UNC Football: ESPN Votes Lawrence Taylor as Best Edge Rusher Ever

The UNC football legend received 40 out of 50 possible votes as the best edge rusher of all time by a panel of ESPN NFL experts.

Few people in the history of sports are able to truly say they changed the way their game is played.  Former UNC football standout Lawrence Taylor is one of those players as he redefined the position of linebacker while terrorizing quarterbacks throughout his NFL career.

Taylor came into the league and changed the way his position was viewed with a combination of speed, size, and strength that had never been seen before.

According to a recent poll by ESPN, the impact Taylor had on the league makes him the best edge rusher the game has ever seen.  The former Tar Heel received 80% of the vote as the “GOAT” at his position with Reggie White, Bruce Smith, and JJ Watt sharing the other 20%.

Taylor is no stranger to personal accolades, as he won an MVP, and three Defensive Player of the Year Awards while making ten Pro Bowl appearances during his career. In recognition of his illustrious career, Taylor was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.  He did more than just rack up individual accomplishments during his time in the NFL, also winning two Super Bowls with the New York Giants.

Some of the biggest names in the sport of professional football share the opinion that Taylor is the “GOAT” at his position.  Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick was once asked to compare Khalil Mack to LT and responded with this:

"“Wait a minute, we’re talking about Lawrence Taylor now,” Belichick said Wednesday when asked about stacking Mack up against the eight-time All-Pro pass-rusher, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “I’m not putting anybody in (LT’s) class. Put everybody down below that. With a lot of respect to a lot of good players, we’re talking about Lawrence Taylor.”"

The late John Madden also had extremely high praise for the former Tar Heel:

"“Lawrence Taylor, defensively, has had as big an impact as any player I’ve ever seen,” former Raiders coach John Madden said. “He changed the way defense is played, the way pass-rushing is played, the way linebackers play and the way offenses block linebackers.”"

Taylor had an outstanding career in Chapel Hill prior to being selected 2nd overall in the 1981 NFL Draft.  He set plenty of defensive records and was the ACC Player of the Year in 1980.  His jersey number 98 is retired by the UNC football program.

Tar Heel fans can take pride in the fact that not only did the best basketball player of all time attend the University of North Carolina, but also one of the greatest football players ever did as well.

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