LaDainian Tomlinson retiring as a Charger

LaDainian Tomlinson, one of the greatest running backs of all time, spent the first 9 years of his illustrious career with the San Diego Chargers.  On June 17th he will be signed to a ceremonial contract with the team in order to retire a Charger.  Tomlinson's accomplishments on the field make him among the most prolific players in Chargers' history.  Tomlinson retires 2nd in NFL history in career rushing touchdowns, 3rd in total career touchdowns and 5th in career rushing yards. Tomlinson's performance in the 2006 NFL season, the first of his two rushing titles, was arguably the greatest ever by a running back and earned him the titles of NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year .  In 2006 Tomlinson had a single season NFL record 31 touchdowns, an NFL record 28 rushing touchdowns and 1815 rushing yards in helping lead the Chargers to an NFL best 14-2 record.  In addition to his proficiency running the ball, Tomlinson was one of the best receiving running backs of all time, highlighted by his 100 receptions in 2003, only the second time a running back had ever caught 100 passes in a single season.

From the moment he was drafted 5th overall by the Chargers in the 2001 NFL draft, Tomlinson had become the face of the franchise and one of the most popular players in the league.  During his tenure with the team, the Chargers won the AFC West division 4 consecutive times from 2006-09 and made the AFC championship game in 2007.  Following his final season with the Chargers in 2009, Tomlinson signed with the New York Jets.  Tomlinson helped the Jets reach the AFC championship game in 2010 before struggling through injuries and succumbing to age in 2011, the worst season of his career by all measures.
Because Tomlinson has meant so much to the Chargers in the 21st century it was only natural that he retire as a member of the team, in order to be honored as one of the franchises' all time greats.