In 2013 the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Museum celebrated its 50th anniversary by adding a new addition adjacent to the original building. The new section of the Hall of Fame was joined to the existing section by means of a passageway called the Time Tunnel. The Hall of Fame decided to decorate the passageway by showing life-size portraits of The 15 Greatest NFL Players of All Time. The Hall of Fame hired Scott Sillcox of Heritage Sports Art to create the player images. This framed piece contains the two actual original pieces of art that were used to create the life-size image of Player #11 in the timeline – Lawrence Taylor. To the viewer’s left is the actual original watercolor painting of Taylor’s uniformed body, while the image in the center-top is the actual original painting of Taylor’s face and helmet. The image to the viewer’s right is the final art that was electronically created using the two original pieces of art, and it is this compiled image that has been enlarged to life-size and can be found in the Time Tunnel at the Hall of Fame.

The outer dimensions of this framed piece, as measured from the outside of the frame to the outside of the frame, are 45" wide x 40" tall.

Lawrence Taylor, an All-America at North Carolina, was the first-round draft pick of the New York Giants and the second player selected overall in the 1981 NFL Draft. The 6-3, 237-pound linebacker set the tone for his pro career with an outstanding rookie season during which he recorded a career-high 133 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 8 passes defensed, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception. 

A dominant force on defense, Taylor was named first-team All-Pro in each of his first nine seasons. His ability to dominate a game with his attack style changed the outside linebacker position from a read-and-react posture to an aggressive mode.

An intense player, he had the speed to run past offensive linemen and the strength to out-muscle them. Starting in Taylor’s first season, the Giants began a 10-season streak in which they made the playoffs six times and won two Super Bowls.

Although Taylor’s accomplishments are many, he recorded his finest statistical season in 1986 when he was named the NFL’s MVP, becoming the first defensive player to do so since 1971. That season, Taylor recorded a career high 20.5 sacks, 105 total tackles, five passes defensed, and two forced fumbles.

In a 1988 game against the New Orleans Saints, suffering with a torn pectoral muscle in his shoulder, Taylor demonstrated his remarkable strength and determination. Wearing a harness to keep his shoulder in place, he managed to record seven tackles, three sacks, and two forced fumbles. The Giants won 13-12.

Taylor recorded 132.5 quarterback sacks (not including 9.5 sacks he recorded in 1981, since the sack didn’t become an official NFL statistic until 1982), 1,088 tackles, 33 forced fumbles, 10 fumble recoveries, and nine interceptions during his career. He was selected to play in 10 Pro Bowls and in 1994 was named to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All-Time Team.

LAWRENCE JULIUS TAYLOR ... UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA ... 6'3'', 237 ... GIANTS’ FIRST ROUND PICK, SECOND PLAYER OVERALL, 1981 DRAFT ... GREAT INTENSITY, SPEED, STRENGTH FUELED ATTACK STYLE ... REDEFINED THE WAY OUTSIDE LINEBACKER POSITION WAS PLAYED ... NAMED ALL-PRO FIRST NINE SEASONS ... ALL-NFC TEN TIMES ... 10 PRO BOWLS ... NFL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR, 1981, 1982, 1986 ... SECOND ALL-TIME IN CAREER SACKS AT RETIREMENT ... NAMED TO NFL’s 75TH ANNIVERSARY TEAM, 1994 ... BORN FEBRUARY 4, 1959 IN WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA.