ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, May 5, 1996 TAG: 9605070021
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-9 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.
SOURCE: Associated Press
Lawrence Taylor's attorney says pressures on the 10-time Pro Bowl linebacker may have contributed to his arrest Friday night in a drug sting.
Tommy Brittain said he spoke with Taylor briefly late Friday after the former NFL star was charged with attempting to buy crack cocaine from an undercover officer.
``He was very, very upset and it was difficult to get an accurate picture of what had happened,'' Brittain told The (Myrtle Beach) Sun News.
Brittain said Taylor, in town for a charity golf tournament, probably had left the area. Tournament organizers said Taylor withdrew Saturday, saying he did not want his presence to overwhelm the event.
Taylor was not available for comment. On Friday night, Taylor would not confirm or deny he bought the cocaine and told The Sun News, ``I was not going to use it.''
Taylor said personal problems led to the incident and arrest.
``Between my wife and the IRS they've got me all [messed] up,'' Taylor said. ``In New York they're calling me `Deadbeat Dad.' ... My whole world seems like it's in the [toilet]. ... I ought to kill myself.''
Brittain, who has played golf with Taylor at the Grand Strand, said Taylor has had people pulling him in many directions.
``He lives in a pressure cooker. He's had a considerable amount of pressure on him from a variety of situations. It's an uncomfortable position for somebody with fame and some assets,'' Brittain said.
In mid-April, the Bergen County (N.J.) sheriff's office said Taylor was four months behind in child support payments and owed $58,538.
It was reported then that Taylor's wife, Linda, filed divorce complaints in 1989, 1992 and 1994, charging cruelty among other things, but court records indicated the divorce had not been finalized. The Taylors have two daughters and a son.
Taylor, who led the New York Giants to Super Bowl championships after the 1986 and 1990 seasons, was suspended for four games in 1988 for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy.
He retired after the 1993 season, and since has been involved in several businesses. He drew criticism last year for performing as a professional wrestler, but reportedly was paid $1 million for one pay-per-view match. He also had a deal to star in an action movie, but that apparently fell through.
Taylor, in South Carolina for his fifth appearance in the Addy's Harbor Dodge Celebrity Golf Extravaganza, signed footballs and autographs at a sports memorabilia auction Friday after his arrest.
Brittain would not speculate on what happened in the sting operation.
``Our first task will be to look at the evidence, see what happened, figure out the nature of the operation. We need to know all the circumstances ... what he was doing and what the government was forcing on him,'' he said.
Capt. Sam Hendrick of the Myrtle Beach Police Department said Taylor, in a car with others, purchased $100 of crack cocaine from an undercover officer.
Hendrick said Taylor was booked along with 17 other people. He was released after paying a $5,000 bond on the spot.
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