ARLINGTON -- San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson isn’t taking a knee on this one. He said the criticism he faced after playing only four plays in the AFC Championship Game loss to the New England Patriots was unfair.
“I was surprised,” Tomlinson said Wednesday before being the guest speaker at the Champions for Kids benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Arlington. “I was surprised because I have never missed a game for being hurt. …That was one of the times I felt the criticism was undeserved. At the same time, I took something good out of it. It motivated me going into the off-season and, at this point in my career, it kind of rekindled the burning fire inside of me to want to do even greater things.”
Chargers coach Norv Turner defended Tomlinson last month at the NFL owners meetings and said the team bears some responsibility for putting Tomlinson on the spot. The Chargers took Tomlinson off the injury report before the AFC Championship Game, despite his hyperextended left knee not being healed, and they failed to provide a definitive explanation for Tomlinson’s absence during the game.
“I don’t blame [the Chargers],” Tomlinson said. “You’ve got to understand my mind-set: I have played with all kinds of injuries. So in my mind, I went through practice, and yeah, it was sore, and I knew I was going to struggle with it, but I thought I was going to be able to play through it.”
http://www.star-telegram.com/329/story/614928.html
LT's Late Season Criticism Unfair???
LT's Late Season Criticism Unfair???
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