Prince William
Famous Astronauts
Nelson Mandela
Kanye West
My Ghost Story
I Survived
Liberace
Leonardo DiCaprio
Annie Oakley
I Survived
1 photo
Quick Facts
- NAME: Lawrence Taylor
- OCCUPATION: Football Player
- BIRTH DATE: February 04, 1959 (Age: 54)
- EDUCATION: University of North Carolina, Lafayette High School
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Williamsburg, Virginia
- Full Name: Lawrence Julius Taylor
- AKA: Lawrence Taylor
- Nickname: "Godzilla"
- ZODIAC SIGN: Aquarius
Best Known For
American football player Lawrence Taylor was a member of the New York Giants and is considered one of the best linebackers in the history of the game.
Quiz
Think you know about Biography?
Answer questions and see how you rank against other players.
Play NowLawrence Taylor. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 08:36, Jun 20, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/lawrence-taylor-38904.
Lawrence Taylor. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/lawrence-taylor-38904 [Accessed 20 Jun 2013].
"Lawrence Taylor." 2013. The Biography Channel website. Jun 20 2013, 08:36 http://www.biography.com/people/lawrence-taylor-38904.
"Lawrence Taylor," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/lawrence-taylor-38904 [accessed Jun 20, 2013].
"Lawrence Taylor," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/lawrence-taylor-38904 (accessed Jun 20, 2013).
Lawrence Taylor [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 Jun 20] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/lawrence-taylor-38904.
Lawrence Taylor, http://www.biography.com/people/lawrence-taylor-38904 (last visited Jun 20, 2013).
Lawrence Taylor. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/lawrence-taylor-38904. Accessed Jun 20, 2013.
Synopsis
Lawrence Taylor was born on February 4, 1959 in Williamsburg, Virginia. He entered the NFL draft in 1981 and was the second overall pick, selected by the New York Giants. During his 13-year career, he was named an All-Pro six times (1981–1987) and made 10 Pro Bowl appearances (1981–1990 seasons). He was inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
Contents
Quotes
"I used to always say when I went on the football field, 'You know I'm the best player out here on this field.' Is that being cocky? Maybe it is."
Early Career
Lawrence Taylor, a ground-breaking NFL linebacker known for his size and speed, was born Lawrence Julius Taylor on February 4, 1955, in Williamsburg, Virginia. A late bloomer, he didn't start playing football until his junior year at Lafayette High School.
As a result, he was not highly recruited and eventually landed at the University of North Carolina. There, Taylor, who earned the nickname "Godzilla," quickly began to terrorize opposing quarterbacks. His speed, size (6'4'', 240 pounds), and fury made him an almost unstoppable weapon and in the 1981 draft, the New York Giants selected Taylor with the No. 2 overall pick.
As a pro, Taylor quickly redefined the outside linebacker position, collecting nine sacks his rookie year, the first his of 10 straight Pro Bowl seasons. That same year, Taylor became the first rookie to win the league's "Defensive Player of the Year" title. He won the honor two more times, in 1982 and 1986.
The 1986 season stands out as Taylor's finest. That year he finished with 20.5 sacks and 105 tackles, making him the first defensive player in 15 years to be named the NFL's MVP. In 1995, Taylor was named to the NFL's Anniversary All-Time Team.
Taylor's toughness became the stuff of legend. During one regular season game, the Giants' medical staff had to hide Taylor's helmet in order to prevent the recently concussed linebacker from reentering the contest. In another game, Taylor played through torn shoulder ligaments and a detached pectoral muscle to lead the team to victory.
In addition to his 10 Pro Bowl appearances, Taylor's 13-year career saw him earn six All-Pro nods and two Super Bowl titles (1987 and 1991). He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
Troubled Life
Taylor matched his on-the-field exploits with off-the-field problems. Cocaine and crack use led to a failed NFL drug test and, subsequently, a 30-day suspension from football.
Trouble continued to plague Taylor following his retirement after the 1993 season. In 1996, South Carolina police arrested the retired star for buying crack.
Despite getting off of drugs, Taylor continued to make headlines. In November 2009, Florida police charged Taylor with leaving the scene of an accident. The following year, the retired linebacker was arrested in New York, and charged with third-degree rape and soliciting prostitution in a case involving a 16-year-old girl.
In January 2011, Taylor pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors that required him to register as a sex offender.
Taylor, who is the father of four children, resides in Florida.
© 2013 A+E Networks. All rights reserved.
profile name: Lawrence Taylor profile occupation:
Your Connections
Sign in with Facebook to see how you and your friends are connected to famous icons.
Profile Connections
Included In These Groups
-
Famous University of North Carolina Alumni 15 people in this group
-
Famous People Involved in Sex Scandals
View groupWhat is it with celebrities and sex scandals? Like love and marriage, famous people and sex scandals just seem to go hand in hand. They're some of society's most powerful people, but these actors, politicians, athletes and musicians just can't seem to control their desires. These days it seems like if you open the closet of nearly any celebrity, some kind of (sexy) skeleton is sure to fall out. Here are the famous people who have had their naughty indiscretions—often plastered all over the front page of the newspaper.
Famous People Involved in Sex Scandals 105 people in this group
-
Athletes Involved in Drug Scandals
View groupFor some athletes, the risk of losing—or even being less than the best—is worse than the many consequences of doping in professional sports, and for decades, performance-enhancing drug controversies have made headlines around the world. Other athletes have garnered media attention, criminal charges and sporting suspensions for their recreational drug use. Biography.com examines some of the world's greatest athletes to ever fall from fame, whose names have been tarnished by drugs scandals, including Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, Marion Jones, Andre Agassi, Floyd Landis and Lance Armstrong.
Athletes Involved in Drug Scandals 22 people in this group
