Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson inspires players before CIF finals

Former Charger LaDainian Tomlinson talks during Monday’s CIF press conference and luncheon. (Photo: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).

NFL Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson knows what it takes to be highly-successful on the football field and Monday morning, the former Charger and New York Jet provided some inspiration for high school football players about to play the biggest games of their careers.

Tomlinson, who played in the NFL for 11 years, was the featured speaker at the 45th Championship Press Conference and Luncheon at The Grand in Long Beach, where the players from the teams in the CIF finals were honored. The event returned this year after a year off. High school football was delayed until March because of the coronavirus pandemic and no playoffs were held in the spring.

“Why not give everything you have this week in preparation,” Tomlinson said. “Success to me is defined when preparation meets opportunity. Why? Because of my journey. In high school, the goal was always for my class to be the greatest class to ever come to my high school and to be the greatest team.

“It starts with a dream, but a dream also has to come with goals. You can’t get to your dream without having goals. You probably heard the story about my journey, not playing running back until my senior year.”

Tomlinson’s coach had a talk with him going into his senior year.

“He said, ‘you’ve done everything we’ve asked you to do up until this point. It’s your turn, it’s your chance, it’s your opportunity, seize the moment.’ So for me, I knew I had one opportunity, one chance to reach my goal at that time, which was to go to college.”

His goal was to earn a scholarship to play in college, no matter what level.

“But the dream beyond that was obviously to play in the National Football League, that was the dream, but was it the goal? No it wasn’t,” he said. “The goal has to take you to your dream. That senior year, when I got that opportunity, I had a great first game, six touchdowns and I got offered my first scholarship the very next week.

“I mentioned I’ve had my finest hour, one of you maybe all of you, will have a chance to have your finest hour and I encourage you to come together and believe in each other and continue to encourage each other and you will do things you wlll never imagine.”

Tomlinson, who played high school football in Waco, Texas, went on to star at Texas Christian University and in his junior and senior years he was college football’s leading rusher. He was selected by the Chargers as the fifth overall pick in the first round of the NFL draft in 2001.

In 2006, he led the NFL in rushing. Tomlinson was a versatile player, gaining more than 1,200 rushing yards and recording more than 50 pass receptions in each of his first seven seasons. He left the Chargers in 2010 and played two years for the Jets.

Then he retired in 2012 as a Charger after signing a ceremonial one-day contact with them. Tomlinson retired after scoring 162 career touchdowns and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

The event focused on the football players in this week’s finals. CIF Commissioner Rob Wigod and assistant commissioner Thom Simmons congratulated the players on getting to the finals. Then coaches and players were introduced.

CIF officials announced that tickets for the finals will be available through the GoFan app.

FINALS SCHEDULE

Division 1: Mater Dei vs. Servite, Friday, 7:30 p.m., Veterans Stadium, Long Beach (Servite home team)

Division 2: Orange Lutheran at Alemany, Saturday, 7 p.m.

Division 3: Serra at Apple Valley, Saturday, 7 p.m.

Division 4: Long Beach Poly at St. Francis, Saturday, 7 p.m.

Division 5: Oaks Christian at Valencia of Valencia, Friday, 7 p.m.

Division 6: Newport Harbor at Temecula Valley, Saturday, 7 p.m.

Division 7: Aquinas at St. Pius X, Saturday, 7 p.m.

Division 8: Serrano at Buena, Saturday, 7 p.m.

Division 9: St. Margaret’s at Colony, Friday, 7 p.m.

Division 10: St. Anthony at Northview, Friday, 7 p.m.

Division 11: Long Beach Jordan vs. Northwood, Irvine Stadium, Friday, 7 p.m.

Division 12: Quartz Hill at Compton, Saturday, 7 p.m.

Division 13: Montclair at Arlington, Friday, 7 p.m.

Division 14: Rialto vs. Loara, Friday, 7 p.m., Glover Stadium

––Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com