Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor says he still makes a lot of bad decisions. In an interview with Showtime's "Inside the NFL," which aired Wednesday night, the former Giants star says he has struggled with self-discipline.
"Nowadays, you guys are on 24-hours-a-day, so everything that happens is actually exploited a little bit more or is blown up a little bit more, and more people know about it," Taylor said in remarks released by Showtime. "So now you have to really discipline yourself. For years, I had no discipline. I could do what I wanted to do as far as playing in New York."
Taylor was sentenced in March to six years' probation under a deal to plead guilty to sexual misconduct and patronizing an underage prostitute. In November, he was sued by the teenage girl with whom he admitted having sex.
Taylor said when he pleaded guilty that the girl told him she was 19.
"Regardless, if I asked her the question, I'm still responsible for that," Taylor said. "And all I can do is just say, 'Hey, you've got to learn from your experiences.' That's one thing I've done. I've taken the long road on a lot of different things. I've taken the long road, you know, like when I had my drug problem."
Taylor, who competed in ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" last year, had a highly publicized struggle with drug addiction and has had multiple legal run-ins since retiring from football.
"Because as easy as football is to me ... is as hard as life is to me," Taylor said. "I'm just hopeful that life will come easier."
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press
