Lawrence Taylor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Lawrence Taylor | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Date of birth | February 4, 1959 (age 48) |
| Place of birth |  Williamsburg, VA |
| Position(s) | Linebacker |
| College | North Carolina |
| NFL Draft | 1981 / Round 1/ Pick 2 |
| Career Highlights | |
| Pro Bowls | 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 |
| Awards | 1981 AP NFL Defensive R.O.Y. 1981 AP NFL Defensive P.O.Y. 1982 AP NFL Defensive P.O.Y. 1983 UPI NFC P.O.Y. 1986 UPI NFC P.O.Y. 1986 Bert Bell Award 1986 NFL PFWA MVP 1986 AP NFL Defensive P.O.Y. 1986 AP NFL MVP |
| Honors | NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team NFL 1980s All-Decade Team |
| Retired #s | New York Giants#56 |
| Records | Most NFL Defensive Player of the Year Awards (3) Tied for New York Giants Career Sacks record (132.5) with Michael Strahan (Taylor unofficially has 142 sacks: sacks were not a recognized statistic his rookie year when he had 9.5) |
| Stats | |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 1981-1993 | New York Giants |
| Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1999 | |
Lawrence Julius Taylor (born February 4, 1959, in Williamsburg, Virginia), nicknamed LT, is a retired Hall of Fame American football player who played his entire professional career as a linebacker for the NFL's New York Giants. Taylor is often considered to be one of the greatest defensive players in the history of football, and has been called the greatest defensive player of all time by media members, former players, and coaches. His explosive speed and power changed the way the game of football is played.
Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Taylor was a disruptive force at outside linebacker, and is widely considered to have changed the pass rushing schemes, offensive line play, and offensive formations used in the NFL. Taylor produced double-digit sacks seasons consecutively from 1984 through 1990, including a career high of 20.5 in 1986. He also won a record three Defensive Player of the Year awards and was named league MVP for his performance in the 1986 season. He was a key player in the Giants' defense, nicknamed "The Big Blue Wrecking Crew", that led New York to Super Bowl XXI and XXV victories. During that time Taylor and fellow linebackers Carl Banks and Hall of Famer Harry Carson gave the Giants linebacking corps a reputation as one of the best in the NFL.
During his career as a player and after his retirement, Taylor often lived a controversial lifestyle. His hard-partying ways and use of illegal drugs made him somewhat of a polarizing figure. However in recent years Taylor has cleaned up his lifestyle and lived a sober, drug free life since 1998.
Contents |
[edit] College
Taylor attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was a team captain,[1] and wore #98. Taylor had 16 sacks in his final year there,[2] and set numerous defensive records, some of which have since been broken. While there the coaching staff marveled at his intense, reckless style of play, "As a freshman playing on special teams, he'd jump a good six or seven feet in the air to block a punt, then land on the back of his neck," said North Carolina assistant coach Bobby Cale. "He was reckless, just reckless."[2] UNC would later retire Taylor's jersey and after Taylor's career at UNC ended he became a legend in the minds of Tar Heel fans and alumni. In fact his shadow loomed so large over subsequent players that it often became burdensome. When Julius Peppers, a fellow alumnus and current member of the NFL's Carolina Panthers, attended UNC he was frequently compared to Taylor. Peppers commented at the time, that while he appreciated the comparisons to Taylor, he was anxious to leave the university and get out of Taylor's shadow.[3][4]
[edit] Career with the New York Giants
[edit] 1981 NFL Draft and training camp
In 1981, Taylor was drafted by the NFL's New York Giants as the # 2 pick overall. In a poll of NFL General Managers (GMs) taken before the draft 26 out of the 28 GMs stated that if they had the first selection they would select Taylor.[5] One of the only two GMs who stated that they would not take Taylor was the GM of the New Orleans Saints who had the first pick in the draft.[5] Giants General Manager George Young was one of the many who saw Taylor's potential and even predicted before the draft that he would be better than NFL legends such as Dick Butkus: ``Taylor is the best college linebacker I've ever seen. Sure, I saw Dick Butkus play. There's no doubt in my mind about Taylor. He's bigger and stronger than Butkus was. On the blitz, he's devastating."[5] Shortly before the draft controversy arose however as Taylor and his agent Mike Trope expressed a desire to sign a contract for a then unheard of rookie salary of $250,000 US dollars per season.[6] Several players on the Giants even threatened to walkout if Taylor was paid that salary, as they refused to play for less than an unproven rookie.[6] On draft day the Saints selected George Rogers, which left the Giants with decision of whether to select Taylor. Despite the controversy, and to the raucus approval of the crowd in attendance at the draft (which was held in New York), the Giants selected Taylor.[7] Taylor took to New York immediately,[8] and expressed his excitement about the opportunity to play in the city.[8] Shortly after the draft several of the Giants backed down from their stance, as Taylor stated that he had "talked to some players and coaches" and "got things straightened out."[7] Despite the contract controversy, one of the factors that the Giants stated they considered in selecting Taylor was his solid reputation coming out of college. "He was the cleanest player in the draft. By that I mean there was no rap on him,"[9] head coach Ray Perkins said after he was drafted. "Great potential as a linebacker, a fine young man, free of injuries."[9]
Taylor's talent was evident was from the start of training camp.[2][10] Reports flowed out of the Giants training compound of the exploits of the new phenom before he ever stepped onto the field for an actual game.[2][10] Taylor's teammates took to calling him Superman and jokingly suggested that his locker should be replaced with a phone booth.[2] Phil Simms, the team's quarterback, stated the week before the Giants pre-season opener, "On the pass rush, he's an animal. He's either going to run around you or over you. With his quickness, he's full speed after two steps."[8] Simms later commented that he was looking forward to the season starting because, "Once the season starts at least I won't have to play against him any more."[9] Taylor made his NFL exhibition debut on August 8, 1981, recording 2 sacks in the Giants 23-7 win over the Chicago Bears.[11] In a later exhibition game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Steelers' Quarterback Terry Bradshaw played his only career game against Taylor. Many years later Bradshaw recalled, "He dang-near killed me, I just kept saying, 'Who is this guy?' He kept coming from my blind side and just ripped my ribs to pieces."[12] Before the season had even started word began to spread around the league about Taylor and his intense, hard-hitting style of play.[9]
[edit] Early career: 1981-1985
Taylor's NFL regular season debut occurred on September 6, 1981 in a 24-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.[9] The game was relatively non-noteworthy for Taylor except for his picking up a penalty for a late hit on Eagles running back Perry Harrington.[9] Taylor went on to finish his rookie season with 9.5 sacks,[13] and is often considered to have had one of the greatest rookie seasons in NFL history.[14] Taylor was named 1981's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press, becoming to date the only rookie to ever win the Defensive Player of the Year award.[15] Taylor's impact was immediate and resulted in the Giants defense going from allowing 425 points in 1980 to 257 in 1981.[14] The Giants finished the season 9-7, up 5 games from the previous season's 4-12 record, and advanced to the NFL divisional playoffs where they lost 38-24 to the eventual Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers.[16] The 49ers win was due in part to a special tactic 49ers coach Bill Walsh used to slow Taylor.[17] Walsh assigned guard John Ayers, the team's best blocker, to block Taylor and although Taylor still recorded a sack and three tackles he was not as effective as normal.[17]
Taylor's second year was cut short by the 1982 NFL strike and the Giants would struggle to a 4-5 finish in the abbreviated season.[18] The season would include one of the more memorable plays of Taylor's career however. In the nationally televised Thanksgiving day game against the Detroit Lions the teams were tied 6-6 early in the fourth quarter, when the Lions drove deep into New York territory.[19] Lions quarterback Gary Danielson dropped back to pass and threw a pass out to his left toward the sidelines.[19][20] Taylor ran in front of the intended receiver and intercepted the ball.[19] In what would be one of the best known plays of Taylor's career, Taylor ran 97 yards down the sideline for the go-ahead score that proved to be the difference as the Giants would go on to win 13-6.[19] After the season Taylor was again awarded the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award.[21]
Shortly after the 1982 season Perkins resigned as head coach to take over the same position at the University of Alabama and Bill Parcells was hired from within to replace him. Parcells had been the team's defensive coordinator and in the coming years this change would prove crucial to the Giants and Taylor. Leading up to the 1983 season Taylor engaged in a training camp holdout that lasted three weeks and ended with Taylor coming back to the team under his old contract with three games remaining in the pre-season.[22]
Although Taylor played well in 1983, recording 9 sacks and making the All-Pro team for the third consecutive season,[13] the Giants struggled. The team finished 3-12-1,[23] and head coach Bill Parcells was nearly fired during the season. Following the season Taylor was involved in a fight for his services between the New Jersey Generals of the USFL and the Giants.[24] Taylor had been given a $1 million dollar interest-free, 25 year loan by the General's owner Donald Trump on December 14, 1983,[24] with the provision that he would begin playing in the USFL in 1988.[24] Taylor quickly regretted the decision and less than a month later attempted to get out of the agreement. The Giants, who were eager to keep Taylor, took part in attempting to free Taylor from it. The results of this tussle included many considerations but the ultimate result was threefold: 1) Taylor had to return the $1 million dollars to Trump, 2) the Giants were required to pay Trump $750,000 dollars over the next five seasons in order for Trump to release Taylor's rights, and 3) Taylor was given a new 6 year $6.2 million dollar contract by the Giants.[24]
The Giants record rebounded in 1984 finishing 9-7,[25] and Taylor had another All-Pro season.[13] Taylor got off to an exceptional start to the season including four sacks in a September game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,[26] and 8 total sacks in the Giants first four games.[26] Due to this start opposing teams double and triple teamed him even more than usual throughout the remainder of the season and Taylor eventually finished with 11.5 sacks.[21] In the playoffs the Giants would defeat the Los Angeles Rams 16-13 but ultimately lose 21-10 to the eventual champion 49ers.[27]
In contrast to the previous season the Giants headed into the 1985 season with a sense of optimism after their successful 1984 campaign and a 5-0 pre-season record in 1985.[28] The Giants finished the season with a 10-6 record and Taylor spearheaded a defense that led the NFL in sacks with 68.[29] Taylor himself had 13 sacks and the Giants defeated the 49ers 17-3 in the playoffs.[29] The Giants would go on to lose to the eventual champion Chicago Bears in the second round 21-0.[29]
[edit] Mid-career and championships: 1986-90
In 1986 Taylor had one of the most successful seasons by a defensive player in the history of the NFL. Taylor recorded a league leading 20.5 sacks and became one of just four defensive players to win the NFL Most Valuable Player award and the only defensive player to ever win the award unanimously.[30][31] In addition, Taylor won his record third Defensive Player of the Year Award. The Giants finished the season 14-2 and dominated their opposition in the NFC playoffs, beating San Francisco and Washington by a combined score of 66-3.[32] Taylor's prominence on the team that year is witnessed by the fact that he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated alone the week leading up to Super Bowl XXI. In Super Bowl XXI, after overcoming a slow start, the Giants cruised past the Broncos 39-20.[32] Taylor made a key stop on a goal line play in the first half, tackling John Elway as he sprinted out on a rollout, a play which prevented a touchdown.
With the Super Bowl win, Taylor had just capped off an impressive start to his career. Six years into his career Taylor had won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award (1981), the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award a record three times (1981, 1982, 1986), been named to the AP All-Pro first team six times (1981-86),[13] become the first defensive player in NFL history to be unanimously voted the league's MVP (1986), and had led his team to a championship (1986).
The Giants appeared to have a bright future coming off their 1986 championship season as they were one of the younger teams in the league. They stumbled mightily the next season however, and fell to a record of 6-9 in the strike shortened 1987 season.[33] Taylor continued to produce at his usual all-pro level after missing the first 4 four games due to the strike and he finished the season as the team leader in sacks with 12 in 12 games played.[21][33]
The Giants had looked to rebound to their championship ways in 1988 but the start of the season was marred by controversy surrounding Taylor. Taylor had tested positive for cocaine and was suspended for thirty days by the league as it was his second violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy.[34] The first result had been kept private and was not known to the public at the time.[34] Taylor was kept away from the press during this period and checked himself into rehab in early September.[34] Taylor's over the edge lifestyle was becoming an increasing concern for fans and team officials. This was especially true given the eventual career paths of talented players like Hollywood Henderson and others whose drug problems derailed their careers. Despite this distraction the Giants would tread water until Taylor was able to play, going 2-2 in the games Taylor missed. When Taylor returned he was his usual dominant self as he led the team in sacks again, recording 15.5 sacks in the 12 games he played in.[35] The season also contained some the more memorable moments of Taylor's career. In a crucial late season game with playoff implications against the New Orleans Saints, Taylor played through a dislocated shoulder and a torn pectoral muscle to record seven tackles, three sacks, and two forced fumbles.[13][36] Taylor's presence in the lineup was especially important as during the game the Giants' offense had trouble mounting many drives and was dominated in time of possession.[37] Several times throughout the game television cameras cut to the sidelines to show Taylor in extreme physical pain as he was being attended to by the Giants staff. Taylor's shoulder was so severely injured that he had to wear a harness to keep it in its place.[13] With Taylor leading the way the Giants held on for a 13-12 win.[37] However, due to the tie-breaker system, the Giants would miss the playoffs in 1988 despite a 10-6 record.[35]
In the 1989 season Taylor recorded 15 sacks and the Giants went 12-4.[38] Despite the off-the-field problems that Taylor experienced, he remained popular among his teammates and was voted defensive co-captain along with Carl Banks in 1989.[39] The two combined to fill the vacated defensive captain's spot left by the retired Harry Carson.[39] The Giants advanced to the playoffs and faced the Rams. In an exciting, down-to-the-wire game, the Rams eliminated the Giants 19-13 as Flipper Anderson caught the game-winning touchdown in overtime.
The 1990 season got off to an inauspicious for Taylor and the Giants as Taylor held out of a training camp,[40] demanding a new contract with a salary of $2 million dollars per season.[40] Talks dragged into September with neither side budging, and as the season approached Taylor racked up fines at the rate of $2,500 dollars a day.[41] Taylor signed a contract just four days before the season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite sitting out training camp and preseason, Taylor started against the Eagles and finished with three sacks and a forced fumble.[42] Taylor would go on to finish the season with 10.5 sacks and earn his 10th Pro Bowl trip in as many years, although the season would mark the first time in Taylor's career that he would not make the first team on the Associated Press All-Pro team.[13] The Giants started out 10-0 and eventually ended up with a 13-3 record. In the playoffs the Giants defeated the Bears 31-3,[43] and went on to face their rival the 49ers in the NFC conference championship game. The Giants won a close game 15-13,[43] as Taylor recovered a key fumble late in the game to set up Matt Bahr's game-winning field goal. In Super Bowl XXV Taylor's Giants faced off against the Buffalo Bills and in one of the more entertaining Super Bowls in history won 20-19,[43] after Scott Norwood missed a potential game winning field goal for Buffalo at the end of the game.
[edit] Final years and decline: 1991-93
Following the 1990 season Parcells, whom Taylor had become very close to,[44] retired and the team was taken over by Ray Handley. 1991 marked a steep decline in Taylor's production. It became the first season in his career that he would not make the Pro Bowl, after setting a then record by making it his first ten years in the league. Taylor finished with 7 sacks in 14 games and the Giants defense, while still respectable, was no longer one of the top units in the league.[21]
Taylor rebounded in the early stages of what many thought would be his final season in the NFL in 1992. Through close to 9 games Taylor was on pace for 10 sacks and the Giants were 5-4.[45] However a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in a November 8 game against Green Bay,[46] would sideline him for the final seven games, during which the team would go 1-6.[47] Before the injury Taylor had missed only 4 games due to injury in his 12 year career, including two the previous year.[46] Throughout the 1992 season, and the ensuing offseason, Taylor was non-comittal about his future alternately saying he might retire, then later hinting he wanted a longer term contract.[48]
Taylor returned for the 1993 season enticed by the chance to play with a new coach (the newly hired Dan Reeves), and determined not end his career due to injury. The Giants enjoyed a resurgent season in 1993 finishing 11-5 and competing for the top seeds in the conference.[49] Taylor performed well, although nowhere near the level of his prime, and the Giants defense led the NFL in fewest points allowed.[50] Taylor finished with 6 sacks,[51] and the Giants lost out on a chance to get a first round bye when they lost an overtime game to the Cowboys late in the season. The Giants played the Vikings in the first round of the playoffs and defeated them 17-10.[51] The next week on January 15, 1993 in what would ultimately be Taylor's final game the Giants faced the 49ers and were beaten convincingly 44-3.[51] As the game drew to a conclusion television cameras drew in close on Taylor who was visibly crying. Taylor announced his retirement at the post-game press conference saying, "I think it's time for me to retire. I've done everything I can do. I've been to Super Bowls. I've been to playoffs. I've done things that other people haven't been able to do in this game before. After 13 years, it's time for me to go."[52]
By the time Taylor retired in 1993, he had amassed 1,088 tackles, 132.5 sacks (not counting the 9.5 sacks he recorded as a rookie because sacks did not become an official statistic until 1982), 9 interceptions, 134 return yards, 2 touchdowns, 33 forced fumbles, 11 fumble recoveries, and 34 fumble return yards.[13]
[edit] Legacy and impact on the NFL
- "Lawrence Taylor, defensively, has had as big an impact as any player I've ever seen. He changed the way defense is played, the way pass-rushing is played, the way linebackers play and the way offenses block linebackers."
Taylor is often considered to be one of the greatest defensive players in the history of football,[53][54] and has been called the greatest defensive player of all time by media members,[2][53][55] former players,[2][12][56] and coaches.[57] He is also widely considered to be one of the most feared players to ever step onto the football field.[2][58] Taylor is credited with having changed the position of outside linebacker from a "read and react" type of position to a more attacking, aggressive position.[13][54][59]
Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs developed the two tight end offense and the position of h-back to prevent Taylor from blitzing into the backfield unhindered.[30][60] As Gibbs stated, "[w]e had to try in some way have a special game plan just for Lawrence Taylor. Now you didn't do that very often in this league but I think he's one person that we learned the lesson the hard way. We lost ball games."[30] His skills at outside linebacker forced other coaches to retool their offensive schemes to manage his impact. In the late 70's and early 80's, a blitzing linebacker was almost always picked up by a running back. However, these players were usually no match for Taylor. The tactic employed by Bill Walsh in the 1982 playoffs, namely of employing an offensive guard to block Taylor, began to be copied around the league. This move, however, left a hole in the offensive protection that a middle linebacker could exploit. Later, Walsh and other coaches began using offensive left tackles to block Taylor. Although Taylor made adjustments to his game to remain dominant, it soon became common in the NFL for offensive linemen to pick up blitzing linebackers, such as Taylor. In addition to the changes in offensive schemes Taylor influenced, he also introduced new defensive techniques to the game such as chopping the ball out of the quarterback's hands rather than tackling him.[54]
[edit] Drugs, extreme measures and injuries
Taylor often played with pain, taking the field and performing despite injuries, such as a torn shoulder muscle, a torn hamstring muscle, and a broken bone in the foot.[40] One of Taylor's more memorable plays was a sack on Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann during a 1985 Monday Night Football game that inadvertently resulted in a compound fracture of Theismann's right leg. Immediately after the sack, a distraught Lawrence Taylor frantically screamed for paramedics to attend to Theismann. Theismann never played again, and to his credit, he has never blamed Taylor for the injury. Taylor claims he has never seen the video clip of the play and says he never wants to.[61]
In contrast to his success on the football field, Taylor's personal life has been marred by drug usage and controversy.[58] When Taylor was once asked what he could do that no outside linebacker could, his answer was, "Drink".[2] However alcohol abuse was not the largest of his substance abuse problems. After admitting to and testing positive for cocaine abuse in 1987, he was suspended from football for 30 days in 1988 after failing a second drug test. After his second positive test he gave up drugs for five years as a third positive test would have ended his career.[58] However as he approached retirement he looked forward to picking up the habit again, saying in his autobiography "I saw coke as the only bright spot in my future."[58] After his retirement he began abusing drugs on a regular basis. He went through drug rehab twice in 1995, only to later be arrested twice over a three year span for attempting to buy cocaine (from undercover officers).[57] During this period Taylor lived almost exclusively in his home with white sheets covering his windows and only associated himself with other drug users. Taylor later stated, “I had gotten really bad. I mean my place was almost like a crack house."[58] In his autobiography Taylor also admitted that he had begun using drugs as early as his second year in the NFL.[2]
In a November 2003 interview with Mike Wallace on the TV newsmagazine 60 Minutes, Taylor claimed he hired and sent prostitutes to opponents' hotel rooms the night before a game in an attempt to tire them out,[58] and that at his peak, he spent thousands of dollars a day on narcotics.[58] During the interview he also recounted several other instances of his hard-partying lifestyle during his years in the NFL, including an episode when he arrived to a team meeting in handcuffs after a night spent with some call girls. Taylor stated, "A couple of ladies that were trying out some new equipment they had. You know? And I just happened to, and they just didn't happen to have the key.”[58] He also recounted that to beat NFL drug tests he would submit the urine of his teammates.[58]
[edit] After the NFL, and the recovery
In the first few years after his career ended Taylor worked in several regular television jobs. Taylor initially worked as a football analyst for the now defunct TNT Sunday Night Football.[36] For a brief time after that Taylor appeared as a personality in the WWF, engaging in matches with Bam Bam Bigelow among others.[36] Taylor also worked as a color commentator on an amateur fighting program entitled Toughman on the FX channel.[62] In 1995, Giants teammate Phil Simms celebrated the retirement of his jersey by throwing a ceremonial pass to Taylor.
Taylor has recently been pursuing a career in acting, appearing in the Oliver Stone movie, Any Given Sunday where he played a character very much like himself. He also appeared as himself in both the HBO series The Sopranos and the film The Waterboy. He added his voice to the controversial video game, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, playing the steroid-riddled, possibly insane former football player B.J. Smith, a character that pokes fun at his fearsome, drug-fueled public image. He also added his voice to the video game Blitz: The League, which was partially based on his life in the NFL.[63]
In 1999, when Taylor became eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, there were some concerns that his hard-partying lifestyle and drug abuse would hurt his candidacy.[56] These concerns proved to be ill-founded however, as he was voted in on the first ballot. His son Lawrence Taylor Jr. gave his introduction speech at the induction ceremony.[64] Taylor's wife, his three children, and his parents were in attendance and during his induction speech Taylor acknowledged them saying, "Thank you for putting up with me for all those years."[64] He also credited former Giants owner Wellington Mara for being supportive of him saying, "He probably cared more about me as a person than he really should have."[64]
In recent years Taylor has cleaned up his life and lived a healthy, clean lifestyle since 1998.[65] Taylor's soul-wrenching admission with Mike Wallace in 2003 reignited his popularity with the public. Taylor often speaks of his playing career, which he played with reckless abandon, and the drug abusing stages of his life as the "L.T." periods of his life.[65] Taylor described "L.T." as an adrenaline junkie who lived life on a thrill ride.[65] Taylor commented in 2003 that "L. T. died a long time ago, and I don't miss him at all...all that's left is Lawrence Taylor."[65] In July 2006 Taylor again re-emerged into the public eye, appearing on the cover of a Sports Illustrated issue dedicated to former athletes and sport figures. In the magazine Taylor credited his hobby of golf with helping him get over his previous hard-partying ways and drug filled lifestyle.
[edit] Career statistics
| SEASON | TEAM | GP | Sacks | Int | Yds | TD | FR | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | New York | 16 | 9.5* | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 1982 | New York | 9 | 7.5 | 1 | 97t | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983 | New York | 16 | 9 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 1984 | New York | 16 | 11.5 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985 | New York | 16 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 25 | 0 |
| 1986 | New York | 16 | 20.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | New York | 16 | 12 | 3 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | New York | 12 | 15.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989 | New York | 16 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990 | New York | 16 | 10.5 | 1 | 11t | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1991 | New York | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1992 | New York | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1993 | New York | 16 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 184 | 132.5** | 9 | 134 | 2 | 11 | 34 | 0 |
* Unofficial statistic (sacks did not become an official statistic until 1982), however this number is stated on Taylor's Pro Football Hall of Fame bio,[13] and is considered to be accurate.
** This does not include the 9.5 Taylor unofficially recorded as a rookie, if that number were included he would have 142.
Key to Abbreviations
GP= Games Played
Int= Interception
Yds= Yards
t= Play resulted in a touchdown
TD= Touchdowns
FR= Fumbles Recovered
[edit] Notes
- ^ North Carolina Football All-Time Letterman, cstv.com, accessed February 26, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Whitley, David. L.T. was reckless and magnificent, espn.com, accessed January 29, 2007.
- ^ Knight Ridder Newspapers. Peppers is drawing comparisons to Taylor., accessmylibrary.com, April 16, 2002, accessed February 17, 2007.
- ^ Q & A with North Carlina DE Julius Peppers, profootballweekly.com, accessed February 17, 2007.
- ^ a b c Sansevere, Bob. Giants' L.T.: His mean streaks revolutionized NFL, made him the best., Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, January 8, 1994, accessed February 17, 2007.
- ^ a b Associated Press. Giants' Walkout Is Hinted If Taylor Signs at His Price (AP report), The New York Times, April 26, 1981 February 17, 2007.
- ^ a b Anderson, Dave. By Sports of The Times; N.F.L.'s Dangerous Trend, The New York Times, April 19, 1981, accessed February 17, 2007.
- ^ a b c Litsky, Frank. Giants pick Taylor; Jets pick runners, The New York Times, April 29, 1981, accessed February 17, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f Anderson, Dave. Yellow Flag For a No. 1, The New York Times, September 7, 1981, accessed February 17, 2007.
- ^ a b Litsky, Frank. Linebacker's debut is eagerly anticipated, The New York Times, August 7, 1981 February 17, 2007.
- ^ Frank Litsky, Giants sets (sic) back Bears, 23-7, The New York Times, Auagust 9, 1981, accessed February 17, 2007.
- ^ a b The Michael Jordan of Football, sportsillustrated.cnn.com, accessed February 17, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Lawrence Taylor bio, profootballhof.com, accessed February 2, 2007.
- ^ a b LT best NFL rookie of all time, espn.com, accessed February 3, 2007.
- ^ As of 2007 Taylor is the only player to win the award as a rookie, see NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
- ^ 1981 New York Giants, databasefootball.com, accessed February 17, 2007.
- ^ a b Johnson, Roy S. 49ers Coach's tactic helps nullify Taylor, The New York Times, January 4, 1982, accessed February 17, 2007
- ^ 1982 New York Giants, databasefootball.com, accessed February 17, 2007.
- ^ a b c d Litsky, Frank. Giants win first on interception, The New York Times, November 26, 1982, accessed February 17, 2007.
- ^ Last word on Young's comments, NFL.com, accessed February 17, 2007
- ^ a b c d e Lawrence Taylor, databasefootball.com, accessed February 20, 2007.
- ^ Janofsky, Michael. Taylor ends holdout, The New York Times, August 13, 1983, accessed February 17, 2007.
- ^ 1983 New York Giants, databasefootball.com, accessed February 20, 2007.
- ^ a b c d Eskenazi, Gerald. Taylor buys out Generals' pact, The New York Times, January 18, 1984, accessed February 17, 2007.
- ^ 1984 New York Giants, databasefootball.com, accessed February 20, 2007.
- ^ a b Anderson, Dave. Put an S on his chest, The New York Times, September 24, 1984, accessed February 17, 2007.
- ^ 1984 New York Giants, databasefootball.com, accessed February 18, 2007.
- ^ Litsky, Frank. Giants end Summer 5-0 Mowatt injured, The New York Times, August 31, 2005, accessed February 21, 2007.
- ^ a b c 1985 New York Giants, databasefootball.com, accessed February 18, 2007.
- ^ a b c Taylor made: 'L.T.' has a date with Canton, destiny, sportsillustrated.cnn.com, accessed January 29, 2007. Note: Taylor is still the only defensive player to win the award unanimously, as he is the last defensive player to win it. See NFL MVP.
- ^ Lawrence Taylor, infoplease.com, accessed March 23]], 2007.
- ^ a b 1986 New York Giants, databasefootball.com, accessed February 22, 2007.
- ^ a b 1987 New York Giants, databasefootball.com, accessed February 18, 2007.
- ^ a b c Harvin, Al. N.F.L.; Taylor Entering Rehabilitation , The New York Times, September 3, 1988, accessed February 18, 2007.
- ^ a b 1988 New York Giants, databasefootball.com, accessed February 18, 2007.
- ^ a b c Schwartz, Larry.Taylor redefined the the outside linebacker position, espn.com, November 19, 2003, accessed February 21, 2007.
- ^ a b Box score No vs. NYG 11/27/1988, databasefootball.com, accessed February 21, 2007.
- ^ 1989 New York Giants, databasefootball.com, accessed February 18, 2007.
- ^ a b The New York Times, Sports of The Times; L.T., as in 'Leadership Thing', September 18, 1989, accessed February 18, 2007.
- ^ a b c Anderson, Dave. Sports Of The Times; Why L. T. Deserves $2 Million, The New York Times, July 22, 1990, accessed February 18, 2007.
- ^ Litsky, Frank. Giants and Marshall Settle But Talks on Taylor Stall, The New York Times, September 1, 1990, accessed February 18, 2007.
- ^ Litsky, Frank. FOTTBALL; (sic) Marshall Struggles to Regain Job, The New York Times, September 15, 1990, accessed February 18, 2007.
- ^ a b c 1990 New York Giants, databasefootball.com, accessed February 18, 2007.
- ^ Rosenberg, Sid. Lawrence Taylor interview, fhmonline.com, accessed February 23, 2007.
- ^ 1992 New York Giants, databasefootball.com, accessed February 20, 2007.
- ^ a b Anderson, Dave. Sports of the Times; Life Without L.T. Begins, and Giants Find It a Struggle, The New York Times, November 16, 1992, accessed February 18, 2007.
- ^ 1992 New York Giants, databasefootball.com, accessed February 18, 2007.
- ^ Eskenazi, Gerald. PRO FOOTBALL; Giants Want Taylor for a Year; He Wants More, The New York Times, March 31, 1993 February 18, 2007.
- ^ 1993 New York Giants, databasefootball.com, accessed February 18, 2007.
- ^ 1993 NFL Standings, Stats and Awards, databasefootball.com, accessed March 15, 2007.
- ^ a b c 1993 New York Giants, databasefootball.com, accessed February 29, 2007.
- ^ Anderson, Dave. Sports of The Times; L.T. Decides 'It's Time For Me to Go', The New York Times, January 16, 1993, accessed February 18, 2007.
- ^ a b Ron Smith, Carl Moritz, The Sporting News Selects Football's 100 Greatest Players: A Celebration of the 20th Century's Best, 1999. Note: The Sporting News has Taylor ranked fourth behind only offensive players Jim Brown, Jerry Rice, and Joe Montana. See here for a link to the full list which is at the top of the page (click the "The complete list").
- ^ a b c Lawrence Taylor, encarta.msn.com, accessed January 29, 2007. For information on how to use this source see this article's talk page.
- ^ Mike Celizic, No way Rice is greatest player ever: 42-year-old might be best WR ever, but Brown, LT are best players, msnbc.com, September 6, 2005, accessed February 24, 2007.
- ^ a b sportsillustrated.cnn.com, Does LT's conduct make him Hall of Fame worthy?, accessed January 29, 2007.
- ^ a b TSN Top 100 football players of all time #4, sportingnews.com, accessed January 29, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i L.T. Over The Edge: Former Hall Of Famer Reveals Shocking Stories From His Playing Days, cbsnews.com, accessed January 29, 2007.
- ^ ENDOFCENTURY ESPN.com's Ten important innovations, ESPN.com, accessed March 18, 2007.
- ^ The Polian Corner, colts.com, September 20, 2006, accessed March 18, 2007.
- ^ Face 2 Face with Roy Firestone, hd.net, accessed February 24, 2007.
- ^ Taylor Does "Toughman", zap2it.com, accessed February 23, 2007.
- ^ Thomas, Vincent. New video games hype bawdy off-field antics, St. Petersburg Times, January 1, 2006, accessed February 24, 2007.
- ^ a b c Five for the ages: Pro Football Hall of Fame inducts five more members, sportsillustrated.cnn.com, accessed February 17, 2007.
- ^ a b c d Anderson, Dave. PRO FOOTBALL; Losing Himself to Find Himself, The New York Times, November 28, 2003, accessed February 24, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Lawrence Taylor at the Internet Movie Database
- Career statistics at databasefootball.com
- Pro Football Hall of Fame bio
| Preceded by Marcus Allen |
NFL Most Valuable Player 1986 season |
Succeeded by John Elway |
| National Football League | NFL's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team |
|---|
|
Sammy Baugh | Otto Graham | Joe Montana | Johnny Unitas | Jim Brown | Marion Motley | Bronko Nagurski | Walter Payton | Gale Sayers | O.J. Simpson | Steve Van Buren | Lance Alworth | Raymond Berry | Don Hutson | Jerry Rice | Mike Ditka | Kellen Winslow | Roosevelt Brown | Forrest Gregg | Anthony Muñoz | John Hannah | Jim Parker | Gene Upshaw | Mel Hein | Mike Webster | Deacon Jones | Gino Marchetti | Reggie White | Joe Greene | Bob Lilly | Merlin Olsen | Dick Butkus | Jack Ham | Ted Hendricks | Jack Lambert | Willie Lanier | Ray Nitschke | Lawrence Taylor | Mel Blount | Mike Haynes | Dick Lane | Rod Woodson | Ken Houston | Ronnie Lott | Larry Wilson | Ray Guy | Jan Stenerud | Billy Johnson |
| National Football League | NFL's 1980s All-Decade Team |
|---|
|
Joe Montana | Dan Fouts | Walter Payton | Eric Dickerson | Roger Craig | John Riggins | Jerry Rice | Steve Largent | James Lofton | Art Monk | Kellen Winslow | Ozzie Newsome | Anthony Muñoz | Jim Covert | Gary Zimmerman | Joe Jacoby | John Hannah | Russ Grimm | Bill Fralic | Mike Munchak | Dwight Stephenson | Mike Webster | Reggie White | Howie Long | Lee Roy Selmon | Bruce Smith | Randy White | |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Lawrence Taylor |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | none |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Hall of Fame American football player. |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 04, 1959 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Williamsburg, Virginia |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
Categories: 1959 births | African American professional wrestlers | African-American actors | American film actors | American football linebackers | American football outside linebackers | AP NFL MVP Award winners | Grand Theft Auto cast members | Lingerie Football League coaches | Living people | National Conference Pro Bowl players | National Football League announcers | New York Giants players | NFL 1980s All-Decade Team | NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team | NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award winners | North Carolina Tar Heels football players | People from Williamsburg, Virginia | Pro Football Hall of Fame | Sports Hall of Fame of New Jersey
