- published: 03 Jan 2010
- views: 168696
Shaun Edward Alexander (born August 30, 1977) is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.
Alexander was born and raised in Florence, Kentucky. His father, Curtis Alexander Jr., works for Morton Salt and his mother Carol works in the truancy department of the Boone County School District. He has an older brother Durran, and four older half-sisters and three older half-brothers. His parents divorced when he was 11, and he and Durran were raised by their mother in a two-bedroom apartment in a government housing project.
He attended Florence Elementary School. In 1991, he entered Boone County High School. As a freshman, he played football for the junior varsity team and was voted Class President—as he was every year in high school. As well as football, Alexander excelled in basketball and baseball.
In his sophomore season, he made the varsity team as the second-string running back. By mid-season, he was the team's featured running back as he rushed for 1,095 yards and fourteen touchdowns. During his junior season in 1994, Alexander ran for 2,396 yards and 42 touchdowns as Boone County made it to the state semifinals. In a game versus Campbell County, Alexander rushed for seven touchdowns. He was listed in "Faces in the Crowd" section of Sports Illustrated in January 1994.
LaDainian Tramayne Tomlinson (born June 23, 1979) is a free agent American football running back who last played for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Texas Christian University (TCU). He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers fifth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft and spent nine seasons with that team before moving to the Jets as a free agent.
Tomlinson, often referred to by his initials, L. T., has been selected to five Pro Bowls and has been an All-Pro six times. Tomlinson won two rushing titles, in 2006 and 2007, and ranks fifth in career rushing yards. During the 2006 NFL season, he set several records and received numerous honors and awards including the NFL’s Most Valuable Player Award and Associated Press’ Offensive Player of the Year Award.
Tomlinson was born to Loreane Chappelle and Oliver Tomlinson in Rosebud, Texas. His father left the family when Tomlinson was seven years old. Tomlinson did not see his father very often afterwards. His mother worked as a preacher. At age nine, Tomlinson joined the Pop Warner Little Scholars football program and scored a touchdown the first time he touched the ball.