Ty Law facts for kids
Law with the Denver Broncos in 2009
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No. 24, 22, 26 | |||||||||||||
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Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||
Born: | Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
February 10, 1974 ||||||||||||
Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||
Weight: | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||
High school: | Aliquippa | ||||||||||||
College: | Michigan (1992–1994) | ||||||||||||
NFL Draft: | 1995 / Round: 1 / Pick: 23 | ||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||
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Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Pro Football Hall of Fame
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Tajuan Edward "Ty" Law (born February 10, 1974) is a former American football player. He was a cornerback for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He is best known for his time with the New England Patriots.
Ty Law played college football for the Michigan Wolverines. He was named an All-American there. The Patriots picked him in the first round of the 1995 NFL draft. During his 10 years with New England, he went to the Pro Bowl four times. He was also named a first-team All-Pro twice. Ty Law won three Super Bowls with the Patriots. He still holds the team record for most interceptions. He later played for the New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, and Denver Broncos. He earned a fifth Pro Bowl selection with the Jets. Ty Law is 24th in NFL history for career interceptions. He led the league in interceptions in 1998 and 2005. He was added to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Ty Law grew up in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. He went to Aliquippa High School. There, he played football, basketball, and ran track. In football, he played many positions. These included cornerback, safety, wide receiver, and running back. He was named the most valuable player (MVP) of his school's basketball team. In 1991, he helped Aliquippa win the state high school football championship.
Ty Law's uncle is Tony Dorsett, a famous football player. Dorsett is in the Hall of Fame. Ty Law spent summers with his uncle in Dallas when he was young.
College Football Career
Ty Law played college football at the University of Michigan for three years (1992–1994). He was a top player, earning first-team All-American honors. He was also named to the All-Big Ten Conference team twice. In 1994, he was even on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. He left Michigan early to join the NFL draft. This was because his family faced financial difficulties.
He finished his college career with 154 tackles and 6 interceptions. He also defended 17 passes.
Professional Football Journey
New England Patriots Years
Ty Law joined the New England Patriots in 1995. He quickly became a key player for the team. In his first year, he made his first interception against Jim Kelly of the Buffalo Bills. He also got his first sack against Jim Harbaugh.
In 1996, he scored his first career touchdown. He intercepted a pass and ran it back 38 yards against the New York Jets. The Patriots reached Super Bowl XXXI that year but lost to the Green Bay Packers.
By 1998, Ty Law was a star. He led the entire NFL with nine interceptions. He even returned one for a touchdown against Peyton Manning. This earned him his first trip to the Pro Bowl. In 1999, the Patriots signed him to a big contract.
The Patriots hired Bill Belichick as head coach in 2000. Ty Law continued to be a top cornerback.
Winning Super Bowls
Ty Law won his first Super Bowl with the Patriots in 2001. In Super Bowl XXXVI, he intercepted a pass from Kurt Warner. He ran it back 47 yards for a touchdown. This was the first score of the game, and the Patriots won 20–17.
In 2003, Ty Law had another amazing season. He went to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time. The Patriots' defense was incredible that year. They led the NFL in several important categories. In the AFC Championship Game against the Colts, Ty Law intercepted Peyton Manning three times. This helped his team win and reach Super Bowl XXXVIII. They then defeated the Carolina Panthers 32–29, earning Law his second Super Bowl ring.
He won his third Super Bowl with the Patriots in 2004. However, he missed the end of that season and all the playoff games due to a foot injury.
Moving to Other Teams
New York Jets (First Time)
In 2005, Ty Law signed with the New York Jets. He had one of his best years, getting a career-high 10 interceptions. He was the only Jet chosen for the Pro Bowl that season by popular vote. The Jets released him in 2006 due to salary cap reasons.
Kansas City Chiefs
In 2006, Ty Law joined the Kansas City Chiefs. He hoped to make their defense stronger. He played two seasons with the Chiefs.
New York Jets (Second Time) and Denver Broncos
Ty Law returned to the New York Jets for a short time in 2008. He then signed with the Denver Broncos in 2009. He played his final NFL game with the Broncos on January 3, 2010. Even though he finished his career in Denver, Ty Law has often said, "I am a Patriot for life."
NFL Career Statistics
Legend | |
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Won the Super Bowl | |
Led the league | |
Bold | Career high |
Regular season
Year | Team | GP | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||
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Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | PD | FF | FR | |||
1995 | NE | 14 | 47 | 40 | 7 | 1.0 | 3 | 47 | 16 | 38 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
1996 | NE | 13 | 62 | 56 | 6 | 0.0 | 3 | 45 | 15 | 38 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
1997 | NE | 16 | 77 | 69 | 8 | 0.5 | 3 | 70 | 23 | 40 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 1 |
1998 | NE | 16 | 70 | 60 | 10 | 0.0 | 9 | 133 | 15 | 59 | 1 | 32 | 0 | 1 |
1999 | NE | 13 | 57 | 48 | 9 | 0.5 | 2 | 20 | 10 | 27 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 1 |
2000 | NE | 15 | 74 | 58 | 16 | 0.0 | 2 | 32 | 16 | 32 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
2001 | NE | 16 | 69 | 59 | 10 | 1.0 | 3 | 91 | 30 | 46 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
2002 | NE | 16 | 76 | 59 | 17 | 1.0 | 4 | 33 | 8 | 29 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 1 |
2003 | NE | 15 | 73 | 60 | 13 | 0.0 | 6 | 112 | 19 | 65 | 1 | 23 | 0 | 0 |
2004 | NE | 7 | 28 | 23 | 5 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
2005 | NYJ | 16 | 62 | 45 | 17 | 0.0 | 10 | 195 | 20 | 74 | 1 | 18 | 0 | 0 |
2006 | KC | 16 | 68 | 64 | 4 | 1.0 | 4 | 11 | 3 | 16 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 0 |
2007 | KC | 16 | 47 | 39 | 8 | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
2008 | NYJ | 7 | 19 | 14 | 5 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
2009 | DEN | 7 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0.0 | 1 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career | 203 | 839 | 703 | 136 | 5.0 | 53 | 828 | 16 | 74 | 7 | 169 | 7 | 4 |
Life After Football
After retiring from the NFL, Ty Law started a business. He founded Launch Trampoline Park. This is a chain of fun centers with many connected trampolines. Launch has locations in different states. The website for its Rhode Island park says that Ty Law often visits. He even plays trampoline dodgeball with customers!
Ty Law has also received special honors. On May 19, 2014, he was announced as a new member of the New England Patriots Hall of Fame. He was officially inducted on August 1. Then, on February 2, 2019, he was chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This is one of the highest honors in football. He was inducted on August 3, 2019, in Canton, Ohio.
See also
- List of NFL annual interceptions leaders
- List of NFL career interceptions leaders