A familiar face was on the sidelines at practice Thursday as LaDainian Tomlinson was in the house. LT was on hand filming for NFL Network, spending time with Melvin Gordon, Philip Rivers, Joey Bosa, Jason Verrett and others.
When the cameras stopped rolling, the Hall of Famer spent a significant amount of time chatting it up with Head Coach Anthony Lynn. After all, he couldn't be happier to see his former running backs coach take the Chargers' reins.
LT played two seasons under Lynn with the Jets, and knew then he had what it took to be an NFL head coach.
"Absolutely," he said. "It was obvious. This business is all about being a leader of men and getting guys to follow you. A-Lynn certainly had that quality when he was my running backs coach. And it helps that he played the game. He knows what players go through, and he can relate to all of us."
It was just last summer that LT paid a visit to Buffalo to attend training camp. While there, he had a heart-to-heart with Lynn about his future as a head coach. Never in number 21's wildest dreams could he have imagined that less than a year later, Lynn's path would lead to the Bolts.
"We were talking because he had just started to get interviews that offseason as a (head coach) candidate," Tomlinson said. "It's funny looking back on that because one summer later, he is the head coach for my team. That's wild to me. Wild. I couldn't be happier."
So, why is LT bullish on Lynn's prospects as a head coach?
"He has great leadership skills. I mean, he is a real leader among men. He can coach all types of players. A great motivator. I can go on and on. I think he is an excellent hire. I absolutely think he is the right choice for the Chargers."
