American Football: Domination

LaDainian Tomlinson, born in 1979, stood 5'10" (178 cm) and weighed 215 lbs (98 kg). He played as a running back.

Selected fifth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers, Tomlinson spent the majority of his career there before joining the New York Jets in 2010. After two seasons in New York, he retired.

This was the training template Lance received during his latest system draw —

LaDainian Tomlinson (S-Rank).

What a surprise!

Following Adrian Peterson, this was Lance's second S-Rank training template. The sight of it alone drew his full attention.

The Peterson template had shaped Lance's playing style and helped him refine his skills over the past year. Now, the arrival of a second S-Rank template would undoubtedly play another pivotal role in his development.

As Lance delved deeper into Tomlinson's career, he realized this recently retired running back was a true pioneer — someone who had redefined what it meant to play the position.

It all began with the 2001 NFL Draft.

That year, quarterback Michael Vick was selected first overall by the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first Black quarterback ever taken with the top pick. Vick went on to revolutionize the game as a mobile quarterback, still holding the record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback to this day.

In the same draft, Tomlinson was selected fifth by the Chargers, and he similarly shattered stereotypes about running backs.

Traditionally, just as quarterbacks were expected to stay in the pocket, running backs were expected to simply take handoffs and run. But Tomlinson brought his unique skill set to the NFL and lit up the field.

He showed that a running back could do more than run. They could catch. They could even throw.

Standing just 5'10", Tomlinson would seem undersized on the football field, surrounded by giants. But his vision was elite — sharper than many quarterbacks.

Although his NFL career lasted just 11 seasons, Tomlinson left behind a legacy of records that forever changed the perception of running backs.

As a running back:

13,684 rushing yards (5th all-time) 145 rushing touchdowns (2nd all-time)

As a receiver:

4,772 receiving yards 624 receptions (3rd among running backs in history) 17 receiving touchdowns

Tomlinson was one of only two players in NFL history to surpass 13,000 rushing yards and 4,000 receiving yards. The other was Walter Payton, another legend in the sport.

Side note: Walter Payton, an NFL Hall of Famer, is so revered that the league created the "Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award," given annually to players who excel both on and off the field through charity work.

But Tomlinson wasn't just a runner and a receiver — he was also a capable emergency quarterback.

In his career, Tomlinson attempted 12 passes, completing 8 of them for 7 touchdowns with no interceptions.

Only Walter Payton surpassed him in non-quarterback passing touchdowns with 8. Together, they led the Super Bowl era in this unique stat.

Flexible. Versatile. Calm. Intelligent.

Tomlinson made modern football's offensive playbook more dynamic. Unlike Payton, who played in the physical, brute-force style of the 1970s, Tomlinson thrived in an era when football had evolved into a more sophisticated, strategic game.

Payton was a once-in-a-lifetime talent in a simpler era. Tomlinson, however, pushed the game forward, introducing new possibilities for offensive schemes.

Like Michael Vick for quarterbacks, Tomlinson's arrival led to another evolution in NFL strategy.

In 2012, Adrian Peterson became the last running back to win the NFL MVP award. Before Peterson? Tomlinson, who took home the MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and Walter Payton Award in 2006.

Tomlinson's résumé included:

3-time First-Team All-Pro 3-time Second-Team All-Pro 5 Pro Bowl selections 2-time rushing yards leader 3-time rushing touchdowns leader Member of the NFL's 2000s All-Decade Team

It was no surprise that Tomlinson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Fun Fact: The Japanese manga Eyeshield 21 was reportedly inspired by Tomlinson.

This was the answer the system had given Lance.

Since drawing the Marshawn Lynch template, Lance had started incorporating more strength training into his routine. But strength training was tricky.

First, you couldn't rush it. Building strength took time and patience.

Second, balance was key. Lance had crafted his playing style around speed and agility. If he suddenly bulked up or packed on muscle, he risked losing those strengths and having to reinvent himself from scratch.

That wasn't an option.

So Lance had been carefully managing his training to ensure he didn't disrupt his balance while improving his physicality.

After six months, he'd made progress, which showed on the field. But it wasn't enough. He still lacked endurance for consistent hard-hitting runs deep into games.

After the grueling matchup against the Steelers, Lance hadn't slowed down in the following game. But his recovery had been noticeably slower. In later games, he'd reduced his number of power runs and tackles.

In other words, Lance still had a long way to go to become a bruising, punishing runner like Marshawn Lynch.

Not that Lance necessarily wanted to become a clone of Lynch. He was searching for his own path.

And the Tomlinson template might be the key.

From rookie training camp onward, Lance had noticed a trend: NFL teams were increasingly looking for versatile running backs who could run, catch, block, and open up offensive possibilities.

The final drive against the Steelers was proof of concept. Lance lined up as a receiver and delivered the game-winning touchdown.

Andy Reid's trick play worked. It fooled Mike Tomlin and created the opening the Chiefs needed.

However, Lance knew that his catch had been shaky. Both he and quarterback Alex Smith were out of their comfort zones. The catch technique and timing were off. He'd barely managed to avoid being tackled by TJ Watt.

If they replayed that moment, Lance wasn't sure he'd make the catch again.

Now, Tomlinson's template offered a lifeline. It suggested Lance temporarily ease up on strength training and focus on his strengths instead — agility and speed — while improving his versatility.

Running. Receiving. Even passing.

Could Lance, the running back, transform into Lance, the receiver? Or even Lance, the quarterback?

The possibilities were endless.

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Powerstones?

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