Lawrence Taylor Lawrence Julius Taylor ( February 4 , 1959 ) nicknamed " L . T . " is an American former football linebacker , actor , who played his entire career with the New York Giants . He was inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999 . Taylor ' s one and only professional match was a victory against Bam Bam Bigelow in the main event of Wrestlemania XI on April 2 , 1995 in Hartford , Connecticut . NFL career . Taylor was drafted out of North Carolina with the 2nd overall pick on the 1981 draft by the New York Giants . aylor won several defensive awards after his rookie season . Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s , Taylor was a disruptive force at outside linebacker , and is credited with changing the pass rushing schemes , offensive line play , and offensive formations used in the NFL . Taylor produced double - digit sacks each season from 1984 through 1990 , including a career high of 20 . 5 in 1986 . He also won a record three Defensive Player of the Year awards and was named the league ' s Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) for his performance during the 1986 season . He was named First - team All - Pro in each of his first nine seasons and was a key member of the Giants ' defense , nicknamed " The Big Blue Wrecking Crew " , that led New York to victories in Super Bowls XXI and XXV . Pro Wrestling . World Wrestling Federation ( 1995 ) . After the end of his NFL career , he appeared at ringside at the Royal Rumble in Tampa , FL . Following a loss in the finals of a tournament to determine new WWF Tag Team Champions , Bam Bam Bigelow took exception to Taylor laughing at the fact that he was pinned by The 1 - 2 - 3 - Kid and shoved Taylor . In the weeks that followed Bigelow would continue to mock Taylor and vice versa thus leading to a match . The match would take place as WrestleMania XI on April 2 , 1995 in Hartford , Connecticut . Taylor was wrestling Bam Bam Bigelow who was accompanied by the members of DiBiase ' s Million Dollar Corporation and Taylor would recruite several NFL football players to accompany him to ringside to keep wrestlers from interfering in the match . Those players in Taylor ' s corner included Steve McMichael , Chris Speilman , Carl Banks , Ken Norton Jr . , Rickey Jackson , and Reggie White . At a previous RAW , McMichael did guest commentary and would later brawl with Kama Mustafa , one of Bigelow ' s comrades . The fight was all over the arena floor and almost into the stands , soon being broken up by personnel . In the match itself Taylor gained the advantage early and performed a clothesline that knocked Bigelow out of the ring . Once he returned to the ring , Bigelow took control of the match by kicking Taylor repeatedly and performing a Boston crab submission hold to hurt Taylor ' s back . Taylor got out of the hold and threw Bigelow with a suplex . Bigelow recovered and performed several headbutts on Taylor before executing a moonsault flip to knock Taylor down to the mat . Taylor began to take control of the match again , but Bigelow kicked him in the back of the head and then performed a headbutt from the top rope . Bigelow was unable to pin Taylor , however . Taylor climbed to the second rope , jumped off , and used his forearm to hit Bigelow . He then covered Bigelow to win the match .