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Lawrence Taylor is considered by many to be the best defensive player to ever play in the NFL, including one of his former coaches with the New York Giants: Bill Belichick.
Belichick always raved about “LT” and how good a player he was to coach. But, during an appearance on “Hang Out with Sean Hannity,” Belichick revealed that the two-time Super Bowl champion and eight-time All-Pro linebacker’s instincts are what sets him apart from the rest.
In fact, Taylor’s instincts were so great that he could tell who had him on a given play simply by looking across the line of scrimmage.
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New York Giants legend Lawrence Taylor takes the field before a game against the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on September 8, 2024. (John Jones/Imagn Images)
“Taylor had instincts beyond instincts,” Belichick said. “He was extremely skilled, but he also knew the game very well on instinct. He could tell who was going to block him, Sean, by their fear. If they weren’t nervous, they didn’t block him. If they were nervous, that’s who was going to block him.
“If the quarterback was nervous, it was a pass. If the quarterback wasn’t nervous, he passed the ball. He could tell.”
Taylor’s fear factor has been well documented, but simply looking at a player’s expression across the line and knowing where the ball was going is something else.
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Belichick began seeing this from Taylor when he was the Giants’ second overall pick in the 1981 NFL Draft. At the time, Belichick was the team’s linebacker and special teams coach under head coach Bill Parcells.
Belichick would eventually be promoted to defensive coordinator in 1985, a position he held through the 1990 season before becoming head coach of the Cleveland Browns.
Although he coached great players — he said Tom Brady was his best player during his coaching career — Belichick simply couldn’t teach how Taylor dissected an offense.
New York Giants players Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson celebrate with defensive coach Bill Belichick using a bucket of water during an NFC playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers in East Rutherford, New Jersey, January 4, 1987. (Jerry Wachter/Sports Illustrated)
“Within two or three plays early in the game, he had a good idea of how they were trying to handle him and what their game plan was for him,” he told Hannity. “Sometimes it was what we planned. Sometimes he would come to the sideline and say, ‘Coach, they’re not doing what you said they were going to do. Here’s what they were doing.’ I trusted him because he could really see where they were looking, what their posture was, etc. Then he never left the field. When I was special teams coach, I had him there. He covered punts, he rushed punts, he was on kickoff return, he was on kickoff coverage, he was on field goal protection and he blocked field goals. He didn’t come off the field, but he played.
“He wasn’t a guy who took plays away. He picked his spots a little bit, but every time it was a big play, you got the best out of him.”
Belichick even said he thought Taylor could have played multiple positions on the offensive side of the ball if he wanted, showing respect for his talent during his days on the field.
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Taylor played a pivotal role in the Giants’ Super Bowl victories in 1986 and 1990, while on his way to being named NFL MVP in 1986. He was also a three-time Defensive Player of the Year winner.
During his 13-year career, all with the Giants, Taylor accumulated 142 sacks, including a game-high 20.5 during that MVP season, 41 forced fumbles and nine interceptions in 184 games.
