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In one game Taylor disregard the coaches play call and blitzed on his own but made 2 sacks doing so . He came off the field and the coach asked him what he was doing ? Saying we don't even have those plays.. Taylor responded "well it's a doozy we should add them" . The coach couldn't do anything but laugh.
It's hard to argue against the fact that he's the Greatest defensive player in NFL history. As menacing, dominating and game changing he was, the strange thing to me is that he's a soft spoken nice guy. To the Giants fans out there, you guys were insanely lucky to have this man suiting up.
You could seriously argue he's even just the greatest NFL player of all time too. There's never been a defensive player that's had that much impact. He's at the very least up there with Jerry Rice and Tom Brady.
@@eggoslayer1001 Just given the import of the QB position, I'd have to give it to Brady, but I'd put LT over Rice. The difference between Rice and the 2nd best WR of all time isn't that great, but OLB after LT isn't even close, and he singlehandedly changed not just games, but how the game is played. If it were my fantasy team all-time, I'd pick Brady, LT and then Sweetness (with respect to Jim Brown).
I was playing with my Legos while watching that game live with my parents. The image of that leg snapping like a pretzel stick is forever seared in my memory
The 1 armed sack against the Lions in the Thanksgiving game at 3:27 is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. He whips him around by his jersey and just discards him with contempt. That strip sack that is used by everyone now was basically invented by him. Most of his hits are still legal. You just can't make contact directly to the head now. So some of his bullrushes where he hits the lineman in the head are illegal, but for the most part, most of these hits are still legal
I met LT at an autograph signing before a game at MetLife in which prior Giants greats would be recognized. After he signed my cap, i reached out to shake his hand. This was at least 15 years beyond his playing days. He shook my hand and his crushing grip felt like it could've broken my bones. My hand hurt for over a week.
They say Lawrence Taylor changed the game, and that is no exaggeration. A few years ago a writer named Michael Lewis wrote a book called The Blind Side that part of which is how Taylor changed the game. Joe Gibbs, the head coach of division rival Washington Redskins changed his entire offensive scheme to account for Taylor. The man was unreal.
There was a play where the QB was so confused looking for LT and they called a timeout because they couldn’t find him, turns out he was on the sideline lol😂
It was a privilege to have seen him play in person.. He had his issues, but one thing I remember from when he was playing.. in the locker room after the game if someone tried to interview him, he would avoid talking about what he did on the field and talk about his teammates. His persona was a bit different if someone interviewed him during the week, or in the offseason... but right after the game was over he was praising his teammates before himself.
He knew he had a gift, but he also always knew he couldn't do it without help and he always appreciated those around him for being so good they gave him the freedom to play the way he did.
The commentators showed the GREAT John Madden!!! He was an amazing coach and commentator! I was happy to hear him in this video! Wow! Lawrence Taylor was a beast!! 😮
In case no one mentions it, LT was in a football movie called "Any Given Sunday" with Al Pacino, Dennis Quaid and Jamie Foxx. He basically played himself. A super-hard hitting guy who was so physically messed up from playing that the doctors would say "you can't play." and he would anyways.
One of my fav LT stories is he partied at the strip til morning. He's listening to the radio on his ride home and realizes he forgot there's a game that day. By the time he gets to the stadium, the game is deep into the 1st quarter. Hands his car keys to security to park his car and runs into the locker room to get dressed. Ends up having at least 5 sacks that game 😂😂
LT took winning very seriously and capitalized on home field advantage as much as he could. Every time a young hot shot offensive stud world beater fresh out of college made his first trip to the big city LT Would call his friends near the team they played for and ask them what kind of woman he is frequently seen with. Then LT would call a high class Wallstreet outcall prostitution agency to find an prostitute who matched the super star to be's interests. He would interview her in person to explain she was to pick him up by stalking the hotel his team stays at when they are in the city and she was to not let him know she was on the clock. The youngster was to have the time of his life in the big city with the woman of his dreams and he was to make it to Giant's Stadium by 11 AM on sunday morning quite alive but in no shape to play a game of full contact NFL football. He would then hand her 8-10k in cash and a zip lock baggie full of cocaine and wish her good hunting.
The Bills lost 4 Super Bowls in a row 90-93 all of them to the NFC east and it is kind of a shame because that Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas spread formation, no huddle offense was terrifying. That team was amazing, despite not winning any Lombardi's. The Giants out coached, and out stubborned them, the rest of the Super Bowls were one sided against Buffalo and I think the main buffalo weakness was head coach Marv Levy. At no other point in NFL history has there been as competitive a division as the NFC East from the mid 80's thru the 90's. The Eagles were the odd team out by not winning any super bowls in that period of NFC East dominance but they were qualifying for the play offs and winning 10 to 14 games a year.
It’s not pleasant, but the LT play when Joe Theismann gets injured is a huge part of NFL history. I’m sure there are videos about that story. Worth a watch.
Side note, if you want to follow up on some of his extra-curricular activities at one point Lawrence Taylor actually did professional wrestling. He was in a match against Bam Bam Bigelow at Wrestlemania XI which might be worth you checking out at some point if you want.
LT was the sole reason i became a Giants fan. That was when i figured out i was more of a defensive fan of the game than offense. The Gmen have always prided themselves on their mean, smashmouth defenses as well. It has fallen off in the past 10 years but is back this coming season. There's a new kid (LB/ Edge) named Kavon Thibadeaux on the block and will be a monster. Last season during a snowy game, he hit a QB from behind and injured him. Kayvon starting making a snow angel right next to him in celebration of the sack. Nastyyyy.
LT was a machine. The reason you saw QBs fold so quickly was because of the fear he created on the field. Check "That Time Lawrence Taylor Single-Handedly Beat the Lions | NFL Vault Stories".
6:10 That's the crazy thing, you look at a lot of some old "hard hitters" or great defensive players and a lot of their intense play would've drawn fouls in today's game. Lawrence Taylor on the other hand, virtually all of his tackles were clean, no helmet contact or unnecessary roughness. Just pure efficiency.
his pursuit was insane... there were times he ran down running backs and receivers that were unreal (aside from the sacks). Also slapping the ball out of the QB's hands was something that LT made a staple of pass rushers since... he literally changed the game
You guys need to check out Derrick Thomas highlights, he was the closest thing to L.T. that you'll find. If im not mistaken he still owns the sack record for all of college football. He was a terror in the NFL too. As good as Taylor is D.T. might have been better if his career hadn't been cut short because of his death RIP DERRICK THOMAS
As you know from watching a lot of English Football, some players are so dominant and ahead of their time that they truly could have played in any era and been a standout player, and LT was one of them. Linebackers before him were generally used more to stop the offense's run game and get in the way of pretty short passes that are maybe 5 yards or so past the line of scrimmage. Mainly because they weren't usually the fastest guys. LT was one of the first examples of the linebacker position evolving to what is expected of modern Linebackers where they want you to be decent sized yes, but you need to have *speed* and you need to be able to blitz and rush the quarterback, you need to be able to cover pretty effectively on pass plays that require you to go even deeper than 5 yards etc. He was a great example of what a 2020's all-pro linebacker looked like, playing 35-40 years ago. He would be a forcd in the NFL today if he was born a few decades later. Just one of those "all time" talent guys. Personal life aside.
Another great video guys. LT is the greatest Linebacker (Middle or outside) ever, probably the greatest defensive player ever, and definitely one of the 5 greatest NFL players of all time. Ray Lewis is the greatest Middle Linebacker ever, but LT was still better overall, and while Ray is a bit better at being field general and coverage Linebacker, but LT was way better at sacks, about the same in the run defense. Ray Lewis is probably the 2nd best Linebacker ever, and best pure middle linebacker while LT is just the best Linebacker period. Not to take away from other all time greats either. Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary, Takeo Spikes, London Fletcher, Harry Carson, Chuck Bednarik, Brian Urlacher, all great Middle Linebackers too.
From Google regarding the Bills "The Bills appeared in four consecutive Super Bowl games (XXV, XXVI, XXVII, and XXVIII). The successful seasons by the Bills during 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993 were marred by the consecutive Super Bowl losses. The Bills are the last NFL team to have appeared in four consecutive Super Bowls."
I'm a Giants fan, but I lived in Eagles territory. Early 2000s I found out one of my coworkers was a Bills fan. I asked him about those years - what was it like losing four straight? He said those losses hurt, but overall it was a good ride. They had so much success, so many wins, so many comebacks. The fans could take a lot of pride in their team. He said there was only one time that it was really, really painful. With a big smile, I looked him right in the eye and asked, "Wide right?" Yep. Pain was still fresh.
L.T. was a MONSTER.! Great video guys.!!! Has my Lyle Alzado request moved up the charts.? I know you got a monster list but just keeping the request alive.! Thank you much....!
seems like you guys are starting to appreciate more aspects of the game as you learn especially defensive plays and blocking. football is such a unique sport once you really know it
It's still perfectly legal to tackle a player with a bear-hug. It is also perfectly legal to grab a player's jersey and sling them around or down, as long as you do not grab the collar.
If you go back to the touchdown he score where you said it was terrible throw the quarterback is Joe Montana one of the best ever in the NFL and he is hit as he throws the ball and literally knocked out that is why the throw came up short of the receiver right to Taylor. The Giants defense that season was devestating
As stated below, The Blind Side is a movie well worth watching. The left offensive tackle became the highest paid line position to counteract rushers like LT to protect quarterbacks' left or blind side.
I'm a Washington Redskins fan, Redskins played the Giants twice a yr. They would double and sometimes triple team him.. he still dominated the games. He was unreal
I always wondered why Washington had so many different QBs in the late 80s/early 90s, but facing LT AND Reggie White each 2x a season is hazardous to any quarterback's health. The fact that they won anyway is incredible.
@@smgdroid Absolutely! It's unreal that the NFC East won 7 Super Bowls in 10 seasons: Giants 86 season Skins 87 Giants 90 Skins 91 Boys 92 Boys 93 Boys 95
@@Newbobdole I wonder what is more hated in Buffalo at this point. The New England Patriots during the Brady era for all the regular season abuse, or The NFC East for beating the Bills in the Super Bowl 4 times in a row from 90-93.
That canvas contraption they had wrapped and tied on him was meant to try to keep his shoulder from coming out of socket. The more you dislocate it, the easier it is to keep coming out. We have better equipment for that now, it just limits your range of motion
I think one of the most entertaining reacts would be to James Harrison! He went undrafted to probably being a Hall of Fame player and he was one of the scariest players of all time.
No doubt the greatest defensive player. He played with a fractured tibia in some games in 1989 I think, Nothing could stop him but his own demons, which he also felt helped drive his greatness.
The whole team was tough back then, LT played with a cracked tibia,and a dislocated shoulder. Phil Simms played 11 games of a superbowl winning season on a broken ankle listed in the injury report as "a high ankle sprain that will not heal". Erik Howard set multiple records for being the strongest nose tackle in the league and one for having the most back surgeries in a carrier. He was basically an action figure with no waist at the end of his carrier, if he wanted to twist his shoulders he had to use his feet to do it, but he still managed to occupy 2 or 3 offensive linemen with his pure strength bull rush on every play. Other Giants had to help him up because he couldn't do it on his own if he went down.
I am 76-years old and a lifetime Giants fan. LT was the first player to routinely slap or punch the ball out of the hands of the opposing player. Today the defensive backs all attempt it but he began it.
Lawrence Taylor single handedly made the Left Offensive Tackle into the highest paid position in the the game. It isn't any longer, but for a while, he made the position in charge of protecting the quarterback's (as long as they are right handed) blind side (hence the movie title) the highest paid position in the NFL. He changed the way that the game was played. He forced the quarterbacks to locate him when the offense got to the line, Now it's commonplace for quarterbacks to point out (literally) and call out defenders and their location by jersey number. The Giants moved Taylor around at the line, so even when you knew he was there, you'd have to find him.
There was a linebacker club which Taylor was one of. The others were Ray Neitzchkey of Green Bay, Dick Butkus of Chicago and Jack Lambert of Pittsburgh
I hadn't seen this video before. I'm so glad that you guys can see how ridiculous LT was. Also, you notice that stat recap at the end. The since 1982 part for sacks. That was the first year that they added that as a statistic.
He did that tomahawk chop to strip the ball. He was the master at it. You saw him coming and stepping out the way could still lead to a fumble. Best thing to do was fall to your knees and pray he only touched you instead of breaking you.
Taking a knee is what a QB does when the offense wants the clock to run. Typically done at the end of a game. Spiking the ball is done to stop the clock when the offense is driving to score and time is running out.
Fun Fact: Super Bowl XXV (NY Giants vs. Buffalo Bills) is dubbed "Wide Right" because of Scott Norwoods 47-yard FG Miss, it's also called "47 Wide Right" and some Bills fans call it simply "The Miss"
People think he was all athleticism and cocaine but when ever I'm coaching 2 point ends and OLB I have them watch film on LT. His get off was perfect with no wasted motion. He also knew how to adjust his stance based on the leverage of the offense. When teams would bring a wing into assist with tackle LT would square his stance up then attack the downclock of the WB. It seems like little things but its a game of inches and those little things are everything.
I think a good player to react to would be Kurt Warner, he is a hell of a story, went from bagging groceries at a supermarket to playing Professional Football for the Iowa Barnstormers (they still exist to this day, unlike most Arena teams from the time, his #13 jersey was retired by the Barnstormers) Arena Football team, and eventually became part of The Greatest Show on Turf era St. Louis (now Los Angeles) Rams,, and he's the only player to be in two Hall of Fames, he is in the Arena Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. this was his career trajectory, as a sum up, Cashier at a Supermarket, QB for the Iowa Barnstormers for 3 years, lead the Stormers to the Arena Bowl (Arena Football League's Championship game) and won, Played in Amsterdam for a bit for the NFL Europe's (Yes the National Football League used to have a Europe based feeder series) Amsterdam Admirals, Played for the NFL proper with the at the time St. Louis Rams (won a super bowl), New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals.
No quarterback got the snap before locating LT first. In fact, one time a quarterback couldn't find LT, so HE TOOK A TIMEOUT, only to find LT on the sidelines for that play! And if you thought those plays were amazing, the most impressive were his plays on the goal line (there's a clip about those) when the margin for error is razor thin, and unless the defense plays perfectly, the other team scores a touchdown. That's when LT's instincts are shown to be other wordly!
i saw a clip of the Redskins lined up with 2 Tight Ends off the line of scrimmage, they motioned the 2nd TE to LT's side; when they hiked the ball both TE's AND the Left Tackle blocked LT for the only intentional Triple Team i have ever seen on a pass block--nobody chipped him and ran a route it was 3 blockers v LT... fax!!!
You have watched Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed, if you would like to see one of the all-time great safeties try Ronnie Lott he also loved the game and was super tough.
You’re right Damo, those QBs are bracing for impact or going down to avoid injury. You can’t grab shirts like that nowadays. Taylor was scary. It’s nice to see John Madden. The sound of his voice is football for me.
LT was one of those players you would watch in awe when he was on the field regardless of what team you were a fan of. He was always a threat to make a game changing play every down he was on the field. Just dominated for decade. As a former defensive lineman I always enjoy the great pass rushers most. Mainly because I was a big ugly on the interior and never got that sacks but setup the guys on the outside to get pressure and sacks. The all time great pass rushers like LT, Derrick Thomas, Reggie White, Bruce Smith, Deacon Jones, JJ Watt, and Aaron Donald, among others, don't need any help to get their sacks. They're just a force of nature that every opponent needed to account for on every play or pay the price. The only outside LB that (just my opinion) came close the style of LT was Derrick Thomas before his car accident and ultimate death.
Derrick Thomas was going to be a force, he was showing that he would have been the heir to LT, there was even an NFL Films where Derrick Thomas said, LT the 90's belong to DT. It was sad what happened to DT, he would have been a joy to watch as he matured even more.
Bill Belichick (Defensive Coordinator): Uh just so you know LT was 10 minutes late to the meeting. Bill Parcells (Head Coach): Why did you start the meeting without him?
Couple of recommended watches if you want some more 80s & 90s defensive dominance. Reggie White, Bruce Smith, Charles Haley & Kevin Greene. Also you guys touched on the bad luck of the Bills, they made it to 4 STRAIGHT super bowls and lost every single one of them in the 90s. A dominant team that just couldn’t win the big one. Their best chance to win it came in Super Bowl 25 against the giants, but their kicker missed a last second FG. I’d recommend watching something on them as well.
LT definitely had that bear hug tackle but there’s nothing about that that makes the tackle any more dangerous than a normal one. I would say letting LT tackle your QB from behind is far more likely to cause injury than any tackling technique he could use lol
You guys should watch the miracle in the Meadowlands game between the eagles and gaints on that channel, the ending is probably my favorite ending to a game I've ever seen
Funny you mention the Bills and Lions. The Bills went to 4 straight Superbowls and lost all of them. Their running back was Thurman Thomas who played with Barry Sanders at the same college. Barry Switzer who was the head coach at Oklahoma at the time told his team not to hurt Thurman Thomas (who was the starter because he was older) because "you don't want to see this freshman RB."
Regarding your comment that quarterbacks looked for him, Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski once called a timeout because he when he scanned the defense before the play, he couldn't find LT. LT was on the bench for that play.
FYI Jersey tackles are still allowed as long as you don't grab the shoulder pads (horse tackle penalty) but the jerseys are so tight these days that it's hard to do.
"It was a terrible throw" because Jim Burt, the nose tackle hit Montana right under the chin with his helmet and knocked him out for a bit. I watched that game ;)
Great react guys! They didn't show the Theisman play...which isn't surprising, I guess, but it really was a defining moment in LT's career... No one views it as a positive...least of all LT himself, but it was a major reason why he was so feared...and probably the reason you noticed so many QBs surrendering
One thing they don't mention in the video is most teams double or triple teamed LT on every play after his first few games in the NFL as a rookie. The Washington Redskins focused on gigantic offensive linemen to stop LT until their O-line averaged 325 lbs and were known collectively as "The Hogs". The Hogs were not enough and the Skins invented triple tight end set which results in 3 extra offensive linemen. When you say the QB was watching for LT, he was, they all were, everyone, on every offense is paying attention to where LT is at all times on every play.
This is an LT video, but if you'll notice, how often is #53 also involved? Harry Carson would also be worth a video . IF LT is #1, HC might be #2 . The rest of that defense also deserves a video . Gary Reasons(#55) also has some top-notch highlights. Leonard Marshall(#70) ,Jim Burt(#64) ,Carl Banks (#58) & Pepper Johnson(#52) were also among the best of that era.
LT tackles that way so he can cause the QB to fumble the ball. Look how he tries to knock out the ball as he goes for the tackle. Many linebackers started to do the same. LT is the originator!
i would love if you guys checked out the 2010 Steelers Defense! i think you guys would enjoy watching what a super coherent defense looks like. to quote Mike Tomlin, “That group of men created what we know today as the Player Safety Initiative.”
Joe Montana was the quarterback you noticed "He Just Fell Over". Joe is one of the greatest QBs to play and he knew the last thing he wanted was to get hit by LT. That's why he just went straight to the ground. haha
Damo, re: quarterbacks appearing to "give up" or "just fall down" -- drop-back passer QBs are actually coached to do that in that situation, so you'll see it fairly commonly. The strategy is that if you see a pass rusher coming and you have nowhere to go, it's better to cover the ball and just go down. The loss of yardage for your team is still better than taking the full force of a huge, bone-rattling hit, and possibly fumbling the ball.
Thanks for this context Derek, makes complete sense. I sometimes forget just how important possession is. Crazy LT was able to force this from the outside linesman position.
LT went to UNC. In his offseason early on he would go back while Michael Jordan was attending UNC. Just to play pickup basketball to go against Jordan. Only player Jordan said he was scared to play against.
LT's tackling form was perfect, except for the occasional horse collar. On the "terrible throw" that LT pick-sixed, that was Joe Montana again but notice he was being drilled by the nose tackle, Jim Burt I think it was, 64. Not easy to follow through when your arm is being bent in half. lol
Best defensive player of all time. Cocaine is a helluva drug! I was at a Giants playoff game and Taylor was at the game. We were playing like shit defensively, and some guy a row in front of me yelled "Get Taylor an 8-ball and suit him up!!"
It's hard to imagine the Giants being a bad team that didn't make the playoffs for 18 years now that they've won 4 Super Bowls, but it seriously all started with Lawrence Taylor (with honorable mentions to his head coach Bill Parcells and his defensive coordinator, the great Bill Belichick). There has never been another player like him in all my years watching the sport, which honestly makes me kinda sad
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You should watch the deep rewind series from secret base. In depth explanation of big moments in sports. Helps understand those moments
In one game Taylor disregard the coaches play call and blitzed on his own but made 2 sacks doing so .
He came off the field and the coach asked him what he was doing ? Saying we don't even have those plays..
Taylor responded "well it's a doozy we should add them" . The coach couldn't do anything but laugh.
It's hard to argue against the fact that he's the Greatest defensive player in NFL history. As menacing, dominating and game changing he was, the strange thing to me is that he's a soft spoken nice guy. To the Giants fans out there, you guys were insanely lucky to have this man suiting up.
Yes, we were. ;-)
💯 Thanks for this comment, appreciate it!
You could seriously argue he's even just the greatest NFL player of all time too. There's never been a defensive player that's had that much impact. He's at the very least up there with Jerry Rice and Tom Brady.
@@eggoslayer1001 Just given the import of the QB position, I'd have to give it to Brady, but I'd put LT over Rice. The difference between Rice and the 2nd best WR of all time isn't that great, but OLB after LT isn't even close, and he singlehandedly changed not just games, but how the game is played.
If it were my fantasy team all-time, I'd pick Brady, LT and then Sweetness (with respect to Jim Brown).
The last defensive player to win MVP, the man was not human
He broke Joe Theisman's leg in horrific fashion. Mom almost made my brother and I quit the sport.
I love how you hear Theismann call him a warrior in the video when he is having the harness tightened back up
I was playing with my Legos while watching that game live with my parents. The image of that leg snapping like a pretzel stick is forever seared in my memory
Can understand why Marshall. Awful, hope I never here the sound! Thanks for the comment
I watched that game. It was gross.
Still makes me cringe even after 40 years
Hey guys, it's not only the tackles, it's the domination of the blockers. He is beating double teams and triple team blocking. That's the amazing part
And most of those blockers outweighed Taylor by 50+ pounds.
The 1 armed sack against the Lions in the Thanksgiving game at 3:27 is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. He whips him around by his jersey and just discards him with contempt. That strip sack that is used by everyone now was basically invented by him. Most of his hits are still legal. You just can't make contact directly to the head now. So some of his bullrushes where he hits the lineman in the head are illegal, but for the most part, most of these hits are still legal
I met LT at an autograph signing before a game at MetLife in which prior Giants greats would be recognized. After he signed my cap, i reached out to shake his hand. This was at least 15 years beyond his playing days. He shook my hand and his crushing grip felt like it could've broken my bones. My hand hurt for over a week.
They say Lawrence Taylor changed the game, and that is no exaggeration. A few years ago a writer named Michael Lewis wrote a book called The Blind Side that part of which is how Taylor changed the game. Joe Gibbs, the head coach of division rival Washington Redskins changed his entire offensive scheme to account for Taylor. The man was unreal.
Single back formation. Got rid of the fullback. Imagine that, LT basically removed a position from the game.
Gibbs, who had to play the Giants at least twice a year, famously said “if your game plan has your running back blocking Taylor you will lose”.
There was a play where the QB was so confused looking for LT and they called a timeout because they couldn’t find him, turns out he was on the sideline lol😂
It was a privilege to have seen him play in person..
He had his issues, but one thing I remember from when he was playing.. in the locker room after the game if someone tried to interview him, he would avoid talking about what he did on the field and talk about his teammates. His persona was a bit different if someone interviewed him during the week, or in the offseason... but right after the game was over he was praising his teammates before himself.
He knew he had a gift, but he also always knew he couldn't do it without help and he always appreciated those around him for being so good they gave him the freedom to play the way he did.
The commentators showed the GREAT John Madden!!! He was an amazing coach and commentator! I was happy to hear him in this video! Wow! Lawrence Taylor was a beast!! 😮
In case no one mentions it, LT was in a football movie called "Any Given Sunday" with Al Pacino, Dennis Quaid and Jamie Foxx. He basically played himself. A super-hard hitting guy who was so physically messed up from playing that the doctors would say "you can't play." and he would anyways.
Loved being a giants fan when lt was there. The defense had just as much of a chance of a positive play as the offense.
One of my fav LT stories is he partied at the strip til morning. He's listening to the radio on his ride home and realizes he forgot there's a game that day. By the time he gets to the stadium, the game is deep into the 1st quarter. Hands his car keys to security to park his car and runs into the locker room to get dressed.
Ends up having at least 5 sacks that game 😂😂
LT took winning very seriously and capitalized on home field advantage as much as he could. Every time a young hot shot offensive stud world beater fresh out of college made his first trip to the big city LT Would call his friends near the team they played for and ask them what kind of woman he is frequently seen with.
Then LT would call a high class Wallstreet outcall prostitution agency to find an prostitute who matched the super star to be's interests. He would interview her in person to explain she was to pick him up by stalking the hotel his team stays at when they are in the city and she was to not let him know she was on the clock. The youngster was to have the time of his life in the big city with the woman of his dreams and he was to make it to Giant's Stadium by 11 AM on sunday morning quite alive but in no shape to play a game of full contact NFL football. He would then hand her 8-10k in cash and a zip lock baggie full of cocaine and wish her good hunting.
About the Buffalo Bills, they're basically the sports franchise equivalent of the expression "Always a Bridesmaid, Never the Bride".
The Bills lost 4 Super Bowls in a row 90-93 all of them to the NFC east and it is kind of a shame because that Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas spread formation, no huddle offense was terrifying. That team was amazing, despite not winning any Lombardi's.
The Giants out coached, and out stubborned them, the rest of the Super Bowls were one sided against Buffalo and I think the main buffalo weakness was head coach Marv Levy. At no other point in NFL history has there been as competitive a division as the NFC East from the mid 80's thru the 90's. The Eagles were the odd team out by not winning any super bowls in that period of NFC East dominance but they were qualifying for the play offs and winning 10 to 14 games a year.
It’s not pleasant, but the LT play when Joe Theismann gets injured is a huge part of NFL history. I’m sure there are videos about that story. Worth a watch.
Side note, if you want to follow up on some of his extra-curricular activities at one point Lawrence Taylor actually did professional wrestling. He was in a match against Bam Bam Bigelow at Wrestlemania XI which might be worth you checking out at some point if you want.
I saw many of these games live and, being a Giants fan (being from New York), it was an absolute joy!
LT was the sole reason i became a Giants fan. That was when i figured out i was more of a defensive fan of the game than offense. The Gmen have always prided themselves on their mean, smashmouth defenses as well. It has fallen off in the past 10 years but is back this coming season. There's a new kid (LB/ Edge) named Kavon Thibadeaux on the block and will be a monster. Last season during a snowy game, he hit a QB from behind and injured him. Kayvon starting making a snow angel right next to him in celebration of the sack. Nastyyyy.
Thanks for the comment Danny! Love this. And wow, that does sound absolutely brutal!
Thibs is going to be a force for years to come.
THE greatest defensive player in the nfl of all time. No question about it.
It’s not a DN reacts Football reaction video without Damo asking “Is that allowed?” 😅
LT was a machine. The reason you saw QBs fold so quickly was because of the fear he created on the field. Check "That Time Lawrence Taylor Single-Handedly Beat the Lions | NFL Vault Stories".
6:10
That's the crazy thing, you look at a lot of some old "hard hitters" or great defensive players and a lot of their intense play would've drawn fouls in today's game.
Lawrence Taylor on the other hand, virtually all of his tackles were clean, no helmet contact or unnecessary roughness. Just pure efficiency.
his pursuit was insane... there were times he ran down running backs and receivers that were unreal (aside from the sacks). Also slapping the ball out of the QB's hands was something that LT made a staple of pass rushers since... he literally changed the game
You guys need to check out Derrick Thomas highlights, he was the closest thing to L.T. that you'll find. If im not mistaken he still owns the sack record for all of college football. He was a terror in the NFL too. As good as Taylor is D.T. might have been better if his career hadn't been cut short because of his death RIP DERRICK THOMAS
When you can strike fear is the best athletes in the world…He literally changed football.
LT originated the strip sack and strip tackle where his primary focus was to cause a fumble .
As you know from watching a lot of English Football, some players are so dominant and ahead of their time that they truly could have played in any era and been a standout player, and LT was one of them. Linebackers before him were generally used more to stop the offense's run game and get in the way of pretty short passes that are maybe 5 yards or so past the line of scrimmage. Mainly because they weren't usually the fastest guys.
LT was one of the first examples of the linebacker position evolving to what is expected of modern Linebackers where they want you to be decent sized yes, but you need to have *speed* and you need to be able to blitz and rush the quarterback, you need to be able to cover pretty effectively on pass plays that require you to go even deeper than 5 yards etc.
He was a great example of what a 2020's all-pro linebacker looked like, playing 35-40 years ago. He would be a forcd in the NFL today if he was born a few decades later. Just one of those "all time" talent guys. Personal life aside.
"And that brings me to my next point... don't do crack!" - LT "the Waterboy". Words to live by.
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Another great video guys. LT is the greatest Linebacker (Middle or outside) ever, probably the greatest defensive player ever, and definitely one of the 5 greatest NFL players of all time. Ray Lewis is the greatest Middle Linebacker ever, but LT was still better overall, and while Ray is a bit better at being field general and coverage Linebacker, but LT was way better at sacks, about the same in the run defense. Ray Lewis is probably the 2nd best Linebacker ever, and best pure middle linebacker while LT is just the best Linebacker period. Not to take away from other all time greats either. Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary, Takeo Spikes, London Fletcher, Harry Carson, Chuck Bednarik, Brian Urlacher, all great Middle Linebackers too.
People should have been more afraid of Singletary. That war face he made was insane.
From Google regarding the Bills "The Bills appeared in four consecutive Super Bowl games (XXV, XXVI, XXVII, and XXVIII). The successful seasons by the Bills during 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993 were marred by the consecutive Super Bowl losses. The Bills are the last NFL team to have appeared in four consecutive Super Bowls."
I'm a Giants fan, but I lived in Eagles territory. Early 2000s I found out one of my coworkers was a Bills fan. I asked him about those years - what was it like losing four straight? He said those losses hurt, but overall it was a good ride. They had so much success, so many wins, so many comebacks. The fans could take a lot of pride in their team. He said there was only one time that it was really, really painful.
With a big smile, I looked him right in the eye and asked, "Wide right?"
Yep. Pain was still fresh.
L.T. was a MONSTER.! Great video guys.!!! Has my Lyle Alzado request moved up the charts.? I know you got a monster list but just keeping the request alive.! Thank you much....!
seems like you guys are starting to appreciate more aspects of the game as you learn especially defensive plays and blocking. football is such a unique sport once you really know it
100% Darnell. We’re so excited for the new season already! Thanks for this comment
It's still perfectly legal to tackle a player with a bear-hug. It is also perfectly legal to grab a player's jersey and sling them around or down, as long as you do not grab the collar.
Thanks for confirming Aregua, handy to know! Appreciate it
If you go back to the touchdown he score where you said it was terrible throw the quarterback is Joe Montana one of the best ever in the NFL and he is hit as he throws the ball and literally knocked out that is why the throw came up short of the receiver right to Taylor. The Giants defense that season was devestating
As stated below, The Blind Side is a movie well worth watching. The left offensive tackle became the highest paid line position to counteract rushers like LT to protect quarterbacks' left or blind side.
I'm a Washington Redskins fan, Redskins played the Giants twice a yr. They would double and sometimes triple team him.. he still dominated the games. He was unreal
I always wondered why Washington had so many different QBs in the late 80s/early 90s, but facing LT AND Reggie White each 2x a season is hazardous to any quarterback's health. The fact that they won anyway is incredible.
Absolutely agree, the Skins success rate in the NFC East during that era, against those defenses, is a tribute to Joe Gibbs & his staff
@@Newbobdole I hate Dallas, but those years, the NFC East was ridiculous.
@@smgdroid Absolutely! It's unreal that the NFC East won 7 Super Bowls in 10 seasons:
Giants 86 season
Skins 87
Giants 90
Skins 91
Boys 92
Boys 93
Boys 95
@@Newbobdole I wonder what is more hated in Buffalo at this point. The New England Patriots during the Brady era for all the regular season abuse, or The NFC East for beating the Bills in the Super Bowl 4 times in a row from 90-93.
Love LT. Was a blast to watch. Notice he didn’t try to hurt anyone. He just tackled the guy with the ball then got on with it.
You gotta watch sean Taylor what an amazing career cut so short
That canvas contraption they had wrapped and tied on him was meant to try to keep his shoulder from coming out of socket. The more you dislocate it, the easier it is to keep coming out. We have better equipment for that now, it just limits your range of motion
Another great choice D/N, also check out Derrick Thomas if youd like. LT was in the 80’s, DT was in the 90’s
The way he tackles is how your taught to tackle when you first begin football as a kid 8 or 9 years old. That's the traditional tackle technique
This is the guy that made me want to play and play defense!!!
I think one of the most entertaining reacts would be to James Harrison! He went undrafted to probably being a Hall of Fame player and he was one of the scariest players of all time.
PERFECT hand placement, PERFECT tackling. Relentless pursuit. He was 250 lbs pushing olineman around who were 280 to 300lbs like they were children.
No doubt the greatest defensive player. He played with a fractured tibia in some games in 1989 I think, Nothing could stop him but his own demons, which he also felt helped drive his greatness.
The whole team was tough back then, LT played with a cracked tibia,and a dislocated shoulder. Phil Simms played 11 games of a superbowl winning season on a broken ankle listed in the injury report as "a high ankle sprain that will not heal". Erik Howard set multiple records for being the strongest nose tackle in the league and one for having the most back surgeries in a carrier. He was basically an action figure with no waist at the end of his carrier, if he wanted to twist his shoulders he had to use his feet to do it, but he still managed to occupy 2 or 3 offensive linemen with his pure strength bull rush on every play. Other Giants had to help him up because he couldn't do it on his own if he went down.
I am 76-years old and a lifetime Giants fan. LT was the first player to routinely slap or punch the ball out of the hands of the opposing player. Today the defensive backs all attempt it but he began it.
LT was a genuinely terrifying guy. He literally compelled opposing players to retire. His intensity was not entirely human.
Definitely got these vibes from this video. Thanks Kent
You should watch Joseph Vincent’s video on Derrick Henry since you guys like running backs
He legit throws grown men, I’m not a Titans fan but Derrick Henry is my favorite player since he took over
I’m a GenXer who has been watching NFL football since early 1970s. Lawrence Taylor is the best, most-disruptive defensive player of my lifetime.
He is number 3 in 100 best NFL players of All Time.
Lawrence Taylor single handedly made the Left Offensive Tackle into the highest paid position in the the game. It isn't any longer, but for a while, he made the position in charge of protecting the quarterback's (as long as they are right handed) blind side (hence the movie title) the highest paid position in the NFL.
He changed the way that the game was played. He forced the quarterbacks to locate him when the offense got to the line, Now it's commonplace for quarterbacks to point out (literally) and call out defenders and their location by jersey number. The Giants moved Taylor around at the line, so even when you knew he was there, you'd have to find him.
There was a linebacker club which Taylor was one of. The others were Ray Neitzchkey of Green Bay, Dick Butkus of Chicago and Jack Lambert of Pittsburgh
I hadn't seen this video before. I'm so glad that you guys can see how ridiculous LT was. Also, you notice that stat recap at the end. The since 1982 part for sacks. That was the first year that they added that as a statistic.
Awesome video reaction guys. You have a new subscriber. Can't wait to see more!!!
He did that tomahawk chop to strip the ball.
He was the master at it.
You saw him coming and stepping out the way could still lead to a fumble. Best thing to do was fall to your knees and pray he only touched you instead of breaking you.
#16 of the 49ers is Joe Montana. He was actually praised by LT for being smart enough to give himself up when he knew he was done.
Thanks for this context, really appreciate it 🙏
Taking a knee is what a QB does when the offense wants the clock to run. Typically done at the end of a game. Spiking the ball is done to stop the clock when the offense is driving to score and time is running out.
Fun Fact: Super Bowl XXV (NY Giants vs. Buffalo Bills) is dubbed "Wide Right" because of Scott Norwoods 47-yard FG Miss, it's also called "47 Wide Right" and some Bills fans call it simply "The Miss"
The “terrible throw” you mentioned was by Montana when he was absolutely CRUSHED by Jim Burt. Look it up. HUGE hit.
People think he was all athleticism and cocaine but when ever I'm coaching 2 point ends and OLB I have them watch film on LT. His get off was perfect with no wasted motion. He also knew how to adjust his stance based on the leverage of the offense. When teams would bring a wing into assist with tackle LT would square his stance up then attack the downclock of the WB. It seems like little things but its a game of inches and those little things are everything.
I think a good player to react to would be Kurt Warner, he is a hell of a story, went from bagging groceries at a supermarket to playing Professional Football for the Iowa Barnstormers (they still exist to this day, unlike most Arena teams from the time, his #13 jersey was retired by the Barnstormers) Arena Football team, and eventually became part of The Greatest Show on Turf era St. Louis (now Los Angeles) Rams,, and he's the only player to be in two Hall of Fames, he is in the Arena Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. this was his career trajectory, as a sum up, Cashier at a Supermarket, QB for the Iowa Barnstormers for 3 years, lead the Stormers to the Arena Bowl (Arena Football League's Championship game) and won, Played in Amsterdam for a bit for the NFL Europe's (Yes the National Football League used to have a Europe based feeder series) Amsterdam Admirals, Played for the NFL proper with the at the time St. Louis Rams (won a super bowl), New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals.
No quarterback got the snap before locating LT first. In fact, one time a quarterback couldn't find LT, so HE TOOK A TIMEOUT, only to find LT on the sidelines for that play! And if you thought those plays were amazing, the most impressive were his plays on the goal line (there's a clip about those) when the margin for error is razor thin, and unless the defense plays perfectly, the other team scores a touchdown. That's when LT's instincts are shown to be other wordly!
i saw a clip of the Redskins lined up with 2 Tight Ends off the line of scrimmage, they motioned the 2nd TE to LT's side; when they hiked the ball both TE's AND the Left Tackle blocked LT for the only intentional Triple Team i have ever seen on a pass block--nobody chipped him and ran a route it was 3 blockers v LT... fax!!!
You have watched Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed, if you would like to see one of the all-time great safeties try Ronnie Lott he also loved the game and was super tough.
You’re right Damo, those QBs are bracing for impact or going down to avoid injury. You can’t grab shirts like that nowadays. Taylor was scary. It’s nice to see John Madden. The sound of his voice is football for me.
LT was one of those players you would watch in awe when he was on the field regardless of what team you were a fan of. He was always a threat to make a game changing play every down he was on the field. Just dominated for decade.
As a former defensive lineman I always enjoy the great pass rushers most. Mainly because I was a big ugly on the interior and never got that sacks but setup the guys on the outside to get pressure and sacks. The all time great pass rushers like LT, Derrick Thomas, Reggie White, Bruce Smith, Deacon Jones, JJ Watt, and Aaron Donald, among others, don't need any help to get their sacks. They're just a force of nature that every opponent needed to account for on every play or pay the price.
The only outside LB that (just my opinion) came close the style of LT was Derrick Thomas before his car accident and ultimate death.
Derrick Thomas was going to be a force, he was showing that he would have been the heir to LT, there was even an NFL Films where Derrick Thomas said, LT the 90's belong to DT. It was sad what happened to DT, he would have been a joy to watch as he matured even more.
Lawrence Taylor is literally the reason that left tackle's are the 2nd most important postion behind the QB.
Bill Belichick (Defensive Coordinator): Uh just so you know LT was 10 minutes late to the meeting.
Bill Parcells (Head Coach): Why did you start the meeting without him?
Couple of recommended watches if you want some more 80s & 90s defensive dominance. Reggie White, Bruce Smith, Charles Haley & Kevin Greene.
Also you guys touched on the bad luck of the Bills, they made it to 4 STRAIGHT super bowls and lost every single one of them in the 90s. A dominant team that just couldn’t win the big one. Their best chance to win it came in Super Bowl 25 against the giants, but their kicker missed a last second FG. I’d recommend watching something on them as well.
LT definitely had that bear hug tackle but there’s nothing about that that makes the tackle any more dangerous than a normal one. I would say letting LT tackle your QB from behind is far more likely to cause injury than any tackling technique he could use lol
You guys should watch the miracle in the Meadowlands game between the eagles and gaints on that channel, the ending is probably my favorite ending to a game I've ever seen
You can tackle a ball carrier any means possible except in the head/neck area . Especially helmet to helmet hits not allowed anymore.
Really entertaining.
Funny you mention the Bills and Lions. The Bills went to 4 straight Superbowls and lost all of them. Their running back was Thurman Thomas who played with Barry Sanders at the same college. Barry Switzer who was the head coach at Oklahoma at the time told his team not to hurt Thurman Thomas (who was the starter because he was older) because "you don't want to see this freshman RB."
Congrats on 16k
Thank you Mike 🤝🙏
Regarding your comment that quarterbacks looked for him, Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski once called a timeout because he when he scanned the defense before the play, he couldn't find LT. LT was on the bench for that play.
FYI Jersey tackles are still allowed as long as you don't grab the shoulder pads (horse tackle penalty) but the jerseys are so tight these days that it's hard to do.
"It was a terrible throw" because Jim Burt, the nose tackle hit Montana right under the chin with his helmet and knocked him out for a bit. I watched that game ;)
Great react guys!
They didn't show the Theisman play...which isn't surprising, I guess, but it really was a defining moment in LT's career...
No one views it as a positive...least of all LT himself, but it was a major reason why he was so feared...and probably the reason you noticed so many QBs surrendering
This is a second reaction video of Lawrence Taylor. They did a reaction to the previous video of Lawrence Taylor with Joe T's career ending injury.
That Joe T sack was such a fluke play, it freaked Taylor out, and reported he was puking on the sideline.
I had thanksgiving dinner with Taylor a few years ago.
Awesome video.
LT is the reason why offensive tackles are the second highest paid position. Also the 1st LB/DE hybrid.
One thing they don't mention in the video is most teams double or triple teamed LT on every play after his first few games in the NFL as a rookie. The Washington Redskins focused on gigantic offensive linemen to stop LT until their O-line averaged 325 lbs and were known collectively as "The Hogs". The Hogs were not enough and the Skins invented triple tight end set which results in 3 extra offensive linemen. When you say the QB was watching for LT, he was, they all were, everyone, on every offense is paying attention to where LT is at all times on every play.
This is an LT video, but if you'll notice, how often is #53 also involved?
Harry Carson would also be worth a video . IF LT is #1, HC might be #2 .
The rest of that defense also deserves a video . Gary Reasons(#55) also has some top-notch highlights. Leonard Marshall(#70) ,Jim Burt(#64) ,Carl Banks (#58) & Pepper Johnson(#52) were also among the best of that era.
LT tackles that way so he can cause the QB to fumble the ball. Look how he tries to knock out the ball as he goes for the tackle. Many linebackers started to do the same. LT is the originator!
Thanks Jose, makes complete sense and he was sensational. Really loved this watch!
i would love if you guys checked out the 2010 Steelers Defense! i think you guys would enjoy watching what a super coherent defense looks like. to quote Mike Tomlin, “That group of men created what we know today as the Player Safety Initiative.”
Joe Montana was the quarterback you noticed "He Just Fell Over". Joe is one of the greatest QBs to play and he knew the last thing he wanted was to get hit by LT. That's why he just went straight to the ground. haha
Greatest LB ever. Greatest defensive player ever. It's not even close
Damo, re: quarterbacks appearing to "give up" or "just fall down" -- drop-back passer QBs are actually coached to do that in that situation, so you'll see it fairly commonly. The strategy is that if you see a pass rusher coming and you have nowhere to go, it's better to cover the ball and just go down. The loss of yardage for your team is still better than taking the full force of a huge, bone-rattling hit, and possibly fumbling the ball.
Thanks for this context Derek, makes complete sense. I sometimes forget just how important possession is. Crazy LT was able to force this from the outside linesman position.
LT went to UNC. In his offseason early on he would go back while Michael Jordan was attending UNC. Just to play pickup basketball to go against Jordan. Only player Jordan said he was scared to play against.
I don’t know if you guys already have but you guys should look at Ray Lewis highlights. Some of the most savage tackles I have ever seen.
Man, the old school Buccaneers uniforms were awesome!!
Them QBs be getting that "Deer in the headlights" 😂😂😂
LT's tackling form was perfect, except for the occasional horse collar. On the "terrible throw" that LT pick-sixed, that was Joe Montana again but notice he was being drilled by the nose tackle, Jim Burt I think it was, 64. Not easy to follow through when your arm is being bent in half. lol
This is how polarizing LT was: John Madden and Pat Summerall were the #1 commentator team at the time. They were permanently assigned to the Giants.
Best defensive player of all time. Cocaine is a helluva drug!
I was at a Giants playoff game and Taylor was at the game. We were playing like shit defensively, and some guy a row in front of me yelled "Get Taylor an 8-ball and suit him up!!"
Great vid, lads. Now watch "The other LT": Ladainian Tomlinson.
Detroit needs fans like you guys.
It's hard to imagine the Giants being a bad team that didn't make the playoffs for 18 years now that they've won 4 Super Bowls, but it seriously all started with Lawrence Taylor (with honorable mentions to his head coach Bill Parcells and his defensive coordinator, the great Bill Belichick). There has never been another player like him in all my years watching the sport, which honestly makes me kinda sad