They are the two most recognizable initials in the NFL. Just mention the letter L and T and any fan knows that you are talking about the great back out in southern California, LaDanian Tomlinson. Watch a Charger game and you hear the crowd chant his initials anytime San Diego gets near the goaline.

The problem is, the initials L.T. already to belong to an NFL great, Lawrence Taylor. Every fan in Giants stadium used to chant the initials as Taylor came off the edge of the line to terrorize offenses.

So which L.T. would you rather have on your team? I tried to think of several factors that one would consider before picking between one of these two NFL greats who share the same initials:

 

Impact – Advantage: Taylor

A Giants fan can make a case that Taylor had more impact on the game than any other player in NFL history. He invented the pass rushing linebacker position that provoked offensive coaches to create entirely new pass-protection schemes.

The Washington Redskins famous one back set?  Head coach Joe Gibbs installed that offense in order to help block Taylor’s pass-rush. He forced on offense to account for him on every single play.

Tomlinson, however, has his own major impact on every game. No running back in recent memory is more devastating as both a runner and a pass-catcher (Marshall Faulk was a dual threat, but Tomlinson is the better runner). What really separates Tomlinson from other backs is his nose for the goaline. Every person in the stadium knows that he will get the ball inside the five-yard line, yet he still manages to find a way through, around, or over a defense to the end-zone.

He’s akin to Emmitt Smith or Shaun Alexander, but with more breakaway speed. Tomlinson may not have re-defined his position the way that Taylor did, but he has certainly perfected it.