Today was a memorable speech on a memorable day from a very memorable NFL player as LaDainian Tomlinson officially retired with the San Diego Chargers. As he gave his speech and reflected back on a record-setting career that ranks him among the NFL's greatest running backs of all time, he also recalled the memory of the late Junior Seau, a teammate and friend.
"One thing I'll remember was when Junior Seau retired, he stood up here and gave his speech and one thing that stood out to me was when he said, ‘I'm graduating today.'" said Tomlinson. "That's the way I look at it. I've been playing football for 20-some years. You sacrifice so much. You put it on the line mentally and physically with your body.
"Today, I take the words of Junior Seau," he continued. I feel like I'm graduating. I've got my life ahead of me. I'm healthy. I'm got my great family. I'm excited to be a fan and watch you all play."
Tomlinson retired third on the all-time NFL list in touchdowns with 162, behind only Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith.