Lawrence Taylor

Former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor was one of the most talented and feared pass rushers to ever play professional football. Born on Feb. 4, 1959 in Williamsburg, VA, Taylor began his athletic career playing baseball in his youth. He eventually segued to football while a junior at Lafayette High School and took to the sport immediately. Though not heavily drafted after graduating high school in 1977, Taylor played for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he started as a defensive lineman before switching to linebacker. Right away he displayed a relentlessness on field that sometimes translated into outright recklessness, often going to great lengths to put as much pressure and pain on anyone in his way. After graduating UNC in 1980 with Player of the Year honors, he was drafted No. 2 overall by the Giants.