LT: Over the Edge: Tackling Quarterbacks, Drugs, and a World Beyond Football

by Lawrence Taylor, Steve Serby

On the football field, he was an explosive force; a mold- breaking and bone-crushing linebacker who wreaked havoc on offenses each Sunday. But off the field, the fury that made Lawrence Taylor a Hall of Fame player put him on a runaway blitz to self-destruction. Over the Edge is a smash-mouth memoir by one of the game's greatest players, an unsparing look at the giant of all Giants whose struggle with a cocaine habit was the only thing in his life he couldn't tackle with ease. Raw and uncut, Taylor tells of his life from a small townin Virginia to becoming the most dominant defensive player of all time. Through a record ten straight All-Pro seasons, LT led the New York Giants to two Super Bowl victories, along the way revolutionizing the outside linebacker position. But the bright lights of Giants Stadium were nothing compared to the even brighter lights of New York City, where the King of the NFL held court all night long, fueled by booze, drugs, sex, and his own sense of invincibility. Twice suspended from the league for substance abuse, Taylor walked away from the white lines of the football field to the far more alluring white lines of New York drug culture. Not one week after his retirement in 1993, he was on vacation and binging on coke. And so began an endless blur of years of all-nighters, prostitutes, and crippling paranoia that ended his marriage and very nearly cost him his life. But after several arrests, with the Hall of Fame beckoning, Lawrence Taylor finally stared down his toughest opponent -- himself -- entered rehab, and got clean. In 1999, in his first year of eligibility, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame -- the man who had raised hell on and off the field had lived through it all. Filled with intimate and revealing stories from his teammates, coaches, family, and friends, Over the Edge will forever change the way you look at the game of football and the indomitable Lawrence Taylor.

Genres: Sports, Biography, Nonfiction, Football

272 pages, Hardcover

First published July 12, 1987

Reviews

[Ira_est_a_donum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy and quick read for any NFL fan who would be interested in the chaotic life of LT. Its not a super page turner, but his life in of itself was a page turner so there is enough material there to keep you interested.

The format of the book is a little weird, as it has a lot of comments written by everyone who knew LT during his life and then he will make a comment about their comment etc. Its easy enough to follow and gives some insights from another persons point of view but it seems just an easy way to publish a book without much work or insight on LTs part. I could see where Giants fans will feel a little cheated but like I said there is enough there for the casual fan to get a little more behind the scenes info to feel its worth as few bucks out of your pocket to purchase the book.

I will say that I didnt read his 1st autobiography, but I assume its more fluff trying to still keep his brand $$$ up before it came crashing down but I wish I had read it 1st just to see the difference in his view point on certain incidents and also to see how far from being honest he was back when the 1st book came out.

[Dimitri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the edge covers everything from LT's college days, through his career with the Giants to his post career problems. The book gives you a god idea of the lifestyle LT led off the field but doesn't go into too much detail. In a nutshell, he partied hard, had extra marital flings, but still managed to show up and give 100% on Sunday Afternoon. Having been a Giants fan for over 25 seasons, I had can say that. you'd never know that there were many a night that LT would show up at the stadium after being out till 8 am, and still manage to play a hell of agame. The after career chapters, which detail LT's drug use make you feel some sympathy, but also angry that it took LT so long to clean his act up. Overall, This is a decent sports biography, one any football fan will appreciate.

[Devin O'brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy read that gives you a good idea of the lifestyle Lawrence Taylor, legendary New York Giants linebacker, led off the field… and the unexpected craziness of it. In a nutshell, he partied alot, broke curfew every saturday, but still managed to show up and give 100% on Sunday Afternoon. While reading, you cannot help but wonder how he could still be functioning after nights of crack and alcohol binging like he did, and then how he lived to this day.
Very interesting- he had a crazy life but after he stopped talking about what he did, it got a little boring and depressing, just talking about his addiction. But would recommend, definitely should read.

[Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This autobiography of the greatest outside linebacker in NFL history has an impact on the readers loves: hevily. L.T. fans have known him for his heart-pounding, injury enabling, and season/career ending sack or tackles. However, the novel also portrays the lawernce taylor life and the cok-binging, agreesive alchoholic, exy crazy, money spending, partier, he is too be. all lifes have two sides or stoires of the, but Lawrence taylor went to hell in bakc in a 13-15 nfl career, and constantly was depednednt on the bailt out of other.

[Andrew Woods]

The book is powerful, it's the story of a true legend of the gridiron looking back on his career realizing his immaturity, rise of his profile, fame, money ect really was a path to self-destruction, My only negative about the book is it could have been worded better and it seems sometimes like Lawrence Taylor is trying to glamorize his previous lifestyle while at the seem time looking for sympathy from the reader. Good read i found myself looking forward to the next page to see what antics and schemes LT was up too.

[Jeffrey Bumiller · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been a huge Giants fan since I was a kid, and Lawrence Taylor was always my favorite player. It's hard to say this, but the guy can barely string a sentence together. This book should have been action packed and illuminating but instead it was boring, and cringe worthy. Having said all that, I'm still glad I had the experience of growing up watching Lawrence Taylor every Sunday. He is one of the greatest to ever play the game.

[RB Love · Rating 3 out of 5]

LT was an insane coke addict. Turned his posh upscale neighborhood home in north Jersey to a crack house where he bore a whole in the wall so he could get from the couch in his living room to his bed without having to walk around through the kitchen. He was banging as many as 12 bitches a day and smoking crack for months straight after his retirement from the NFL.
02/09/07

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting -life of a pro football player. think he is a bit egotistical- read it cause my students loved him and his brother worked at the detention center.

[Clem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read, written on a 5th grade reading level, though not recommended for that age group. Lots of crack. And hookers.

[A.P. Sweet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm sure in real life he's a scumbag, but on the field he was a god. Great read.

[David Stimpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

yes ..he did it all..and still did it the best

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

May have been a great football player but he was a seriously flawed human being.

[Dr Goon Taco Supreme · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished reading, “LT: Living On the Edge,” and then I went straight on to read, “LT: Over the Edge,” and I must say, these two books are fundamentally the same book with a different writing approach.

“LT: Living On the Edge,” was written in a very traditional and straightforward way. The autobiography told the tale of Lawrence Taylor’s live in a polished and guarded sort of way. It was obvious some accounts had been left out, or glossed over, to make Taylor look a little better to the public.

“LT: Over the Edge,” is much more honest and more real. The book is full of the written contributions of Taylor’s friends, family, acquaintances, and even enemies, that provide vivid description of his reminiscences.

The story of Taylor’s life remained the same so, “LT: Over the Edge,” is just a rewrite of, “LT: Living On the Edge.” So if you read the first book I’d say you have technically also read the second book.

The only new addition to the second book was Taylor’s retirement from football, and his delve into a pretty serious addiction to crack cocaine. He also describes his financial, marital, and legal woes, followed by the attempts he made to kick his crack habit.

The parts of the book where Taylor is trying to recover from his addiction are the only parts of the book I’d call boring. The accounts of Taylor’s childhood, his football career and his wild party lifestyle, are all very interesting and fun to read about.

The book was lots of fun 3/4th of the way through but the final 1/4 was a chore to read because it was about Taylor trying to quit crack and that was a drag.

I removed one star because the book lost steam part way through and another star for its being a little sloppy . On the whole it was a fun read and I’m rating it a solid 3 stars and well worthwhile.

[Greg Kopstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a baby when Lawrence Taylor stopped playing and I never really got to watch him play, even in highlights it’s not the same. Of course I knew who he was, like kids know all the legends to play - “Heroes get remembered, legends never die.” I knew him from Any Given Sunday too, naturally. But I wanted to read up on more sports legends, so I picked up this book.

It was a bit of a slog, and the guest writers was novel for a while, but tended to lag a bit. It’s an interesting concept and certainly a powerful story, but I don’t think it captures the essence of who this legend is, or was.

Maybe it’s an impossible feat, has anyone captured the essence of Michael Jordan or Babe Ruth? I doubt it. So for now, this book will have to do.

[Rob Rains · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re reading this then you’re probably either a football fan or else an LT/Giants fan. LT’s exploits are legendary and tragic. The book is written in a bespoke fashion and LT uses filler language and plenty of expletives. Still, he was/is a captivating public figure and it is interesting to hear his perspective on a color life. There are better books that touch on these great Giants teams, though, and true football historians will likely find refuge elsewhere. However, for diehard LT fans this is likely to serve as a nice compliment to your compendium of sources.

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an easy read but a bit too over the top for my taste.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

First memoir I ever read. I really liked it. Very shocking lifestyle of LT, but what a player.