Hall of Fame New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor was arrested for rape today. According to police in Ramapo, Taylor is accused of raping someone at a Holiday Inn in Suffren, N.Y.

Details of the alleged rape have not been made public and charges have yet to be filed.

This, however, is not Taylor's first brush with the law. He was suspended by the NFL on multiple occasions for drug use. After his career ended in 1993, he was arrested three different times for drug charges. Just last year, Taylor was charged with leaving the scene of an accident in Miami.

Despite Taylor's previous issues with drugs, we should reserve judgment until all of the facts come out.

Taylor was one of the most talented and feared linebackers in NFL history. Some say he was the best linebacker ever.

His combination of speed and power made him a menace to quarterbacks and running backs alike. At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, Taylor could cover receivers, blitz the quarterback or bull rush gigantic offensive linemen.. He had 142 sacks over the course of his career and basically remade the position of outside linebacker.

During his career, the New York Giants won two championships, and he won Defensive Player of the Year three times. Taylor was named league MVP in 1986.

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


He also had a big enough personality to act in movies and work as an NFL commentator.

ESPN writes:

Taylor played and lived on the edge. For all his physical gifts, his greatest strength may have been his mind. Taylor was an adrenaline junkie who willed himself to do things mere mortals would not consider. "What makes L.T. so great, what makes him so aggressive, is his total disregard for his body," said Bill Belichick, the Giants' defensive coordinator during Taylor's prime.

Unfortunately, that same recklessness extended to Taylor's personal life.

His trials and tribulations should send a message to young, talented athletes, though. You have to make smart decisions about whom you hang out with and the actions you decide to take.

Like Dwight Gooden, Taylor was still suffering in his middle age from habits he acquired when he was young. Taylor says he has been clean since 1998.

Just in case anyone thinks all the stuff done in youth is just fun and games, you should think again.Taylor has, unfortunately, garnered as much attention for his off-the-field troubles as his on-the-field prowess. Let's hope no one was harmed.