LaDainian Tomlinson
by Roy S. Johnson; photography by Patrik Giardino
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After spending some time with Tomlinson, you wouldn't be surprised at his outburst, his steadfastness, or even his act of reconciliation. He comes, as they say down Texas way, from good people. Good stock. People who do what needs to be done—no matter how it looks to outsiders—to take care of their loved ones. Like too many young black athletes, Tomlinson was raised almost solely by his mother, Loreane. She was a preacher, and she worked multiple jobs to feed her three children. But that's where the cliché ends. His father, Oliver, was a stranger during Tomlinson's youth, yet the two men got acquainted when L.T. reached college and they became friends. In time, when he was ready to know, L.T. grew to understand why Oliver did what he did. "It was a difficult situation because he'd been with a woman who wasn't his wife and had children with her before he married my mother," Tomlinson says. "I never understood why he left or why he was back and forth. But as I got older, [he told me] he felt they needed him more. My mom was a strong, independent woman, and she could handle it. The other [woman] wasn't, so he had to be there. Later, I understood that's what it took to care for his family, to be there for them no matter what."
In February, Oliver was killed in an auto accident that also took the life of Tomlinson's brother-in-law. L.T. is glad he had the opportunity to get to know his father and thankful for the lessons he imparted. "He stressed that a real man is always there for his family when he's needed," Tomlinson says, adding after a heavy pause, "I'm that guy now."
If Tomlinson inherited his sense of family from his father, then the roots of his legendary work ethic are purely maternal. "From my mom, I learned about hard work," he says. "The things you have to do to be successful in life, the sacrifices you have to make, the dedication you have to have. Just seeing her work two jobs with three kids by herself—at a young age I understood what she was going through. She always told me, 'If you really want something, no one's going to give it to you. You have to earn it.'"
Think Walter Payton or Jerry Rice, two NFL icons whose rigorous off-season workouts were known to make teammates puke. Tomlinson is right there; just ask any Charger who has worked out with him. Although his commitment to his body is a given for someone who aspires to greatness (he makes no secret of his desire to become the NFL's all-time rushing leader), Tomlinson's overall regimen—an intense year-round program so refined his weight rarely fluctuates more than six pounds— is really equal parts sweat and science. "I know my body well," he says. "I know exactly what I need to do and when to get in shape, and it's taken me every bit of time to this point to find that out. But now I know what weight I play best at, at what weight I feel good, where I feel the strongest and quickest, and all the things that it takes to survive in this league." Much of that knowledge was culled while spending time with three of the greatest running backs in NFL history—Smith, Sanders, and Brown—who mentored him on everything from nutrition and training to self-preservation.
"Emmitt taught me how to take care of my body. He talked about building my team—people who help you stay strong and healthy." And as Smith counseled, L.T. has created Team Tomlinson: Trainer Todd Durkin is at the hub of a group that includes a nutritionist who prepares almost all Tomlinson's meals, a massage therapist, and a doctor specializing in Active Release Techniques, which is an advanced form of soft-tissue and muscle manipulation that restores areas of the body damaged by injury or repetitive motion—or 16 weeks of pounding and 400 to 500 violent hits per season by waves of 200-plus-pound guys with bad intentions. And despite all the bruises and muscle-tissue hemorrhaging, Tomlinson must be ready to play every Sunday, says Chargers running back coach Matt Simon. Add Father Time to the equation, and it's easy to see that football is not at all kind to the body.
As with other players, Tomlinson's most rigorous training occurs during the off-season, when the body must prepare for the all-out physical attacks of the regular season. His workouts start a couple of weeks following the last game and at first focus on rebuilding damaged areas. "You get broken down, and you get weak," he says. "So you start with the basics: core, hips, and shoulders. Then you move on to the more functional stuff like building strength."
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