Lawrence Taylor was taken to a hospital in New Jersey after suffering a medical emergency, according to TMZ Sports, which reported the development on Friday. The 67-year-old former New York Giants star was first brought to the emergency room before being moved to another part of the hospital.
People close to Taylor do not believe whatever he is dealing with is too serious, and he is expected to be released soon. The update comes as fans once again hear about a player whose career defined an era for the Giants and who has been candid for years about health problems and drug addiction.
Taylor was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1981 NFL Draft and became one of the most dominant defensive players in league history, leading the Giants to two Super Bowls and winning MVP in 1986. In December, he appeared in good spirits at a Team of Heroes event at Pier 60 in Manhattan, where he joined Giants teammate Ottis Anderson and Mets great Darryl Strawberry.
His latest hospitalization is a reminder that the health issues that surfaced after retirement have followed him into later life, even as he remains a franchise great and Hall of Famer. For now, the key question is not what Taylor meant to football, but whether the brief hospital stay will end with the quick discharge those close to him expect.