The 5 Most Valuable NFL Rushing Seasons Since 2000
LaDainian Tomlinson, 2006
Season: 2006
Team: San Diego Chargers
Rushing NEP: 60.47
Success Rate: 45.11%
| G | ATT | YDS | Y/G | AVG | TD | FUML |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 348 | 1,815 | 113.4 | 5.2 | 28 | 1 |
Under-recruited going into college, and overshadowed by Michael Vick entering the 2001 NFL Draft, LaDainian Tomlinson would not just exceed every expectation placed upon him and produce the second-greatest rushing performance of the past 15 years, he would also become arguably one of the best players ever to put on a San Diego Chargers uniform.
On game days head coach Marty Shottenheimer would tell Tomlinson, "LaDainian, I need you not to be good today. I need you to be great!" And great he was. In 2006 L.T. put the Chargers on his back, repeatedly refusing to go down on the field, and gave the franchise a season for the history books.
With his 60.47 Rushing NEP -- which nearly doubled the figure put up by the next man on the list that season, Marion Barber (34.15) -- L.T. carried this team to a league, and franchise-best record of 14-2. His 28 rushing touchdowns broke the mark previously set by Priest Holmes in 2003 and tied by Shaun Alexander the prior season. And on the back of an NFL-record 31 total touchdowns -- punctuated by this unforgettable play in Week 14 against the Broncos -- his 186 points also broke a record that had stood for 46 years.
What might be most impressive in all of this was his efficiency in the red zone. Whenever the Chargers were inside their opponent's 10-yard line, and despite every player on the opposing defense knowing where the ball was going to go, LaDainian still guaranteed a touchdown for the Chargers on almost every touch. Of his 42 rushing attempts in this part of the field, L.T. scored a touchdown on an unreal 52.4% of these carries (22 attempts). He also tied a record set by Priest Holmes in 2003, with a remarkable 10 games with two or more touchdowns that year as well.
In total, this standout performance would earn him a host of awards, including selections to the First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams, an AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year award, a Walter Payton Man of the Year award, and league MVP honors by season's end.
Despite a heartbreaking loss to the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round of the playoffs -- in which Tomlinson racked up 187 total yards (123 rushing, 64 receiving) and 2 touchdowns -- nothing can take away from just how amazing L.T. was in 2006 and the massive impact his performance in the run game had on the Chargers' success that season.
