Personal Problems May Sack Lt
Lawrence Taylor wasn’t campaigning and he wasn’t apologizing, but his off-the-field problems have put his election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in jeopardy. And with the vote coming up Saturday, he insisted his inclusion should be a “no-brainer.”
Taylor, perhaps the greatest defensive player in NFL history, said Monday in a conference call with 50 members of the media, including some of the 36 voters, that “If the consequences for my choices are not to be in the Hall of Fame, then you guys decide that. I’m not sitting here losing sleep over whether or not I will make it.”
He spoke with an edge, not happy his personal life was becoming an issue along with his achievements in football.
“Yes, I would love to be in there. I expect to be in there. I think I’ve worked hard enough to be in there,” he said. “Has `LT’ ever had any problems? Yes. Guilty. Has he ever been through controversy? Yes. Guilty. Will he go through more controversy? Probably yes.
Again, guilty.
I’m guilty of those charges.
I’ve had problems. Sorry.”
If the voters follow the by-laws of the Hall, which says a player’s contributions in pro football are all that are to be considered, LT would be a lock to be on the Hall’s steps in Canton, Ohio, Aug. 7 with either Wellington Mara or Bill Parcells presenting him.
But if his numerous off-the-field problems become a big factor and there are eight dissenters among the 36 voters - a Daily News poll showed there are at least six with four votes still outstanding - then he could be denied entry.
“If I don’t get in, then I don’t get in,” he said. “That’s a part of life.”
He admits there are things he would like to do differently, but if he’s being asked to be “remorseful for what I’ve done, I can’t do that. There are certain things that make up everybody. I can’t tell you what I would have done or could have done. I thank God I’m alive and have this opportunity to have this conversation about what has happened. There are some things I would like to change, but I can’t change them. So I’m not going to worry about them. I’m pretty happy being who I am.”
Taylor, who has a part in Oliver Stone’s football movie, “On Any Given Sunday,” has been in Miami filming.
“If you are going to start going by off-field problems, you might have to kick out half the people in the Hall of Fame now,” Taylor said.
Taylor was suspended once in his career for drug use - the first four games of the 1988 season. His problems since his career ended after the 1993 season have been numerous, ranging from drug arrests to tax problems to deadbeat dad accusations to a bankruptcy filing.