LT the TD machine

[Drbio]

And then I saw his pace.......and I'm a BELIEVER!!!

LT is da man.

[nashtymavsfan13]

Could Tomlinson be -- or become -- the best running back ever?

By TIM DAHLBERG, AP Sports Columnist
December 20, 2006

Marty Schottenheimer is already convinced, though he might be a bit biased. His job, after all, pretty much hangs on what LaDainian Tomlinson can do with his legs.

Tomlinson's teammates certainly believe, though their futures also are intertwined with L.T. When a guy invites the rest of the team into the end zone to celebrate his accomplishments with him, it's hard not to feel a certain kinship.

And, if the rest of the country had its doubts, they were erased in a prime-time performance Sunday night that might be one for the ages.

With two games left in the regular season, it's come down to this: We're beyond talking about whether Tomlinson will win the MVP because he has that wrapped up.

Now, it might be time to start talking about something else.

Could Tomlinson be -- or become -- the greatest running back ever? After six years in the league, is it time to begin mentioning him in the same breath as the great Jim Brown and others?

His coach says it's past that time.

"I believe he is the finest running back to ever wear an NFL uniform," Schottenheimer said.

Excuse Schottenheimer while he hypes the player who just might carry the Chargers deep into the playoffs and possibly get him over that final hump to the Super Bowl.

The thing is, Tomlinson needs no hyping. He's that good.

Here's the NFL season records he has set already this year:

Most touchdowns -- 31.

Most touchdowns rushing -- 28.

Consecutive games with multiple TDs -- 8.

Most points -- 186.

Oh, yeah, he also has thrown for two touchdowns. Put it all together and L.T. (with extra points) has had a hand in more than half of San Diego's 445 points, nearly outscoring the opposition all by himself.

If the question of being the greatest ever might not be a legitimate one quite yet, the reality is it might not be as far off as you think.

Breaking a record set 46 years ago and piling on a bunch of others this season alone is a good place to start if comparisons are going to be made with great backs like Brown, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders and Emmitt Smith.

Great backs also have great games in the spotlight, like Tomlinson did with an 85-yard touchdown run Sunday night against the Kansas City Chiefs.

"It's happening so much now, I can't keep up anymore," Tomlinson said afterward. "To be honest, I don't want to keep up. I just keep rolling."

He breaks records as easily as some teammates get into trouble (five Chargers arrested in the last year) and others take steroids. Six years into his career, he's the glue that holds a sometimes dysfunctional team together.

No wonder Schottenheimer loves the guy. His whole team loves him.

What's not to love about a player who is so humble he always gives credit to his offensive line and any other teammate on the field. A player who doesn't preen and pose, as is the custom these days.

A player who doesn't mind being called upon to pick up the blitz and throw a block if it helps his team.

"The biggest thing I tell people is if your son or your child is ever going to be a superstar or famous, you want them to be like him," right tackle Shane Olivea said. "He's the most humble, unassuming, laid-back person you can encounter.

"He's what's right and what's good about the NFL."

Too bad it's taken the NFL so long to embrace him. Tomlinson is closing in on 9,000 yards and has scored 111 touchdowns since the Chargers basically traded their Michael Vick pick for him six years ago. Only now is he starting to get his just due.

If Tomlinson were playing in Philadelphia, they would be building a statue for him downtown. In New York, he'd have a restaurant named after him and maybe a stadium to follow.

But he's in San Diego, far from the East Coast media spotlight and a place where more people go to the beach than the stadium on any given NFL Sunday.

Still, Tomlinson's play this year has been extraordinary. His numbers so far in his career are even better than those of Smith, Payton, Brown and Sanders at the same point in their careers.

Brown is considered by many the best back to ever play the game, a man who played against boys. He averaged over 5 yards a carry, and the only knock on him is he quit after nine years and doesn't have the gaudy numbers of those who have followed.

If he stays healthy, Tomlinson will have more career touchdowns next year than Brown, and likely will pass him in total yards the following season. Then it's just a matter of playing long enough to pass the others.

Schottenheimer aside, it's too early just yet to anoint Tomlinson the best ever. Employed in a dangerous profession, he might get injured and never get a chance at the mythical prize.

A few more years like this one, though, and his name will go to the top of a lot of lists.