LaDainian Tomlinson’s nephew driven for greatness at TCU, just like Hall of Fame uncle
Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson doesn’t see his uncle as Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson. Or TCU legend LaDainian Tomlinson. Or NFL star LaDainian Tomlinson.
For Tre, it’s just “uncle.”
“I wouldn’t realize that my uncle was famous until we were in the store and people were taking pictures and wanting a picture,” Tre said. “It’s always just been that uncle relationship.”
Of course, an uncle can play a part in a variety of ways and LaDainian certainly has when it comes to Tre’s football career.
LaDainian has been a mentor, guiding Tre toward TCU, not because it’s his alma mater but because coach Gary Patterson has a strong track record of teaching cornerbacks proper technique in covering receivers.
LaDainian has been a trainer, devising different NFL-style workouts over summers to help Tre prepare for the upcoming season. Tre said the workouts usually push him enough to the point where he’s throwing up afterward.
LaDainian has been a motivator, sending Tre inspiring messages and pumping him up before games.
LaDainian has been a coach, helping Tre through the process of playing safety in high school to cornerback in college.
All of it has culminated in Tre carrying on the family legacy at TCU.
LaDainian has been pleased so far with Tre becoming a full-time starter at cornerback as a sophomore and ranking among the Big 12 leaders in pass breakups with four through four games.
Tre can continue his strong start when he returns to his hometown of Waco this weekend. TCU faces Baylor at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.
“It’s really exciting for me. Going back home to play a big game, I feel like we have something to prove and that we can go out and do this,” said Tre, who was a three-star prospect coming out of Waco Midway. “I’m just really excited to be back home and play in front of some friends and family.”
Being ‘baptized’
Tre Tomlinson, like the rest of TCU’s defense, had a forgettable performance against Iowa State in the opener.
The Cyclones had success going Tre’s way much of the day, notably connecting for a 17-yard touchdown from Brock Purdy to Darren Wilson on a stop-and-go route just before halftime.
“As a young corner, it was something that needed to happen to me,” Tre said. “The next week, I knew what I had to go do. Like Jeff Gladney and the rest of my coaches always tell me, you have to have amnesia. It is, ‘Next play.’ I feel like I will go out and continue to do what I have to do.”
LaDainian likes to refer to the Iowa State game as the moment Tre “got baptized.” That’s not a knock, either, as Purdy is one of the top quarterbacks in the Big 12 and Tre was making just his second career start.
Former TCU great Jason Verrett famously struggled in his first start in 2011 against Baylor’s Robert Griffin III.
“Tre got baptized. He had to understand the pace of the play,” LaDainian said of Tre’s performance against Iowa State. “That’s all a part of growth. You’re going to get beat sometimes, but the key is not getting beat for touchdowns at the critical times. It’s OK to get beat sometimes because you’re trying to make a play. Those are things he has to go through.”
TCU coach Gary Patterson mentioned in his postgame news conference that he wasn’t worried about Tre bouncing back from the subpar performance. After all, as Patterson said this week, he knew who Tre’s uncle was and the mental toughness of those within the Tomlinson family.
Patterson has been proven right with Tre making strides and improvements in the weeks since.
“He did exactly what I thought he would do,” Patterson said. “He’s a very confident kid. He’s going to be an even better player. He’s a good player and he’s going to keep moving forward. He wants to be a great player. Any time you’re around a great guy that wants to be a great player, they’re going to push themselves.”
Family legacy
Tre dismisses the notion there is pressure carrying on the “Tomlinson” legacy at TCU. If anything, it’s something that he has embraced and a standard he is willing to uphold.
“Honestly, it’s not any pressure because of what I can go out and do,” Tre said. “I haven’t even reached my peak yet.”
What that peak is remains to be determined.
LaDainian has laid out different stages for Tre in his football journey. Tre’s ultimate goal is to reach the NFL and the process to that point is still in the early stages by most accounts.
For now, it’s about continuing to refine his technique and abilities as a cornerback. Tre played safety in high school, so he’s still fairly new to the cornerback position.
But he’s got some of the best mentors around, whether it’s learning technique and fundamentals from TCU’s staff or approaching the game with a Hall of Fame mindset being instilled by his uncle.
Most importantly, Tre has the inner drive for greatness. That much is known simply by listening to him talk about an offseason workout with his uncle.
“The first workout every summer I would come back, I would always throw up,” Tre said. “I just feel like it was something that had to be done and I wasn’t afraid. I was ready to go out and push my body day in and day out, so that I can have a chance at the next level.”
Said LaDainian: “At the end of the day, it’s really on him. He has to go through it. It proves to himself that I can do this. These are NFL-style workouts. These are what pros do. If he can make it through those, he can get through anything.”
