Lawrence Taylor Hopes To Block Charges
Just when it was looking like Lawrence Taylor was getting his act together
, serious charges were leveled against him Friday in New York.
Taylor, who was arguably the fiercest and best defensive player in the National Football League, was charged with raping a 16-year-old girl in an upstate New York motel. The underage girl was allegedly working as a prostitute.
I'm an optimistic, innocent-until-proven-guilty kind of guy, so that's where I'm going to leave this for now. However, I was shocked and dismayed when I saw the breaking news on CNN while flipping through my satellite TV. In my opinion Lawrence Taylor, who played linebacker for the New York Giants, was the best defensive player in the history of the game. In addition to being the league MVP in 1986, Taylor played in the Pro Bowl 10 out of 13 NFL seasons.
So dominant and intimidating was Taylor, he literally transformed offensive configurations just by being on the field, or changing positions before an offense could snap the ball. In his 13 seasons Taylor had 142 sacks, 9 interceptions for 2 touchdowns, and 11 fumble recoveries for an additional TD. He also ended the career of Washington Redskins quarterback, Joe Theismann.
On a Monday Night Football game against the Redskins in 1986, Taylor's sack of Theismann inadvertently resulted in a compound fracture of Theismann's right leg. By far the most brutal injury in the NFL, and I've seen some very bad injuries. However, I'll never forget how Taylor immediately screamed and motioned for paramedics to attend to Theismann. I'd never known Taylor to be a dirty player, and that was a class act. This sack by Taylor ended Theismann's career, who has never blamed Taylor for the injury.
Off the field, after his NFL career, Taylor's life fell apart as he made choices that involved abusing drugs and alcohol. Taylor, age 51, has been arrested at least three times on drug charges, and has been in drug rehab twice. He equated his home to a crack house, admitting to spending thousands of dollars per day on illegal narcotics.
But Taylor pulled his life together and started making some healthy appearances on television, in celebrity golf matches, and on the hit ABC television series, Dancing with the Stars.. He was eventually eliminated from the show, but not until the 7th week. Dude had some steps, I'll give him that.
I always loved watching Lawrence Taylor play, and have felt some personal disappointment and pain with how his life progressed after football. That's the things with heroes. Usually they're just people like you and me, capable of perfection and disaster all at the same time.
I sincerely hope that Taylor is not guilty of these charges, and that he's not involved in some of the more sordid details of these allegations. I don't want all these good feelings about him, the ones I've been building up these past few years, to all come into question. Say it ain't so, Lawrence, say it ain't so.
by: Dave Fairbanks
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