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Last of a dying breed: experience a day in the life of San Diego's Lorenzo Neal, an impact fullback who may well be the …
Sporting News, The, Dec 2, 2005 by Dan Pompei
Neal wishes there were more like him who cared more about blocks than handoffs. "The fullback position is dying because it needs to be emphasized that a lot of fullbacks aren't runners, they're fullbacks," he says. "Go in there and do your job--blow up people. I think the fullback can be the heartbeat of the team, the heartbeat of an offense. You want to set a precedent, you want to make an attitude--the fullback can do it."
In the third quarter, on an off-tackle play, Neal makes a read to block outside linebacker Angelo Crowell. Tomlinson follows his fullback and runs for 19 yards.
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On many plays, Neal determines where the run will go based on how he reads the defense. Tomlinson estimates he follows Neal on about 80 percent of his runs. "I trust his eyes and his decisions," Tomlinson says. "We're kind of on the same page. We think the same way." If they aren't on the same page, it's likely the run will be stopped before it should be.
Neal is the ideal complement to Tomlinson, the game's most dynamic runner. He also is a nice complement off the field, where Tomlinson says Neal has taught him how to sacrifice and be a professional. They often watch game tape together, usually on Friday mornings before meetings, sometimes on their day off and often on plane rides. They also are golfing buddies who genuinely enjoy each other's company.
"L.T. is special," Neal says, "like lightning in a bottle. He's one of the most complete backs. He makes my job a lot easier. I've been blessed to block for a lot of great backs, but LaDainian is going to have a place in the history books."
Before the game, Neal had spoken on the phone with his friend Takeo Spikes, a former Cincinnati teammate and now a Buffalo linebacker who is on injured reserve. Neal had joked that he would be going after Fletcher and the Bills' other linebackers. So during the game, the linebackers kept reminding Neal of his "promise." "We know you're coming after us!" they'd yell. "Takeo told us!"
Redskins defensive coordinator Gregg Williams recalls hearing Neal call out opponents when both were with the Titans. "He was literally pointing out players and letting them know he was coming every single play," Williams says.
When Neal trash-talks an opponent, it isn't malicious. It's playful. A couple of years ago, after laying a good lick on an opponent, Neal asked the player sweetly, "Don't you know I'm the world's greatest?' "It has caught on. When he runs for a first down, teammates say, "That's The World's Greatest." When he gets jacked up by a linebacker, it's "They got The World's Greatest!"
Neal likes to talk. On the field. In the locker room. On his cell phone. He could talk through a mouthguard. And he's funny. Tight end Antonio Gates says Neal is the funniest person on the team, by far. Neal has a quick smile and an easy laugh that put people at ease. Tomlinson says there is no one Neal does not get along with.
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