Ladainial Tomlinson. That's what Charlie Casserly on CBS called him.

Mr_Mark · Jan 18, 2010

FairWarning said:
Us fantasy football players see this all the time with RB's. They take so much abuse, the body can't take it anymore. Shawn Alexander, Larry Johnson, Priest Holmes, Edgerrin James, Emmitt Smith, Marshall Faulk... the list goes on.

its sad how quickly all these guys fell off. especially after injuries. i think we can add westbrook to that list also