The Best Back Ever

LaDainian Tomlinson can take San Diego to the Super Bowl, quietly

John Froschauer / AP

LaDainian Tomlinson (21) of the San Diego Chargers in a game against Seattle on December 24, 2006.

So you want to learn why LaDainian Tomlinson, who is tearing up the National Football League's storied record book as if it were a piece of junk mail, is the best football player in the world? Let's step into his classroom. Lesson One: take a trip to the local variety store, where you can find a whirring fan and a deck of cards. "There's this trick where you throw a card up in the air when a fan is blowing and you try to catch it," Tomlinson, the San Diego Chargers running back, explains in his Texas drawl. The man is not fooling...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!