SAN DIEGO -- As a kid who wanted to emulate Hall of Famer Walter Payton, running back LaDainian Tomlinson never imagined being a part of the conversation over the best runners in NFL history.

But on Saturday, Tomlinson joined the likes of Payton, Barry Sanders and Emmitt Smith when he was selected for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Tomlinson became the 75th player selected for induction on the first ballot, voted in by attaining 80 percent approval from the 48-person selection committee.

"I never, as a kid, dreamed about going to the Hall of Fame," Tomlinson said. "It just wasn’t something that a kid dreamed about. I dreamed about making it to the National Football League and playing in Super Bowls and winning championships as a kid. That’s what I dreamed about."

Tomlinson’s selection was a no-brainer.

The No. 5 overall pick in the 2001 draft after the Chargers finished 1-15 in the previous season, Tomlinson helped change the culture around the Chargers. San Diego made the playoffs five of the nine seasons Tomlinson was the team’s lead running back, including winning five AFC West titles.

Tomlinson’s nine seasons (2001-09) in San Diego included eight consecutive 1,000-yard rushing campaigns and five Pro Bowls.

“He was a game-changer obviously,” said Nick Hardwick, center for the Chargers from 2004 to 2014. “He was an unbelievable talent but had an incredible football IQ. And he had the ability to break a game open at a moment’s notice.

“As an offensive lineman -- and you could probably include tight ends and fullbacks in that equation -- you were really inspired to get your block and stay on your block because you knew that his ability to break off a long run and finish off a game at moment’s notice was right there in the power that LaDainian Tomlinson held in his feet.”

Nicknamed "LT," Tomlinson finished his career as the Chargers’ all-time leading rusher and ranked No. 5 all time in league history with 13,684 rushing yards.

He also owns the single-season touchdown record (31), which he set during the 2006 season.

"LaDainian was the best pure running back I’ve ever been around. And I was around Marcus Allen and Christian Okoye, guys like that," Marty Schottenheimer told the team’s website. Schottenheimer was the Chargers coach from 2002 to 2006, building his offense around Tomlinson. "It was really a treat to be involved with him. I told him from the start that he had it all and we were going to ride him."

Known for his physical, relentless running style, Tomlinson also was a tremendous pass-catcher. He finished his career with 624 catches for 4,772 yards and 17 touchdown receptions.

Only Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk has more catches among the top-10 career rushing leaders.

"It was almost impossible to defend him," Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis said. "Because he had hands like a receiver, he had feet like a ballet dancer and had a heart like a lion -- any time that you have all of those things, you just never know what you are going to get.

“What made him the hardest thing to deal with was that he always kept a calm demeanor. You never could rattle him. He always stayed true to himself."

Tomlinson's No. 21 jersey was retired by the Chargers in 2015.

The only blemish on Tomlinson’s record -- if you can call it that -- is that he never played for a Super Bowl title. Teams Tomlinson played for finished 5-5 in the postseason.

"The one [negative] thing that I think is totally honest and true about my career is I never won a championship," Tomlinson told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "That’s totally fair for people to judge me on that. But I know eventually, with my numbers, I’m a Hall of Famer."

Former Chargers teammate Drew Brees said he will be on hand in Canton to watch Tomlinson be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

"He's a special guy, a special player," Brees told The Mighty 1090 AM radio. Brees served as the Chargers' starting quarterback from 2002 to 2005. "He made everyone around him better. He was a phenomenal leader. When LT spoke, everybody listened. And he backed it up with his actions, more so than anything he could ever say."