LaDainian Tomlinson

Ladainian "L.T." Tomlinson doesn't wield as much clout as Peyton Manning, the Indianapolis Colts quarterback whose string of endorsements catapulted him to the No. 13 spot on 's Power 100. But Tomlinson, a running back with the San Diego Chargers, is developing his own brand of power: a scrubbed, socially conscious image that has won him his share of corporate deals—with Nike (NKE), Campbell Soup (CPB), AT&T (T), ESPN (DIS) Radio, and others—and has made him a role model.

Tomlinson and his marketing agent, Alan Zucker, are trying to build a Tomlinson brand by emphasizing the dual appeal of his athletic performance and his philanthropic endeavors off the field. It's a work in progress. In research conducted by Davie Brown, a Los Angeles firm that measures celebrity wattage, Tomlinson's face or name was recognized about 20% of the time, vs. more than 50% for Manning. Those who knew Tomlinson, though, rated him the most trustworthy NFL player and the most effective corporate spokesman. "People who know him really like him," says Scott Sanford, senior director of talent at Davie Brown, which represented AT&T in talks that resulted in Tomlinson's pitching for the telecom giant. "Those scores are off the charts."