NELVIN C. CEPEDA / Union-Tribune
Veteran LaDainian Tomlinson shares a few pointers with Chargers rookie Jacob Hester during a practice. |
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Ollie Wilson knew in 2001 that LaDainian Tomlinson had the moves, the speed and the mind-set to be special.
Seven years later, reunited with his star pupil, Wilson now sees Tomlinson as something more too – a sort of peer.
“He's so much more poised,” said Wilson, the Chargers' running backs coach from 1997 through Tomlinson's rookie season and now again since February. “That's where I see the change (since their last working together.) The speed, the quickness, the run ability, that's the same, but he knows more about the game now. . . . He's so much more polished, so much more aware.”
Wilson tells of showing film one day last week of the backs running one-on-one routes against linebackers.
“We're in the meeting room watching it,” Wilson said. “He (Tomlinson) gave us four or five things that basically are in Coaching 101. It was all natural stuff to him – guys starting to grab him and him getting his hands off so he can get the call, things like that. Through all the experiences he's had, he's found out so much of those things.”
That's a help for more than Tomlinson.
The world immediately around the Chargers' superstar running back has changed since last season ended. It's gotten younger.
Gone is fullback Lorenzo Neal, a 15-year veteran who was something of a mentor to Tomlinson. Gone too is running back Michael Turner, who in his fourth year had worked his way into having Tomlinson's ultimate trust.
“It's a little bit different because the relationship Lo and I had, we built over time; the same thing with Mike,” he said. “That takes time – this group is going to be OK. We're going to be all right.”
In the place of the veterans are rookies Jacob Hester, Mike Tolbert and Marcus Thomas. The most experienced players in the group are Darren Sproles, with 45 carries in his two active seasons, and Andrew Pinnock, who has 18 carries over five seasons.
“I've asked him to do this,” Wilson said. “I told him, 'We're going to bring a lot of young guys in.' He does a great job with little subtle comments about different situations and what he's looking for.”
Wilson, one of the most respected running backs coaches in the game, will actually ask Tomlinson what he sees in film sessions so that Tomlinson can explain his perspective.
“These young guys coming in have no idea,” Wilson said. “And I can tell them until I'm blue in the face, but when he sits there and says, 'OK, this is what I'm looking for; I'm looking for the technique of the outside backers, I want to see where the safety is,' those are invaluable things to the young guys.”
While Tomlinson famously does not play in exhibition games, he's not daydreaming during them, either. He can often be seen meeting the team's other running backs as they come off the field, sharing something he saw about a play they were involved in. He will also sidle up next to a young player during practice to lend an observation.
“No matter who it is, if he sees something, he's going to help you out,” Hester said. “He's helped me out, especially on my pass protections. He hasn't missed (a block) since I've been here. You want to get tips from a guy like that. I was good at it in college, but this is a whole different level. I was doing some stuff that was not good. He fixed it. I've felt a lot more comfortable ever since.
“He's really smart. He knows what's going on with everybody. Not only us, but if the line does something that's not right, he knows what they did wrong. That's tough to do, to know different positions like that.”
Tomlinson acknowledges that type of recognition comes with time. And sharing his wisdom with the kids is his responsibility.
“It's something I feel like needs to be done,” he said. “I am a guy that has been around for a while now. I know a lot of young guys have questions. Even if they do have questions sometimes they are a little hesitant to ask. At that point I just make sure that I always share my knowledge with them.
“When you have been around for a little while and played in a lot of games, eventually you have gone through every type of situation that you could go through. That is when you can really say something and speak it from experience. Certainly I never want to say something when it is not necessary, but in this case I definitely am because we are going to need some of those guys to help us out this year.”
Kevin Acee: (619) 293-1857; kevin.acee@uniontrib.com
