TAYLOR, LAWRENCE

born Feb. 4, 1959, Williamsburg, Va., U.S. Taylor, 1994 in full Lawrence Julius Taylor African-American collegiate and professional football player, considered one of the best linebackers in the history of the game. As a member of the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL), he won two Super Bowl championships (1987, 1991). Taylor, who did not play organized football until the 11th grade, attended the University of North Carolina, where he initially played defensive lineman before being moved to outside linebacker. With a rare combination of size and speed, Taylor, at 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) and 240 pounds (109 kg), excelled as a linebacker, being named All-American in 1980. Taylor entered the NFL draft in 1981 and was the second overall pick, selected by the New York Giants. By the end of his first professional season, he had 11.5 quarterback sacks and a reputation for making hard, vicious hits. He was named Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, an honour that he received again the following season. In 1986 he led the league with 20.5 sacks, guided the Giants to victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI, and was named Most Valuable Player of the NFLthe second defensive player in league history to receive the honour. Taylor and the Giants won a second championship in 1991, defeating the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV. During his 13-year career, he was named All-Pro six times (198187) and made 10 Pro Bowl appearances (198190). He also set an NFL record for career sacks, with 150.5. He retired from professional football in 1994.