Texas high school football team recruits Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson as their assistant coach

By Viraj Mali

Modified Mar 12, 2025 19:33 GMT

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Former NFL running back LaDainian Tomlinson is back on the football field. However, instead of carrying the ball into the endzone, the legendary rusher will help The Oakridge School as their run game coordinator and running backs coach.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer will look to improve an Oakridge team that went 7-3 last season and scored 27 rushing touchdowns, as per SI.

"Beyond his on-field accomplishments, LaDainian is an inspirational leader, mentor, and role model committed to developing young athletes as players and individuals," the program's Head of Athletics Chad MacDonald said, as per Sports Illustrated.

He further continued; "His offensive strategy, leadership, and player development expertise will be invaluable as we build a culture of excellence within our football program."

The former Los Angeles Chargers' running back played in the league for 11 seasons and established himself as one of the best rushers of his generation. He recorded 13,684 yards on 3,174 attempts and scored 145 touchdowns. Tomlinson was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 2006 and was selected to the Pro Bowl five times.

The running back played his college football at TCU from 1997 to 2000 and recorded 5,263 yards and 54 touchdowns. He won the Doak Walter Award in 2000 as the nation's No.1 running back in college.

How good was LaDainian Tomlinson in high school?

Tomlinson played his high school football at the University High School in Texas. He was an all-round athlete excelling in football, baseball, and basketball. He racked up 2,554 rushing yards and 39 touchdowns during his senior year and was named to the 1997 All-State football team.

He went on to play four seasons with TCU at the college level and was fantastic for the Horned Frogs. Tomlinson rushed for 1,850 yards and scored 18 touchdowns in his junior year, which he followed up with 2,158 yards and 22 scores during his senior year.

LaDainian Tomlinson's fantastic performances at TCU helped him go fifth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. During his nine seasons with the San Diego Chargers, Tomlinson won the MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, six All-Pro nods and was selected to the Pro Bowl five times. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.