I miss those days of LT and that defense. The images that stick in my mind are the one handed sack on Rick Mirer and tracking down Reuban what's his name from the Saints.
There were a lot of very good players on The Giants in those days. Team, Team, Team!
You are absolutely right, and all of them benefited from the double, and triple coverage that LT had thrown at him.
But that's not news to anyone, all of us old guys saw it.
That was his actual playing speed. It only LOOKS sped up, because he's so much faster than everyone else on the field. He was a 1 in a 1,000,000 talent, with a heart and attitude to match it.
You've all noticed, I guess, that he "tackled" Wrapped his arms around the player and brought him down. In response to another post, I don't think I saw anything in his tackling that would draw a penalty. Taunting, maybe. The tomahawk chop, probably.
You have to wonder how many roughing and taunting penalties he would get in today's NFL.
If the refs followed rules re LT, holding would have been called on anyone trying to block him on maybe 50% of all plays, too! They let the opposition hold LT, often and often blatantly, just to try to level the playing field. And how often did LT bitch about it?
Show that video..that vid only, that player only and what he brought to the field once he stepped onto it...and that's how one should try to emulate ...one word..RELENTLESS
the greatest player I got to watch live in my lifetime
I know he's not just the greatest defensive player of all time, but the greatest player period! Then I watch this video & all I keep saying is "Holy Shit" over & over again. As was said above, that was his motor, no speeding up of the video! He was a one man wrecking crew, being double/triple teamed every play & it didn't matter. The absolute, indisputable greatest of all time!
of LT highlights. I found a clip in a Redskin game where they triple teamed him. Clearly deliberate triple team. I will concede that someone is better than LT when I see a triple team.
to watch his entire career. I also had another interesting perspective. My seats were right behind the visitor bench. I could hear everything the opposing team was saying because the bench in the old stadium was a lot closer to row 1 than in the new stadium.
Basically, the other teams were arguing about what they were going to do about stopping LT. Then, when that was not enough, we were taunting the opposing QBs telling them that when they go back into the game that LT was literally going to rip their heads off. You should have seen the scared looks we got in return. They really thought it was a possibility.
There would be some penalties called for some of what he did, but he could have adjusted his style a little and the outcomes would have been the same from a football perspective. Basically one blocker had no chance of stopping him and two blockers had only some chance of stopping him, but not much.
Amazingly, he may have been at his best his first year...1981
In part because other teams didn't have any idea how to block him.
I was at the game when they beat the Cowboys in OT to get into the play-offs for the first time in my Giant fan life. In fact, my father, who had season tix starting at the Polo Grounds, took my brother and me to SF for the game against the 49'ers, after the Giants had upset the Eagles.
Man, was he fun to watch that year.... and in subsequent years, of course.
There were a lot of very good players on The Giants in those days. Team, Team, Team!
You are absolutely right, and all of them benefited from the double, and triple coverage that LT had thrown at him.
But that's not news to anyone, all of us old guys saw it.
Yep, Leonard Marshall should thank LT every day. Playing DE in front of LT made his career.
My youngest football memories are him just dominating and playing at a different speed than everyone else. He was immediately my favorite player and the Giants were my team from there on out.
I don't think they necessarily should have won another ring but they should have been a regular playoff team from '84 thru '93. Instead missed several years. A surprising amount of under-performing years for a team that was good enough to win 2 Lombardis.
What's not shown in the video is that you could't run the ball away from him either. I remember teams trying to run the ball to the right and thinking they didn't have to block the backside only to see LT flying down the line of scrimmage to tackle the RB across the field...amazing.
can you imagine if the stars aligned and the giants had reggie white on the other side as was almost the case?
they would have been in their primes in the pre-free agency period too, so would have had maybe 10 years of sheer horror for opposing offenses. you would need to run a jumbo package every play just to keep your QB/RB out of the hospital.
No videos there of him running down running backs from behind
or playing with a separated shoulder and making a game saving interception. He also played on a broken ankle. The man's pain tolerance was incredible. Today's players sit out for a stubbed toe. There will NEVER be another LT.
It has been alluded to already but it's really incredible how much the game has changed. He would have been called for taunting penalties on about 75% of those sacks, he also would have been called for blows to the head, unnecessary roughness, etc..
He was the greatest defensive player of all time. not before and not after has there been such a combination of speed, strength, quickness, and athletic ability. Plus, his football instincts were off the charts. He was the most dominating force I've ever witnessed on the football field. It didn't matter where he lined up (weak side, strong side, inside, 2 pt. stance, 3 pt stance) or if he engaged an OL, TE, RB, double team of any combination. He always looked like he was shot out of a cannon and was able to toss any of them aside like rag dolls. He was truly a dynamic and incredible player. Plus, for someone who seemed so disinterested in practice, etc. he really knew the game, the playbook, and was an intensely competitive player.
You are absolutely right, and all of them benefited from the double, and triple coverage that LT had thrown at him.
But that's not news to anyone, all of us old guys saw it.
This was pure, tackling football at its best.
If the refs followed rules re LT, holding would have been called on anyone trying to block him on maybe 50% of all plays, too! They let the opposition hold LT, often and often blatantly, just to try to level the playing field. And how often did LT bitch about it?
[quote] He played with fury and athleticism rarely seen! [/quote
Like a CRAZED Dog!
While that's true don't think for a second he wasn't the best player by a lot every game he played
Basically, the other teams were arguing about what they were going to do about stopping LT. Then, when that was not enough, we were taunting the opposing QBs telling them that when they go back into the game that LT was literally going to rip their heads off. You should have seen the scared looks we got in return. They really thought it was a possibility.
I was at the game when they beat the Cowboys in OT to get into the play-offs for the first time in my Giant fan life. In fact, my father, who had season tix starting at the Polo Grounds, took my brother and me to SF for the game against the 49'ers, after the Giants had upset the Eagles.
Man, was he fun to watch that year.... and in subsequent years, of course.
Quote:
There were a lot of very good players on The Giants in those days. Team, Team, Team!
You are absolutely right, and all of them benefited from the double, and triple coverage that LT had thrown at him.
But that's not news to anyone, all of us old guys saw it.
Yep, Leonard Marshall should thank LT every day. Playing DE in front of LT made his career.
My youngest football memories are him just dominating and playing at a different speed than everyone else. He was immediately my favorite player and the Giants were my team from there on out.
Maybe that's why I don't watch anywhere near as much football any more.
But LT is such a tragic, despicable figure off the field, it really dampens my view of his on the field genius.
I didn't expect he'd be Roger Staubach, but at least someone who you could admire to some degree. Instead, there is nothing to admire...
The 91 Eagles were really good and the Cowboys became even better by '93 IMO.
And the award for most bizarre reaction to an LT thread goes to...
That was otherworldly play that you won't see again. End of story.
can you imagine if the stars aligned and the giants had reggie white on the other side as was almost the case?
they would have been in their primes in the pre-free agency period too, so would have had maybe 10 years of sheer horror for opposing offenses. you would need to run a jumbo package every play just to keep your QB/RB out of the hospital.
or playing with a separated shoulder and making a game saving interception. He also played on a broken ankle. The man's pain tolerance was incredible. Today's players sit out for a stubbed toe. There will NEVER be another LT.
The glory days of football have long gone.