Today LaDainian and LaTorsha Tomlinson welcomed their first child, a baby boy. Daylen, born Wednesday, weighed in at 7 pounds, 1 ounce. He's 20 inches long.
It's something the couple, who met while students at TCU and married in 2003, has wanted for a very long time. The Tomlinsons' had been expecting a few years ago but the pregnancy ended in a miscarriage.
L.T. learned about the pregnancy just before a game against the Philadelphia Eagles in November 2009. He found a gift box in his locker at Qualcomm Stadium marked "open immediately." Thinking it contained a necklace or some other gift from his wife, he was surprised to find a positive pregnancy test.
Did it add something to his game that day? You bet. "The special thing about having a child and your wife being pregnant - it just does something to you. It's extra motivation. I can't explain it, but it definitely did," he told reporters after the game.
L.T. we all say congratulations, and welcome to "The Dad Club."
The New York Jets signed the former Chargers running back to a two-year contract, adding the aging star to the NFL's top-ranked rushing offense last season.
The 2006 NFL MVP, who turned 31 in June, was cut from San Diego after his least productive season.
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Tomlinson ran for 730 yards -- his first season under 1,000 -- on 223 carries for an average of 3.3 yards per carry, all career lows. He scored 12 touchdowns, but his role was reduced in an offense that shifted its focus to quarterback Philip Rivers and the passing game.
Once one of the NFL's most dynamic players, Tomlinson is expected to back up second-year running back Shonn Greene. He ranks eighth on the NFL's career rushing list with 12,490 yards.
