Earlier this week ESPN began to name their choices for the best players in NFL history at each defensive position. They had previously announced the best ever at every offensive position.
As the voters reached the edge rushing position, it was clear that Lawrence Taylor was a favorite. He received 40 of the 50 votes (80%), with voters also considering Reggie White. Taylor played for the New York Giants from 1981-1993 and in that time played in 184 games, recorded 142 sacks with nine interceptions and was a Pro Bowl selection ten times.
Rookie of the Year
Taylor came into the league scorching hot. After being selected second overall in 1981, he tallied 133 tackles, 9.5 sacks, eight pass knockdowns, two forced fumbles and an interception. This led him to winning Defensive Player of the Year and led the Giants to a playoff appearance.
Changing the Game
During his career, Taylor absolutely changed the definition of a pass-rusher. In a five year span between 1985-89 Taylor had at least 12.0 sacks. That is the longest streak by any player. His best season came in 1986, when he led the league in sacks with 20.5, won the MVP and took home his third Defensive Player of the Year Award.
As the NFL began to move more towards passing in the mid to late 70s, Taylor’s entrance to the league had an impact on both sides of the ball. Bigger, faster and stronger linebackers began to enter the league as edge-rushers and the usual method of blocking wasn’t working. Then came along the blind-side offensive tackle, which is usually the left tackle for right-handed quarterbacks.
The left-tackle has become one of the most important positions in football as the Quarterback directly impacts your viability as a Super Bowl contender. Teams now want three things, a Quarterback, someone to hit the quarterback and someone to protect the quarterback. Lawrence Taylor directly impacted two of those three things.
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