Antonio Cromartie is trying to make lots of new Cromartie fans

The San Diego Chargers cornerback seems to have a two-pronged plan for creating legions of young Antonio Cromartie(notes) fans.

Step 1: Work extremely hard in this offseason to recover from the poor showing he had in 2008; and,

Step 2: Through the miracle of human reproduction, populate America with young people who share the last name “Cromartie.”

Cromartie’s original excuse for his subpar 2008 was a hip injury. In a feature by Kevin Acee in yesterday’s San Diego Union Tribune, Cromartie mixed in his seven children and five paternity suits to his excuse cocktail.

“Last year my head wasn't in there,” Cromartie said. “I was dealing with my kids and their moms. It had my mind somewhere else.”

There are a lot of directions to be pulled when you have seven kids living in five states.

Cromartie has been named in at least five paternity suits in the past two years. Wichard said all of those have been addressed.

“It's all part of the simplification process,” [Cromartie’s agent Gary] Wichard said. “Everyone will be taken care of.”

Cromartie’s just 24 years old, if you were curious.