CORTLAND — Upon being informed that some of his former Chargers teammates criticized him for demanding star treatment in San Diego, LaDainian Tomlinson responded yesterday in an exclusive interview with The Post.
“Honestly, I really have no reaction to it,” he said. “I don’t spend any of my time thinking about what’s going on there because I’m so focused in this football team and job at hand. I’ve moved on.
“It doesn’t hurt me, but nothing surprises me because guys want to speak their opinion on things. Junior Seau went through the same thing with guys when he was the big star and he left the team and guys said how they felt about him. It’s the same situation. Good luck to those guys.”
Chargers tight end Antonio Gates said Tomlinson operated at a remove from his teammates.
“Sometimes you would get the sense that people felt bigger than the team. Not to say it was an issue, but we know it’s not an issue for sure now. Me and LT had a wonderful relationship, but sometimes you got the sense of stardom status and you can only take it so far,” Gates told the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers said Tomlinson’s departure will allow him to become more of a team leader.
“Maybe [Tomlinson’s exit] was a little bit of a relief,” he said. “Maybe it’s a feeling of, ‘I can do a little more without wondering what he thinks.’ “
*
With the potential of a long holdout by Darrelle Revis, the Jets are working cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who has played most of his career on the right side, on the left side.
Coach Rex Ryan said he wants Cromartie to learn how to play left-handed to make him better.
Revis usually plays both sides, manning up against the opposition’s best receiver, so the Jets would like Cromartie to feel comfortable on both sides.
In Revis’ absence, rookie first-round draft pick Kyle Wilson rotated with Dwight Lowery opposite Cromartie with the starters.
“Obviously Darrelle Revis is a great player, and I’d love to have him here right now,” Ryan said. “If he signs one day before the first game he’ll be in the starting lineup. But we’ve got to get who we have ready to go. If Darrelle Revis is not here we have to move on.”
*
Ryan raved about rookie fullback John Conner, a fifth-round draft pick out of Kentucky, for his bruising blocks in the morning practice.
“That Kentucky kid showed up today — he was out there thumping people,” Ryan said. “He took the breath out of three linebackers out there. I’ve never seen that before. Now you know why he has such a short neck.”
From the moment the Jets draft was complete in April, Ryan professed his affinity for Conner, whom he called his “favorite” pick.
That’s because Ryan discovered Conner while watching tapes of some linebackers, but it was Conner’s bruising blocks on the linebackers that opened his eyes more than the defensive players he was scouting.
“You’re always happy when you’re right on a draft pick,” Ryan said. “I get one pick a year and that was my pick.”
*
Because he had to sit out minicamp sessions with a shoulder injury, linebacker Jason Taylor practiced for the first time as a Jet yesterday, working with the second-team defense behind Bryan Thomas, who gave Taylor his old number No. 99.
Vladimir Ducasse started at left guard with the first team in the morning and Matt Slauson started with the starters in the afternoon. . . . The Jets signed WR Vic Hall, an undrafted free agent out of Virginia. . . . Kicker Nick Folk was 7-of-8 on field-goal attempts in the morning practice.