Ty Law
Encyclopedia
Tajuan "Ty" Law is a retired football
cornerback
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the New England Patriots
23rd overall in the 1995 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Michigan
.
Law is a two-time All-Pro
, a five-time Pro Bowl
selection, a Pro Bowl MVP, and has won three Super Bowl Championships with the Patriots. His 53 career interceptions rank 22nd all-time.
in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
, in Beaver County, Pennsylvania
where he played football as a cornerback, safety, wide receiver
, and running back
. He was named MVP
of the school's basketball
team. He was also a very dedicated student of jazz music. He has said many times that if he had not made it to the NFL he would have pursued a career in playing the jazz flute.
where he lettered three years in a row (1992–94), earned first-team All-American honors from Walter Camp
as a senior and was a two-time unanimous All-Big Ten Conference
selection. Law was on the cover of the October 3rd, 1994 issue of Sports Illustrated
, though it was an ignominious honor: he is the defender over whom Colorado Buffaloes
receiver Michael Westbrook
is leaping on the famous Miracle at Michigan play.
Law earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl
. That year he led the league with nine interceptions, the first time any New England Patriot had led the league in interceptions.
Law earned his first Super Bowl ring with the Patriots in 2001
. In Super Bowl XXXVI
, Law intercepted a Kurt Warner
pass and returned it 47 yards for a touchdown, the first points of the game for the Patriots, who eventually won the game 20-17.
Law was voted to the Pro Bowl for the second consecutive year and for the fourth time in his career after the 2003 season
. In 2003, Law was part of a record-breaking Patriots defense that led the NFL in four key categories: opponents’ points per game (14.9), opponents’ passer rating (56.2), interceptions (29) and passing touchdowns surrendered (11). Law's physical play against some of the game's best receivers prompted the NFL to more strictly enforce the five-yard illegal contact rule on defensive backs after the 2003 season. In the AFC Championship Game
against the Colts, Law intercepted 3 passes from Colts quarterback Peyton Manning
, assisting his team to a 24-14 win and their second Super Bowl
appearance in 3 years, where they defeated the Carolina Panthers
32-29.
Law earned his third Super Bowl ring with the Patriots in 2004
, but missed the final 9 games of the season and all three of the Patriots' playoff
games due to a foot injury.
On February 25, 2005
, Law was released by the Patriots due to his $12,551,000 cap salary.
, not by means of popular vote by the fans). Law was released by the New York Jets on February 22, 2006
as the Jets were a projected $26 million over the salary cap for 2006. Law was due to make $7.6 million for 2006.
On July 25, 2006, Law passed his physical with the Chiefs and signed a five-year deal worth $30 million. Law reunited with coach Herman Edwards
, whom Law had played under in the 2005 season
hoping to strengthen the Chiefs' defense.
. Following the end of season, the Jets once again released Law on February 24, 2009.
selections combined. His final game with the Broncos came January 3, 2010. He finished the season with 10 tackles, and 1 interception run back for 37 yards. He was released by Denver on February 25, 2010.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
23rd overall in the 1995 NFL Draft
1995 NFL Draft
The 1995 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 22–23, 1995 at the Paramount Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
.
Law is a two-time All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
, a five-time Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
selection, a Pro Bowl MVP, and has won three Super Bowl Championships with the Patriots. His 53 career interceptions rank 22nd all-time.
Early years
Law attended Aliquippa High SchoolAliquippa High School
Aliquippa Jr./Sr. High School is located in the city of Aliquippa in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. in 2007, The Jr./Sr. High supports grades 9–12 with an enrollment of 465 students. By 2010 the grade 9–12 enrollment declined to 329 pupils with further decline projected through 2019...
in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
Aliquippa is a city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, within the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population was 9,438 at the 2010 census. Formerly a borough, it was formally named a city in 1987 by the Aliquippa Council.-History:...
, in Beaver County, Pennsylvania
Beaver County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 181,412 people, 72,576 households, and 50,512 families residing in the county. The population density was 418 people per square mile . There were 77,765 housing units at an average density of 179 per square mile...
where he played football as a cornerback, safety, wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
, and running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
. He was named MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
of the school's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team. He was also a very dedicated student of jazz music. He has said many times that if he had not made it to the NFL he would have pursued a career in playing the jazz flute.
College career
Law had a three-year stint at the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
where he lettered three years in a row (1992–94), earned first-team All-American honors from Walter Camp
Walter Camp
Walter Chauncey Camp was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". With John Heisman, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner, Fielding H. Yost, and George Halas, Camp was one of the most accomplished persons in the early history of American football...
as a senior and was a two-time unanimous All-Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
selection. Law was on the cover of the October 3rd, 1994 issue of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
, though it was an ignominious honor: he is the defender over whom Colorado Buffaloes
Colorado Buffaloes
The University of Colorado Boulder sponsors 16 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's team are called the Buffaloes or Golden Buffaloes . "Lady Buffs" referred to the women's teams beginning in the 1970s, but was officially dropped in 1993...
receiver Michael Westbrook
Michael Westbrook
Michael Deanailo Westbrook is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. Westbrook spent 7 seasons with the Washington Redskins from 1995 to 2001 and the 2002 season with the Cincinnati Bengals before retiring...
is leaping on the famous Miracle at Michigan play.
New England Patriots
Law was drafted 23rd overall in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots where he spent the majority of his career. In 19981998 New England Patriots season
The 1998 New England Patriots season was the 29th season for the team in the National Football League and 39th season overall. They finished with a 9–7 record, good for fourth place in the division but also a playoff berth; they lost in the first round to the Jacksonville Jaguars.In the offseason,...
Law earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl
1999 Pro Bowl
The 1999 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 7, 1999 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was AFC 23, NFC 10. Keyshawn Johnson of the New York Jets and Ty Law of the New England Patriots were the game's MVPs. This game was also the last game in the career of Denver Broncos...
. That year he led the league with nine interceptions, the first time any New England Patriot had led the league in interceptions.
Law earned his first Super Bowl ring with the Patriots in 2001
2001 New England Patriots season
The 2001 New England Patriots season was the 32nd season for the team in the National Football League and 42nd season overall. They finished with an 11–5 record and a division title before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXVI....
. In Super Bowl XXXVI
Super Bowl XXXVI
Super Bowl XXXVI was an American football game played on February 3, 2002 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 2001 regular season. The American Football Conference champion New England Patriots won their first Super...
, Law intercepted a Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner
Kurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is a retired American football player. He played quarterback for three National Football League teams: the St. Louis Rams, the New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 after playing...
pass and returned it 47 yards for a touchdown, the first points of the game for the Patriots, who eventually won the game 20-17.
Law was voted to the Pro Bowl for the second consecutive year and for the fourth time in his career after the 2003 season
2003 New England Patriots season
The 2003 New England Patriots season was the 34th season for the team in the National Football League and 44th season overall. They finished with a league-best 14–2 record before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXVIII....
. In 2003, Law was part of a record-breaking Patriots defense that led the NFL in four key categories: opponents’ points per game (14.9), opponents’ passer rating (56.2), interceptions (29) and passing touchdowns surrendered (11). Law's physical play against some of the game's best receivers prompted the NFL to more strictly enforce the five-yard illegal contact rule on defensive backs after the 2003 season. In the AFC Championship Game
AFC Championship Game
The American Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the American...
against the Colts, Law intercepted 3 passes from Colts quarterback Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
, assisting his team to a 24-14 win and their second Super Bowl
Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game played on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 2003 regular season....
appearance in 3 years, where they defeated the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
32-29.
Law earned his third Super Bowl ring with the Patriots in 2004
2004 New England Patriots season
The 2004 New England Patriots season was the 35th season for the team in the National Football League and 45th season overall. They finished with their second straight 14–2 record before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXIX, their third Super Bowl victory in four years.Following a Super Bowl...
, but missed the final 9 games of the season and all three of the Patriots' playoff
NFL playoffs, 2004-05
The NFL playoffs following the 2004 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXXIX.-NFC: St. Louis Rams 27, Seattle Seahawks 20:Although the Rams barely made the playoffs with an 8–8 record, two of their regular season wins were against Seattle...
games due to a foot injury.
On February 25, 2005
2005 New England Patriots season
The 2005 New England Patriots season was the 36th season for the team in the National Football League and 46th season overall. They finished with a 10–6 record and the division title before losing in the playoffs to the Denver Broncos....
, Law was released by the Patriots due to his $12,551,000 cap salary.
New York Jets
Law signed with the Jets for the 2005 season. He amassed a career-high 10 interceptions and was the only Jet voted into the Pro Bowl (Jonathan Vilma was named to the Pro Bowl as an injury to Miami's Zach ThomasZach Thomas
Zachary Michael Thomas is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Tech....
, not by means of popular vote by the fans). Law was released by the New York Jets on February 22, 2006
2006 New York Jets season
The 2006 New York Jets season began with the team trying to improve on their 4–12 record in 2005. The season marked the first for rookie head coach Eric Mangini, who replaced Herman Edwards after the latter left the Jets to coach the Kansas City Chiefs...
as the Jets were a projected $26 million over the salary cap for 2006. Law was due to make $7.6 million for 2006.
Kansas City Chiefs
Herman Edwards
Herman "Herm" Edwards, Jr. is an American football analyst who most recently coached in the National Football League for the Kansas City Chiefs. He was fired from this position on January 23, 2009. Since then, he has been hired as a football analyst for ESPN...
, whom Law had played under in the 2005 season
2005 New York Jets season
The 2005 New York Jets season was the 46th season for the team, and the 36th in the National Football League. The team tried to improve upon its 10–6 record from 2004. The Jets finished the season 4–12.-2005 NFL Draft:-Regular season:-External links:*...
hoping to strengthen the Chiefs' defense.
Second stint with Jets
On November 10, 2008, Law agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the New York JetsNew York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Following the end of season, the Jets once again released Law on February 24, 2009.
Denver Broncos
Law signed with the Denver Broncos on November 7, 2009. This added to a defensive backfield that had 5 members over 30 years of age, with 20 Pro BowlPro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
selections combined. His final game with the Broncos came January 3, 2010. He finished the season with 10 tackles, and 1 interception run back for 37 yards. He was released by Denver on February 25, 2010.