It was never really in doubt.
Chargers legend LaDainian Tomlinson, one of the greatest football players of all time, was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday night in his first year of eligibility.
L.T. spent nine of his 11 seasons with the Chargers in San Diego. He was drafted 5th overall by the Bolts in the 2001 NFL Draft. By the time he was let go after the 2009 season he owned every major rushing and touchdowns record in franchise history.
Tomlinson became a fan favorite for his production and the attention he paid them. Game after game L.T. would fulfill his media duties and go out to sign autographs for nearly everyone who wanted one. He was the San Diego football version of Tony Gwynn, understanding what he meant to the community he did not grown up in, but came to call his home.
He owns NFL records for most touchdowns in a single season (31), most rushing touchdowns in a season (28) and most points in a season (186, all set in his 2006 MVP year). He also has more multiple-rushing touchdown games (50), most consecutive games with a rushing touchdown (14), most seasons with at least 10 rushing touchdowns (9), and he was the fastest player ever to gain 15,000 yards from scrimmage, doing it in just 121 NFL games.
And those are just a few of his NFL records.
Tomlinson is not alone in the Hall of Fame backfield. San Diego native Terrell Davis, a 2-time Super Bowl champion and one of just seven men to rush for 2,000 yards in a single season was also elected to the class of 2017. The Lincoln High School alum had his career cut short due to injury but in his prime was one of the most dominant rushers in the game.
Another San Diego native, safety John Lynch, was a finalist but did not make the final cut. The Torrey Pines High School alum won a championship with the Buccaneers in 2002 in the last Super Bowl played in his home town.
But there is an even more regrettable omission from the Hall of Fame. Former Chargers head coach Don Coryell was once again left out of Canton. In what is regarded by many, not just in San Diego, as one of the biggest travesties in the sport Coryell was a finalist for the fourth year and is still not a member of the Hall of Fame.
Coryell revolutionized the professional passing game and even has an offense named after him. His route combinations and emphasis on throwing the ball laid the groundwork for the modern NFL passing game.
The full 2017 Pro Football Hall of Fame class looks like this:
RB LaDainian Tomlinson
RB Terrell Davis
QB Kurt Warner
DE Jason Taylor
K Morten Andersen
Owner Jerry Jones
S Kenny Easley
They will all be inducted in August in Canton, OH, on Hall of Fame weekend.
