Is he still Alexander the great?
Published 11:29 pm Saturday, August 11, 2007
At some point this afternoon, Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander is probably going to shake hands with one of his closest friends in the NFL.
At some point this afternoon, Alexander is also going to exchange pleasantries with the man who knocked his name out of the record book and stands in his way of being considered the best red-zone running back of his generation.
That person, of course, is LaDainian Tomlinson.
The San Diego Chargers running back has pushed Alexander aside as the greatest runner of the here and now. After scoring 31 touchdowns last season – Alexander set an NFL record with 28 the previous year – Tomlinson not only took Alexander’s record but also his most valuable player award.
“LT and I are good friends, and we talk all the time about it,” said Alexander, whose Seahawks face the Chargers today in a preseason game that won’t see many carries from either Pro Bowl running back. “But last year was really the only year that he did better than me. If I go out there and have my best year (this season), then stuff will speak for itself.”
Alexander added that he is not directly targeting Tomlinson’s 31-touchdown record, but he’s one of the few running backs who could.
“Without a doubt, it’s attainable,” Seahawks fullback Mack Strong said. “I don’t think anybody goes into a season saying they’re going to beat this record or that record. But if anybody can do it, it would be Shaun.
“… There’s no record that can’t be beat. Look at baseball (and the home run record): there’s no record that stands that’s unreachable.”
Alexander, who turns 30 in 18 days, said that the only numbers he is focusing on shattering are his own.
“I set bigger goals every year, so this is no different,” he said. “Last year was the only year I didn’t attain any of them, although the 200-yard game (against Green Bay) was cool.
“But I’m excited about the year and will go after being better than I ever was before.”
Tomlinson and Alexander have often been lumped together because of their production both as runners (they both have the mark of 10,000 career rushing yards within their sights this season) as well as scorers (Tomlinson scored his 100th rushing touchdown last year, while Alexander is four shy of that mark).
But one key difference is preseason preparation. While Alexander has seen limited action in preseason games over the years, Tomlinson doesn’t even bother to suit up. Once again, the Chargers are likely to rest him today.
“I don’t ever want to second-guess what I’ve done,” Alexander said when asked if he would prefer to take preseason games off. “I think LT has had a great career. But Mike (Holmgren) and I went through what we think is best for me, and we’ve kind of been on a good run these last four years, so I can’t argue against that. I think what we do is good.”
The difference this year could be Alexander’s age and recent health concerns. He missed six games last season with a cracked bone in his foot, but has shown no effects of the injury at training camp.
The age concern stems from a benchmark birthday that Alexander will celebrate later this month. When he turns 30 on Aug. 30, he’ll mark a birthday that often leads to a downhill run for NFL rushers. Since 2002, only 10 of the 92 who ran for 1,000 or more yards in a season have been players who are 30 or older.
Still, Alexander said he’s not too concerned about his big 3-0.
“That’s how it’s been for backs in this league,” he said. “But since I got into the league, I’ve always looked at the best of the best: Marcus Allen, Eric Dickerson, Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, all those guys.
“It’s just different. I can’t all of a sudden look at everyone else who’s played in the league, everyone who’s just had good careers. I’ve always been shooting for those guys that have had the elite numbers and the elite names.”
One of those elite runners will probably be exchanging greetings with Alexander later today.
But the run at the record books will have to wait until the regular season.
