Since joining Chicago Bears in September, outside linebacker Khalil Mack has been playing outstanding football. In five games he played this season, the 27-year-old has 5.0 sacks, four forced fumbles and one interception returned for a touchdown. While this caused people to compare Mack with some of the football’s greats like Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor, New England Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick disagrees.

“Wait a minute, we’re talking about Lawrence Taylor now,” – said Belichick when asked by reporters whether Mack could measure up with Taylor. “I’m not putting anybody in Lawrence Taylor’s class. Put everybody down below that. With a lot of respect to a lot of good players, we’re talking about Lawrence Taylor.“

Belichick will have a chance to witness the talents of Khalil Mack first hand on Sunday when his Patriots face the Bears. While New England’s coach doesn’t think that Mack deserves to be compared to Lawrence Taylor, that doesn’t mean he isn’t impressed by Mack.

“He’s big, strong and fast,” – added the 66-year-old. “He’s got a lot of power. He does a good job of power-rushing, and he’s fast enough to get the edge. He has good ball awareness so he does a good job of tackling the quarterback when he has to tackle him, but if he has a chance to get the ball out he’s got good ball awareness and can strip it out.“

While Khalil Mack is one of the best defensive players in the NFL, he has a long way to go until he gets even close to Lawrence Taylor’s achievements. Taylor, who is often mentioned in conversation as one of the greatest defensive players in the history of the sport, spent 13 years in the league and won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants. He was also named NFL Most Valuable Player in 1986 while being selected to Pro Bowl 10 times and getting First-team All-Pro honors eight times.

The post Bill Belichick: Bears’ Khalil Mack isn’t the Same Class as Lawrence Taylor appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The world of professional sports is notoriously dense with unimaginable pressure. When performing in the public eye, athletes face a degree of physical and mental stress that regular civilians could hardly begin to imagine. This, in combination with the pain of injury, makes it unsurprising that many are led down drug-ridden paths. How they recover is nothing short of amazing…

Andre Agassi

Wikipedia

Tennis may have a reputation for being a dignified, graceful sport, but even the primmest and most proper athletes are capable of concealing ugly secrets. There may be no greater example of this than that of Andre Agassi, the legendary tennis champ who recently revealed that a hidden struggle with meth dependency at one point threatened to end his career.

Agassi came clean about his use of hard drugs in his recent tell-all autobiography, in which he detailed everything from failing drug tests to lying to the authorities. Luckily, the athlete was able to overcome his addiction in 1997, going on to successfully revive his legendary career.

Brett Favre

Wikimedia Commons

Thanks to his wildly successful career as an NFL quarterback (not to mention his notoriously long list of endorsements), Brett Favre is a household name. There is one detail about the athlete’s past that is not as widely-publicized, however: his battle with prescription drug addiction.

Like so many Americans today, Favre developed a dependency on drugs after being prescribed opiate painkillers to treat a series of injuries. His addiction to the drug Vicodin soon became emphasized by his increasing alcohol consumption, ultimately leading Favre to suffer a serious seizure. The incident served as a wake-up call for the superstar, who got clean and went on to break records and cement his place in football history.

David Thompson

Wikimedia Commons

Though he did still manage to have a long and impactful career in the NBA, fans will always be left to wonder what David Thompson could have done had he reached his full potential. Sadly (as is the case with many celebrities), his use of alcohol and cocaine quickly became far more than just a fun escape from the pressures of the public eye.

The party-heavy lifestyle proved too much for the athlete, pushing him to seek sobriety multiple times through multiple rehabilitation centers as his career unraveled. Luckily, his efforts stuck in time to save his life, leading the Hall of Famer to a peaceful, drug-free retirement.

Josh Hamilton

Flickr

MLB star Josh Hamilton has had a somewhat rocky path to success, to say the least. Before finally finding redemption in the form of a $125 million spot on the Angels’ roster, the struggling athlete famously spent nearly a decade scraping rock bottom as the effects of crack cocaine chipped away at his once-powerful body and mind.

After losing his first multi-million dollar pro contract, his home, his will to live, and a dangerous amount of weight, Hamilton sought out his kind-hearted grandmother for help in his darkest hour. Thanks to her guidance as well as a newfound connection with religion, Hamilton was able to get clean and come back to the major leagues stronger than ever.

Lawrence Taylor

Wikimedia Commons

Few may know that Lawrence Taylor, frequently said to be the most-feared player in NFL history, has had experience fighting off some pretty terrifying demons of his own. Since his retirement, Taylor has revealed via autobiography that he struggled immensely with cocaine and crack dependency near the beginning of his now-legendary career.

The superstar’s explosive book not only detailed his regular use of high-risk substances, but also the efforts NFL officials took to keep his secret under wraps, including knowingly disregarding the topic during negotiations and even accepting fraudulent drug test samples. Though the league may have turned a blind eye, Taylor was able to spot his own red flags, prompting him to quietly seek help and get sober.

The post 5 Inspiring Athletes Who Beat Their Addictions And Came Back Strong appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Since joining Chicago Bears in September, outside linebacker Khalil Mack has been playing outstanding football. In five games he played this season, the 27-year-old has 5.0 sacks, four forced fumbles and one interception returned for a touchdown. While this caused people to compare Mack with some of the football’s greats like Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor, New England Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick disagrees.

“Wait a minute, we’re talking about Lawrence Taylor now,” – said Belichick when asked by reporters whether Mack could measure up with Taylor. “I’m not putting anybody in Lawrence Taylor’s class. Put everybody down below that. With a lot of respect to a lot of good players, we’re talking about Lawrence Taylor.“

Belichick will have a chance to witness the talents of Khalil Mack first hand on Sunday when his Patriots face the Bears. While New England’s coach doesn’t think that Mack deserves to be compared to Lawrence Taylor, that doesn’t mean he isn’t impressed by Mack.

“He’s big, strong and fast,” – added the 66-year-old. “He’s got a lot of power. He does a good job of power-rushing, and he’s fast enough to get the edge. He has good ball awareness so he does a good job of tackling the quarterback when he has to tackle him, but if he has a chance to get the ball out he’s got good ball awareness and can strip it out.“

While Khalil Mack is one of the best defensive players in the NFL, he has a long way to go until he gets even close to Lawrence Taylor’s achievements. Taylor, who is often mentioned in conversation as one of the greatest defensive players in the history of the sport, spent 13 years in the league and won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants. He was also named NFL Most Valuable Player in 1986 while being selected to Pro Bowl 10 times and getting First-team All-Pro honors eight times.

The post Bill Belichick: Bears’ Khalil Mack isn’t the Same Class as Lawrence Taylor appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The world of professional sports is notoriously dense with unimaginable pressure. When performing in the public eye, athletes face a degree of physical and mental stress that regular civilians could hardly begin to imagine. This, in combination with the pain of injury, makes it unsurprising that many are led down drug-ridden paths. How they recover is nothing short of amazing…

Andre Agassi

Wikipedia

Tennis may have a reputation for being a dignified, graceful sport, but even the primmest and most proper athletes are capable of concealing ugly secrets. There may be no greater example of this than that of Andre Agassi, the legendary tennis champ who recently revealed that a hidden struggle with meth dependency at one point threatened to end his career.

Agassi came clean about his use of hard drugs in his recent tell-all autobiography, in which he detailed everything from failing drug tests to lying to the authorities. Luckily, the athlete was able to overcome his addiction in 1997, going on to successfully revive his legendary career.

Brett Favre

Wikimedia Commons

Thanks to his wildly successful career as an NFL quarterback (not to mention his notoriously long list of endorsements), Brett Favre is a household name. There is one detail about the athlete’s past that is not as widely-publicized, however: his battle with prescription drug addiction.

Like so many Americans today, Favre developed a dependency on drugs after being prescribed opiate painkillers to treat a series of injuries. His addiction to the drug Vicodin soon became emphasized by his increasing alcohol consumption, ultimately leading Favre to suffer a serious seizure. The incident served as a wake-up call for the superstar, who got clean and went on to break records and cement his place in football history.

David Thompson

Wikimedia Commons

Though he did still manage to have a long and impactful career in the NBA, fans will always be left to wonder what David Thompson could have done had he reached his full potential. Sadly (as is the case with many celebrities), his use of alcohol and cocaine quickly became far more than just a fun escape from the pressures of the public eye.

The party-heavy lifestyle proved too much for the athlete, pushing him to seek sobriety multiple times through multiple rehabilitation centers as his career unraveled. Luckily, his efforts stuck in time to save his life, leading the Hall of Famer to a peaceful, drug-free retirement.

Josh Hamilton

Flickr

MLB star Josh Hamilton has had a somewhat rocky path to success, to say the least. Before finally finding redemption in the form of a $125 million spot on the Angels’ roster, the struggling athlete famously spent nearly a decade scraping rock bottom as the effects of crack cocaine chipped away at his once-powerful body and mind.

After losing his first multi-million dollar pro contract, his home, his will to live, and a dangerous amount of weight, Hamilton sought out his kind-hearted grandmother for help in his darkest hour. Thanks to her guidance as well as a newfound connection with religion, Hamilton was able to get clean and come back to the major leagues stronger than ever.

Lawrence Taylor

Wikimedia Commons

Few may know that Lawrence Taylor, frequently said to be the most-feared player in NFL history, has had experience fighting off some pretty terrifying demons of his own. Since his retirement, Taylor has revealed via autobiography that he struggled immensely with cocaine and crack dependency near the beginning of his now-legendary career.

The superstar’s explosive book not only detailed his regular use of high-risk substances, but also the efforts NFL officials took to keep his secret under wraps, including knowingly disregarding the topic during negotiations and even accepting fraudulent drug test samples. Though the league may have turned a blind eye, Taylor was able to spot his own red flags, prompting him to quietly seek help and get sober.

The post 5 Inspiring Athletes Who Beat Their Addictions And Came Back Strong appeared first on SportzBonanza.