Lawrence Taylor Says He’s ‘Excited’ About Return to the Giants

If you go by the football calendar, marking dates as they relate to upcoming games, Monday was the anniversary of one of the darkest days in Lawrence Taylor’s stellar career.

On Aug. 30, 1988, the Monday before the Giants’ season opener against Washington, the NFL suspended Taylor for four games after he tested postive for cocaine use. Though the Giants won that game, 27-20, at Giants Stadium, Taylor’s absence was a main reason the defense slumped to 27th in the NFL after three weeks and soon dipped to 28th.

But 1989 presents a new beginning, and Monday was the first practice day towards Monday night’s opener against those same Redskins. Barring a Stanley Wilson-type relapse, Taylor will be in uniform when the Giants engage the Redskins at RFK Stadium. “I’m excited about this season,” Taylor said after the Steelers beat the Giants, 13-10, in the preseason finale Saturday night. “I’m excited about this team.”

He also delivered frightening news to the Giants’ opponents. Despite turning 30 last February, Taylor thinks his best football is ahead of him. “Every year the guys coming in are getting bigger, stronger, faster. So every year you’ve got to get a little bit better if you want to keep up,” he said. “I’d like to think you haven’t seen everything from me yet.”

It will be tough for Taylor to surpass the standards he has set during an eight-year career. Clearly the most dominant linebacker of the 1980s, Taylor has used his instinctive style and incredible quickness to record 99 career sacks and 771 total tackles. He has averaged 14.2 sacks over the last five seasons.

If Taylor makes the Pro Bowl this year, he’ll join six players -- including former Giant Harry Carson -- who share the record for the most Pro Bowl appearances with nine.

While Taylor will not claim he is the best linebacker in the league today, he does acknowledge his reputation for making the big play.

“People don’t notice someone who has 10 tackles. But if you have two tackles and four or five big plays that’s what they notice,” he said. “I’m not saying I’m the best linebacker, just a big-play maker.”

While he will continue to rely on his instinct and talent to devour quarterbacks, Taylor plans to spend more time this season watching tapes and analyzing the opposition.

“The speed is gone, but the quickness is pretty much still there,” Taylor said of himself. “At this stage of the game, I think a lot more. I try to know my opponent. In the past, I just went out there and lined up and played. Now I try to learn more about who I’m playing against and what he likes to do and see if it’s comparable to what I want to do.”

While Taylor remains a terror on the field, he’s apparently controlling his actions off it. He continues to undergo outpatient treatment for his past drug use and is subjected to urine testing three times a week. One more postive drug test would mean a ban from the NFL for at least one year. “If I don’t want to play football, I’ll use drugs. If I do, I won’t,” Taylor said recently.

Last year’s suspension may have deepened his appreciation for football and the benefits (a $1.1 million salary this year) he derives from it. In this training camp, he spent more time talking to the younger players and joking with teammates and coaches. He also fulfilled nearly every autograph request.

“I like to have fun,” Taylor said. “The game is only given to you for a few years. There’s no use in getting tensed up every day you go out and play a game. It’ll give you gray hair and ulcers. I don’t want either one, so I go out there and have fun. I have a lot of confidence in what I can do on Sunday, so there’s no reason for me to be all tight during the week.”

Taylor apparently has no lingering guilt over last year’s suspension. In fact, he says he has few regrets about anything he’s done in the game.

“I can’t look back on one day of my career and say I’m sorry for anything,” he said. “I’ve had a pretty good career and I don’t regret anything. I’ve had a good time and I’ve given the Giants eight of nine years of my best football. I have nothing to feel sorry for.”