Top Lawrence Taylor Cards to Collect
There is quite possibly no single individual who could change the course of a game like Lawrence Taylor. “The Assassin” is quite possibly the scariest pass rusher ever to grace the league, and he could change the entire momentum of a game with his ability to disrupt at the line, no matter who they put on him or how many people they had to block him. He turned the strip-sack into a true art form. He was the ultimate football player.
Look no further than his former coach, Bill Belichick, who said this about him: “Honestly, he could have played any position on defense except corner. He probably could have played corner, too, but safety, linebacker, inside, outside, defensive end, defensive tackle. He played nose guard at North Carolina, so put him wherever you want.”
For the defensive rookie of the year, multi-time defensive player of the year, MVP, and champion, there are so many cards to choose from, especially from the iconic ’80s and ’90s sets by Topps, but these are the ones you should work to collect.
Top Lawrence Taylor Cards
1985 Topps Football #124 All-Pro Lawrence Taylor
Player info
• Two-time Super bowl winner (XXI, XXV)
• 56 career forced fumbles
Set info
• 396 total cards
card back
• vitals, career stat totals of his first four years, and a pro bowl logo, as well as a short bio about his dominant first years in the league
1987 Topps Football #26 Lawrence Taylor
Player info
• led the league with 20.5 sacks in 1986
• 1986 league MVP and won his third dpoty
Card info
• 396 card set
card back
• vitals, hometown, and a recap of his destructive 1986 season in which he went to his sixth pro bowl in as many years
2023 Topps Composite Football Lawrence Taylor 1973
Player info
• finished his career with 132.5 sacks, including 9.5 his rookie year before the stat was invented
• Three-time Defensive player of the year
Card info
• 400-card set that features many of topps’ greatest brands, including chrome, allen & ginter, and more
card back
• vitals and a recap of his “revolutionary” career, along with an official tally of 142 sacks – a franchise record
1983 Topps Football #133 Lawrence Taylor
Player info
• Was defensive player of the year in 1982 despite only playing nine games in a strike-shortened season
• ninth all-time in sacks total list
Card info
• 396 card set
card back
• Vitals, and a mention of his interception return for a touchdown against detroit during the 1982 Thanksgiving game, which was the game’s only td (his team won)
1991 Topps Football #16 Lawrence Taylor
Player info
• his teams are considered some of the greatest defenses of all time
• Selected to 10 career pro bowls
Card info
• 660-card set
• insert set for 1000-yard club members
card back
• vitals, and a writeup declaring him the finest linebacker of all time and a unanimous choice to the all-1980s team
1982 Topps Football #434 Lawrence Taylor RC
Player info
• Only player to win the defensive rookie of the year and defensive player of the year in the same year, 1981
• also 1982 defensive player of the year (back-to-back years)
Card info
• 528 card set
• inserts included “coming soon” stickers and magenta/yellow and cyan/yellow “progressive proofs”
card back
• vitals and a recap of his superb and historic rookie season, along with a piece of team trivia
