Lawrence Taylor Hospitalized Days Before NFL Draft — Lawyer Provides Update on His Condition
Lawrence Taylor has been hospitalized since April 20 and the football world has been paying attention.
His lawyer Mark Eiglarsh confirmed the news and tried to tamp down the alarm that spread after TMZ first reported it as a "medical emergency" on April 24 — the same night as the first round of the NFL Draft, which added to the visibility of the story.
"At this time, the condition does not appear to be life-threatening," Eiglarsh said. "He remains under medical observation and is showing signs of improvement."
A stomach-related issue. No discharge date yet. Taylor, 66, is in New Jersey and wanted people to know he's grateful for the prayers and support coming his way.
What He Meant to Football
There's a reason the number 56 still carries weight with anyone who watched the NFL in the 1980s.
Lawrence Taylor didn't just play linebacker well — he made teams rethink how offense worked. You couldn't just leave a tight end or a running back to handle him. He was fast enough to get to the quarterback before anyone could stop him and strong enough that one-on-one blocking was essentially a joke. Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1981. Eight All-Pro selections across nine seasons. Three Defensive Player of the Year awards. Two Super Bowl rings with the New York Giants. Bill Belichick — not exactly a man who hands out compliments freely — has called Taylor his favorite player he ever coached.
He went into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999 and the argument for him being the greatest defensive player in NFL history is not a short one.
The Complicated Rest of It
The years after football weren't kind, and Taylor didn't hide from that. His autobiography "LT: Over the Edge" laid out a drug addiction that ran all the way through his playing career. In 1997 he pleaded guilty to falsifying a tax return. In 2011 he pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct and patronizing a prostitute. A domestic violence arrest came in 2016.
President Trump appointed him to the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition last year.
He's 66 now, in a hospital bed in New Jersey, and his lawyer says he's improving. That's where things stand.
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