Gatorade Adds Five-Time All-Pro NFL Running Back LaDainian Tomlinson to Unparalleled Athlete Lineup

CHICAGO, May 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gatorade Company, a division of PepsiCo (PEP), announced today a new relationship with LaDainian Tomlinson of the NFL's San Diego Chargers. The deal links the league's most dynamic running back to the leading brand known for fueling and inspiring athletes at all levels to perform at their best. Tomlinson joins an elite roster of athletes, including Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Mia Hamm, Derek Jeter, Kevin Garnett and Peyton Manning, among several others.

"Gatorade has been a part of my game for years because its proven time and again it works for me and for a lot of the greatest athletes in sports," said Tomlinson. "One of the major reasons I chose Gatorade is because they are the experts -- they know what they're doing. I'm looking forward to working with Gatorade scientists to develop a hydration strategy that will make my game even stronger."

In 2006, Tomlinson set an NFL record with 31 touchdowns -- 28 of them rushing touchdowns -- and was named both the league's MVP and Man of the Year, and was the Associated Press' Offensive Player of the Year. He followed up that campaign to lead the league in rushing for his second straight season in 2007. Tomlinson has captured the title of the Chargers' all-time leading rusher and has been named to five Pro Bowls during his eight seasons playing professional football.

"LT is one of the most exciting players in football today," said Scott Paddock, Gatorade director of sports marketing. "He's very serious about everything that goes into his performance -- including his training, nutrition and hydration among many other factors -- so adding him to Gatorade's world-class list of dedicated athletes was a natural fit."

Tomlinson is scheduled to participate in his first official Gatorade event later this week in San Diego. Gatorade will celebrate the kickoff of the Gatorade Tiger(TM) Moonshot Challenge Tour in San Diego. At the event, Tomlinson will show off his golf skills alongside local participants to see who can hit the longest drive in a golf simulator for a chance win an "out of this world" experience worth up to $125,000.

In addition to Jordan, Woods, Hamm, Jeter, Garnett and Manning, Tomlinson joins superstar athletes Maria Sharapova (tennis star), Eli Manning (New York Giants), Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat), Kevin Durant (Seattle SuperSonics), Candace Parker (LA Sparks), Matt Kenseth (NASCAR driver), Jimmie Johnson (NASCAR driver), Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins), Kristine Lilly (U.S. Women's National Soccer Team), Abby Wambach (U.S. Women's National Soccer Team), Kerri Walsh (AVP player and Olympic Gold medalist), Misty May (AVP player and Olympic gold medalist) and Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy) among others in the Gatorade athlete family.

The multi-year deal was completed by Paddock and IMG. Terms were not disclosed.

About Gatorade

The Gatorade brand is a division of PepsiCo . The Gatorade hydration portfolio includes the nation's leading sports drink, Gatorade(R) Thirst Quencher, as well as Gatorade Tiger(TM) G2 and Propel Fit Water. Gatorade is backed by more than 40 years of research and is scientifically formulated and athletically proven to quench thirst, replace fluids and electrolytes, and provide carbohydrate energy to enhance athletic performance. Gatorade Tiger is a brand extension of Gatorade Thirst Quencher, providing the same carbohydrate energy to fuel muscles as Gatorade Thirst Quencher while containing 25 percent more electrolytes to advance fluid and electrolyte replacement. G2 is a low calorie, lifestyle beverage containing electrolytes. Propel Fit Water is a lightly flavored alternative to plain water with just 10 calories per eight ounce serving and essential vitamins. PepsiCo's overall hydration portfolio includes leadership products from the Gatorade portfolio as well as SoBe Life Water, Aquafina and Tropicana. No other beverage company helps quench thirst on more occasions and in more great-tasting ways. For more information, please visit http://www.gatorade.com/ and http://www.pepsico.com/.