LaDainian Tomlinson adjusting to Chargers in Los Angeles

LaDainian Tomlinson reflects back on the vulnerability of his hall of fame speech while also getting used to the Los Angeles Chargers

LaDainian Tomlinson saw the writing on the wall for the San Diego Chargers like everyone else.

“When the vote didn’t pass to build that stadium, we all expected it,” Tomlinson reflected.

The Chargers were going to leave San Diego and make Los Angeles their new home. Tomlinson has done his best to be supportive and hopes the fans will as well.

“I’ve come to grips that they are in Los Angeles now,” Tomlinson said. “It took me awhile to get used to. The fact that I have been to every home game, I’m used it now,” Tomlinson said. “We need some to win some games.”

Tomlinson moved into football immortality this summer and had a very personal Hall of Fame speech, which focused on the history of his family and his great-grandfather coming to America as part of the slave trade. It was a speech that Tomlinson wrestled back and forth about giving.

“When My Football Life came out, I got so much great response from that piece on the NFL network,” Tomlinson said. “People were moved by that one-hour special. They would stop me in the airports and around town and they would say, I really enjoyed your football life. It was so inspiring. I wanted to build on that. I need to speak more on that and bring people together through my story of two families, a white side and a black side coming together.”

Tomlinson’s family slave history is one of both pain and pride.

“For me, it was embarrassing to know these truths,” Tomlinson said. “I was doing fine. I was in the NFL and MVP, I never had to deal with that.”

Tomlinson has been paying attention to the actions of NFL players and owners before games and hopes things get better.

“We do have a ways to go,” Tomlinson acknowledged. “I think we keep focusing on unity and uniting everyone as best we can.”

Tomlinson is working with the National Peanut Board and involvement in the Peanut Bowl. He attended the annual rivalry game between two of the Dallas area’s biggest and best high school football teams, the DeSoto Eagles and Cedar Hill Longhorns.

The game was dubbed the first-ever Peanut Bowl this year by the National Peanut Board.