Lawrence Taylor's Dominance Forced the NFL to Change Forever

The mere mention of his initials “L.T.” or jersey number 56 will forever evoke an immediate recollection of dominance, intimidation, and superiority.

Lawrence Taylor's impact reached far beyond his ability to lift the New York Giants to two Super Bowl titles—his relentless destruction made such an impact on the game that certain strategies that were adapted to deal with his relentless style of play still are part of the game today.

Taylor's Relentlessness Changed the Game

Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs knew he'd have to get creative from the moment Taylor entered the league as a rookie in 1981. It was futile to use a 1-on-1 block (running back or tackle) to inhibit Taylor's pass rush or his ability to get to the ball.

So, Washington’s coaching staff designed an innovative one-back scheme that assigned two (and often, three) blockers to impede Taylor.

It didn't matter to No. 56. Taylor immediately became an All-Pro as the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive Rookie of the Year en route to the first of 10 consecutive Pro Bowl selections.

The Giants credited him with 133 tackles and 9.5 sacks as he sparked the franchise's postseason run for the first time since 1963.

The NFL, understanding how Taylor’s dramatic pass-rushing ability in conjunction with the New York Jets' “Sack Exchange” front four had generated much excitement, made the quarterback sack an official statistic beginning with the 1982 season.

Including his rookie campaign, Taylor finished with 142 career sacks in 184 games over 13 NFL seasons.

Taylor's 1986 Season Remains Unmatched by Any Defender

Taylor reached his peak on the Giants' road to winning Super Bowl XXI, posting a career-high 20.5 sacks to go with 105 tackles while becoming the unanimous choice as the 1986 NFL MVP. He and Minnesota defensive tackle Alan Page (1971) are the only defensive players to win the award.

The linebacker had his best games during the regular-season sweeps over NFC East rivals Philadelphia (a combined 23 tackles and seven sacks) and Washington (18 tackles and six sacks). In fact, Taylor victimized the Eagles for a career-high four sacks in Week 6.

Taylor Delivered in Every Round of the Playoffs

In the playoffs, Taylor added a 34-yard interception return for a touchdown in the 49-3 rout over San Francisco and helped to hold Washington to 190 total yards in the 17-0 victory for the NFC crown.

Taylor had four tackles, including two for a loss, as the Giants beat Denver, 39-20, in the Super Bowl. Of course, he had to be part of the key goal-line stand in the second quarter in what most consider to be the turning point of the game.

The Broncos were trying to add to a 10-7 lead, but were unable to score after setting up for 1st-and-goal from the 1-yard line. Three straight takedowns by Taylor (a loss of one), Harry Carson (no gain), and Carl Banks (loss of four) preceded kicker Rich Karlis missing wide right on a 23-yard field goal attempt.

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