Gary Patterson scrimmages TCU, travels to HOF for LT

TCU coach Gary Patterson wasn't going to miss Saturday's big night for his school's favorite son, running back LaDainian Tomlinson being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

But he also wasn't going to cheat his team as they prepare for the upcoming season.

So he conducted a scrimmage, graded the film and then hopped on a plan for Canton, Ohio, with plans to return right after the ceremony.

Tomlinson, TCU's all-time leading rusher and two-time All-American, was worth it.

"He's a great guy," Patterson said. "He was a great player but he is an even better person. What he's done for TCU, college football and the NFL. He is such an ambassador. You can't it into words. He has meant a lot to TCU. That is what you do. That is what friends do."

Tomlinson is in the Hall of Fame because of what he did in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers. But his biggest legacy was helping revive the TCU football program.

Prior to Tomlinson's arrival in 1997, TCU had appeared in only one bowl game in the previous 12 seasons (and two in the previous 34). TCU got its first bowl win in 41 years in 1998. He went on to lead the NCAA in rushing 1999 and 2000 and TCU become the perennial postseason participant it is today.

This story was originally published August 5, 2017 at 7:23 PM with the headline "Gary Patterson scrimmages TCU, travels to HOF for LT."