Lawrence Taylor
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LawrenceTaylor.jpg
Lawrence Taylor in uniform
Taylor played college football for the University of North Carolina. In 1981, Taylor was drafted by the Giants. He was named 1981's The NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press. He produced double-digit sacks seasons consecutively from the 1986 through 1990.
Taylor won the 1986 NFL Most Valuable Player award...one of just two defensive players in history to receive that honor (former Minnesota Viking Alan Page is the other).
He helped lead the Giants to Super Bowl XXI and XXV victories. Taylor retired in 1993 with a career total of 132 1/2 sacks. In 1999, he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Hame.
He is perhaps best known for breaking Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann's leg during a 1985 Monday Night Football game, an injury that ended Theismann's career.
Taylor wrestled a match for the World Wrestling Federation against Bam Bam Bigelow. The match took place at Wrestlemania XI on April 2, 1995 in Hartford, Connecticut. Bigelow had shoved Taylor when he was at ringside for a prior event and the match was signed. Taylor ended up winning the match.
Despite his success on the football field, his personal life has been marred by drug usage. In a November 2003 interview with the TV news magazine 60 Minutes, Taylor claimed that he hired prostitutes to opponents' hotel rooms the night before a game and that he spent thousands of dollars a day on narcotics.
As of 2004, Taylor has been trying to start a career in acting. He appeared in the Oliver Stone movie, Any Given Sunday. Taylor also aided his voice to the controversial video game, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. He also was a head coach in the 2004 Lingerie Bowl.
Reference
- CBS News' L.T. Over The Edge (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/11/26/60minutes/main585718.shtml)de:Lawrence Taylor