LT

"As easy as football is to me...

is as hard as life is to me."

                              -Lawrence Taylor

Showtime hit the mark with their program LT: The Life and Times. I would have preferred more of his football tales but his activities in retirement have kept him in the news for all of the wrong reasons. Fortunately for him and his family, it seems that Lawrence Taylor may have finally found the right path. 

It's hard to believe that it's been twenty years since Taylor last played in a football game. Showtime did a nice job of bringing back those memories of Taylor. They did so through football action and the words of teammates and opponents. Ron Jaworski and Joe Theisman experienced Taylor's tremendous football skills perhaps more than any other. Certainly, Theisman has some tales. As the quarterbacks of the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins, Jaworski and Theisman had to face the dominating linebacker twice every season. Their words truly found their mark. As true were the words of Taylor's teammates. Beasley Reece, Harry Carson, Carl Banks, and Steve DeOssie all spoke of Taylor's incredible football talents. Taylor, Carson, and Banks were 3/4 of one of the greatest linebacker groups in NFL history. Gary Reasons and later Pepper Johnson were pretty good as the fourth. It was also interesting to hear Giants head coach Bill Parcells and defensive coordinator Bill Belichick speak of Lawrence Taylor. Usually, quarterbacks are the players that coaches speak of that bring about championships. In the case of the Giants, it was Taylor that turned the team into champions. Belichick named Taylor the greatest football player that he'd ever coached. 

In my football time, I've never seen a football player impact the game quite like Lawrence Taylor. He changed defenses. He changed what linebackers can do within a defense. It was incredible to see. 

It's remarkable to be reminded of the accolades that found their way to Taylor's mantle.

3x Defensive Player of the Year (1981, 1982, 1986)

   -the first time was his rookie season

AP MVP (1986)

10x All Pro

10x Pro Bowl

NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team

1980's All-Decade Team

Hall of Fame

When NFL Network counted down the Top 100 Players in league history, Lawrence Taylor was third behind Jim Brown and Jerry Rice. Any list is likely topped by those three in any number of orders of finish. 

I thank Showtime for bringing back all my memories of the fantastic football played by Lawrence Taylor.