season series with the Padres for the sixth straight time.

This story is excerpted from My Giant Life by Lawrence Taylor with Williams Wyatt. To buy the book, click here. Thirty-one years ago today, Joe Theismann suffered a career-ending injury at the hands of Taylor. The Hall of Fame defender describes what that scene was like.Joe Theismann and I are linked forever because of an unfortunate incident that happened on November 18, 1985, during a Monday night game at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., against the Redskins.At the beginning of the second quarter, Theismann handed off to John Riggins. The Diesel bulled toward the middle of the line, putting his head down for the impact. Then he changed his tack, stopping and flipping the ball back to Theismann. They were trying a flea flicker. Theismann wanted to throw downfield to Art Monk.Unfortunately for the Redskins and Theismann, we read the play correctly. We were blitzing. It felt like our entire defense was pouring in on Theismann. I got a hold of him and pulled him down. As we went to the ground, my knee rammed into his lower right leg; Harry Carson and Gary Reasons also congregated at Theismann on the sack. He didnt get up. I didnt expect him to, either. I knew hed been hurt badly.Theismann later told the New York Times in a 2005 interview: The pain was unbelievable, it snapped like a breadstick. It sounded like two muzzled gunshots off my left shoulder. Pow, pow! It was at that point, I also found out what a magnificent machine the human body is. Almost immediately, from the knee down, all the feeling was gone in my right leg. The endorphins had kicked in, and I was not in pain.Everybody on the field saw Theismann sprawled out on the field and knew he was in trouble. I know I started hollering for the doctors to get to him in a hurry to give him some help. Initially, some of the Redskins thought I was taunting after the sack. That obviously wasnt the case.Its just one of those things that happened. I knew he was hurt when I heard him under the pile yelling and I understood. Thats why I tried to get everybody off him and get some help for him. I knew when youre sitting on the bottom of the pile -- I dont care if its a toe sprain, or an ankle sprain, I dont care what it is -- it seems like forever, like the people on top of you are never going to figure it out. All you want is the people to get off of you and to get some help. And to breathe again.Everybody just kind of stood around like nobody knew what had happened.At that juncture of his career, Theismann was still a decent football player and an icon in Washington. Of course, Id been playing against him for years. And during our time, we spent a lot of time together and wed see each other a lot. Just like anybody else, you hate to see somebody sit there and suffer. So I wanted to get some help out there for the sumbitch.What happened? He fractured both the tibia and the fibula. In other words, the lower leg bones in his right leg were broken between his ankle and knee. That end result left his leg bent gruesomely in different directions.A lot of time passed before they quit tending to Joe and got him off the field and on his way to the hospital. Jay Schroeder took over at quarterback. Nobody knew at the time that Theismann would never play again.An ESPN poll of viewers later voted that play as the NFLs Most Shocking Moment in History.Really, its not a moment I want to remember or care to see again. Ive never seen the play. Football is a tough game, so players are always going to get hurt while playing the game. Thats one of the hazards of the job. Believe me; Ive seen a lot worse hits on film than the one on Joe, though. Everyone who thinks they know me wants to talk about that Monday Night Football game. First of all, like I said, I have never watched the play, dont wont to watch it, and I never will watch it. I saw it in person. I dont want to see it again.I remember calling him the morning after I broke his leg. A woman answered the phone. I dont know if she was his girlfriend or wife at the time. I hear her say, Joe, Joe, that guy is on the phone! When he got on the phone, he told me that I had broken both the bones in his leg. I kidded him by telling him that I didnt do anything half-assed. I told him, If Im going to break them, Im going to break them both.To Joes credit, he never blamed me for what happened. Weve never had a problem. Ive never had a problem with Joe. And every time we see each other, we talk. We talked before then, we still talk, and there is no animosity there. I know his son very well. Hey, I did [Theismann] a favor. He had Lloyds of London [insurance]. He made about $3 million.Joe had a helluva a career, and he did well after the NFL. But hes always maintained that his legacy is that injury. As he told the Orlando Sentinel, Ill forever be known as the Godfather of Broken Legs.This excerpt from My Giant Life by Lawrence Taylor with William Wyatt is printed with the permission of Triumph Books. For more information and to order a copy, please visit this link. Nike Air Max 270 Just Do It Black .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch. Nike Air Max 270 React Discount . "Trying to breathe," he said with a grin. Bernier stopped 42 of 43 shots on Monday night, including all 22 in a hectic middle frame, his heroic performance propelling the Leafs toward an undue point in their final game before the Christmas break. http://www.max270cheap.com/air-max-270-womens-sale.html . Philadelphia is 2-0 against the Senators this season and scored five goals in each victory. The Flyers recorded a 5-0 win in Ottawa on Nov. 12 and then earned a 5-2 home decision on Nov. 19. The Flyers have claimed three straight and four of the last five encounters with the Sens overall and Philly has won two in a row and three of its past four tests in Canadas capital city. Cheap Nike Air Max 270 . Walcott is available for Saturdays home match against Southampton as Arsenal looks to extend its two-point lead at the top of the Premier League. The Gunners are currently the second highest scorers in the league but Wenger insists Walcott will add something extra to his team. Air Max 270 Mens Sale . Belfort (24-10) needed just 77 seconds to down Henderson in the headlining bout of Saturdays "UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson" event at Goiania Arena in Goiania, Brazil. The fight served as a rematch of the pairs 2006 meeting, which Henderson won by decision. LOS ANGELES -- Jose De Leon was feeling calm shortly before his major league debut until he spotted his brother near the bullpen railing. He reached over and they hugged as De Leon whispered I did it, leaving Juan near tears.In another section of Dodger Stadium, De Leons parents were on the edge of their seats, having hurriedly traveled from Puerto Rico on short notice to watch their 20-year-old sons debut in the midst of a pennant race.De Leon didnt disappoint, striking out nine in the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-4 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday.Theres no word to describe that, he said. It was amazing to be here for the first time.Taking the mound to start the game, De Leon reached down and scribbled `MPM in the dirt -- a reference to Mommy, Papi and his brothers nickname, Maje. In the broadcast booth, Vin Scully was telling the television audience about De Leon, who was thrilled to get called up before Scully retires at seasons end.For a young kid to make his debut in this environment says a lot about Jose, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. He kept his composure.Pinch-hitter Yasmani Grandal drove in three runs, including a go-ahead single in the fifth inning, to help the NL West leaders take two of three from the last-place Padres. The Dodgers increased their lead to three games over the Giants, who lost to the Cubs 3-2 in 13 innings.De Leon became the 15th different starting pitcher -- and seventh in seven days -- used by Los Angeles this season. The 24-year-old right-hander, recalled a day earlier from Triple-A Oklahoma City, recorded the second-most strikeouts by a Dodgers pitcher in his major league debut.Hes going to be good for a long time, said Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes, who caught De Leon nine times in the minors. I didnt notice any difference from down there to here. His composure was the same, his tempo was the same.After reaching on a single in the fifth, Wil Myers raved about De Leon.I told Adrian Gonzalez this kid has got great stuff and hes going to be really good, Myers said. I was impressed with his fastball, its got real life on it and hes got a good changeup.De Leon (1-0) gave up four runs and six hits in six innings and didnt issue a walk. He struck out the side in the sixth to finish with a flourish.That was the inning I executed all my pitches, he said, so I was excited.Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth to earn his 42nd save in 48 chances.Kevin Quackenbuush (7-5) took the loss in relief, giving up one run and two hits.dddddddddddd He walked one.Yasiel Puig hit a three-run homer in the third that put the Dodgers ahead 3-2 in his second start since being recalled last week after a month-long demotion to the minors.Grandal hit a two-run homer with two outs in the seventh, scoring Puig, who walked, and extending the Dodgers lead to 7-4.Chase Utleys RBI single tied the game 4-all in the fifth. Grandal made it 5-4 on an RBI single.Yangervis Solarte hit a two-run homer in the third and the Padres scored the tying and go-ahead runs in the fifth.San Diego starter Christian Friedrich allowed four runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings of his first start since Aug. 23. He struck out four and walked three. The left-hander had pitched in relief last week after losing eight straight as a starter.DE LEONS KsDe Leon fell one strikeout short of the most by a Dodgers pitcher in their big-league debut. Kazuhisa Ishii in April 2002 against Colorado and Pedro Astacio in July 1992 against Philadelphia had 10 each. De Leons nine strikeouts tied for the third most by a major league pitcher making his debut since 1913 who didnt issue a walk.ITS A WRAPThe Dodgers clinched the season series with the Padres for the sixth straight time. They lead 10-6 with three games left and are 6-4 in Los Angeles.TRAINERS ROOMPadres: INF Alexei Ramirez was released Sunday after being told he wasnt going to be the teams everyday shortstop anymore. The 34-year-old veteran hit .240 with five homers and 41 RBI in 128 games.Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw will start Friday at Miami after spending more than two months on the disabled list with a herniated disk. He wont have a specific pitch count, but will be monitored. ... LHP Brett Anderson was bothered by a blister in a rehab outing at Class A Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday and will be reassessed.UP NEXTPadres: RHP Edwin Jackson (3-5, 6.26 ERA) opens a three-game home series against Boston. Hes coming off a loss in his last start at Atlanta, where he gave up five runs and seven hits in 2 2/3 innings and walked three in a 7-3 defeat.Dodgers: RHP Kenta Maeda (13-8, 3.38) is 1-1 with a 3.68 ERA in four starts against Arizona this season. He has held the Dbacks to a .259 average and struck out 20 while walking three. ' ' '