LT Walks Away

After 11 Hall-of-Fame seasons, RB Ladainian Tomlinson has called it quits.

At 32 years old and 13,000 yards plus to his 11-year career, former San Diego Chargers RB Ladainian Tomlinson has decided to hang up the cleats and get ready to attack the next phase of his life; retirement. With Tomlinson being such a solid receiver in addition to being a Hall of Fame running back, many might question if he is leaving the game too soon. There are several teams in the league that can use his abilities, especially on third downs. Tomlinson, however, was not going to wait long to get the right offer.

When thinking about the career of Tomlinson, who was drafted fifth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft out of TCU, you immediately think of his prime years with the Chargers, especially his 2006 season. The Chargers went 14-2 that season, and Tomlinson reached the end zone a record 30 times that season en route to an NFL MVP award. Tomlinson also helped the Chargers get to the playoffs several times, including an appearance in the AFC Championship Game in 2007.

Tomlinson played his final two seasons with the New York Jets, the team that eliminated the Chargers in the 2009 playoffs in his final season there. Tomlinson's carries reduced with the Jets, especially this past season where he only got 75 carries. However, he still caught 42 passes for over 400 yards. The Jets actually could've benefited from giving Tomlinson more carries. RB Shonn Greene received the majority of the carries, but he did not give the rushing attack a boost at all.

Tomlinson first indicated his plans to retire during the memorial service at Qualcomm Stadium for former Chargers LB Junior Seau. Tomlinson said he has been reading books and learning way to adjust to life being retired, something that Seau couldn't quite adjust to. Adjusting to retirement isn't as easy as many thought, as some players struggle without the fame and money. Now, the issue of injuries and concussions suffered from years of hard-hitting and collisions has dominated as a number of retired players have filed numerous lawsuits against the NFL for leaving them in the dark about the dangers of concussions.

You never know how someone's retirement could turn out. It could be a nice and quiet retirement for Tomlinson if he stays out of the public eye like former Detroit Lions RB Barry Sanders. He could stay in the spotlight in some form of an analyst position with a major TV network like former New York Giants DE Michael Strahan. Or it could be a tumultuous and hectic time if he doesn't adjust to retirement like he would want to. Let's hope it's a successful retirement. He deserves it.

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