When you compete in something as long as I have -- remember, I swam in my first Olympics before I was old enough to drive -- you see just about everything. The aging superstar chasing one more Olympic gold, the teenage record holder who everyone believes is the next big thing. Some succeed. Most fail. Maybe theyre not good enough, dont want to put in the work, or dont care about winning enough to truly push their body to its limit.And then theres Katie Ledecky. It was two years before the 2012 London Games when I first started paying attention to her. Every time she got in the water, it didnt matter what time of year it was, how rested she was, where she was swimming, who she was swimming against -- she was cranking best times, national records. It was incredible. I remember thinking, this girl might be the real deal.But I wanted to see it on the big, big stage. Could she do it in the Olympics?In London, Katie was just 15 years old -- the same age I was at my first Olympics in Sydney. She was quiet, kind of kept to herself. But on the final day of competition, in the 800 freestyle, she won gold by more than four seconds. I won gold in the 100 fly earlier that night and had just received my medal when Katies event began. As I was walking through the interview area, reporters began asking me questions that I didnt even answer. Instead, I pointed to the monitor where Katie was crushing it.This past summer in Rio, she backed it up with four more golds. Right now, shes untouchable. There are swimmers who might push her, but no one is going to beat her. I remember what that feeling was like; its a great place to be. You know that if you put in the work, the reward is going to be there at the end. The challenge becomes longevity. How long can you keep it up?But no one is better prepared for this than Katie. Shes that much better than everybody else. When I watch her swim, its like an art. Its beautiful. She maximizes her distance per stroke. Its just something you dont see in swimming. Beyond that, shes one of the hardest-working people Ive ever seen in training camp. She will swim with the guys and make them look like theyre standing still. I did a set with her once in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at the Olympic Training Center. We were supposed to go together, but I was thrilled when she decided to lead a lane because I didnt want to get my ass whipped. Shes just special.And beyond that, mentally, she never lets up. She goes all out the entire race. Her mentality is, Im going to crush this field as much as I possibly can. In the first 100 meters, the race is over. Hell, in the first 50 its over. She makes the statement and then backs it up. Its just so remarkable.Yet away from the pool, with her teammates, shes as laid back as anyone. Shes talking, laughing, messing around. Then she gives a few high-fives, goes out and absolutely destroys the rest of the world. Its amazing to watch. You just dont see people like her in the sport. I know. And for me to have shared part of my career with someone so dominant and dedicated, and yet still so determined, is an honor. I mean it. Im a fan of this sport as much as anyone. And I cant wait to see what she does next.More on Katie Ledecky? What makes Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky remarkable Story ?? On this night, appropriately, Ledecky eclipses Phelps?Story ?? Katie Ledecky: Road to Rio training regimen?Story ?? How to be Katie Ledecky?Video ?The IMPACT25 is espnWs annual list of the 25 athletes and influencers who have made the greatest difference for women in sports. Explore the 2016 list and more content at espnW.com/IMPACT25. Authentic Folorunso Fatukasi Jersey . Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee? Green had bounced around the NBA when he wasnt playing overseas. The Pacers gave up on Plumlee after just one season. Now Green and Plumlee are key cogs in the Suns surprising breakout season. Jets Jerseys China . 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This story is excerpted from My Giant Life by Lawrence Taylor with Williams Wyatt. To buy the book, click here. Thirty-one years ago today, Joe Theismann suffered a career-ending injury at the hands of Taylor. The Hall of Fame defender describes what that scene was like.Joe Theismann and I are linked forever because of an unfortunate incident that happened on November 18, 1985, during a Monday night game at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., against the Redskins.At the beginning of the second quarter, Theismann handed off to John Riggins. The Diesel bulled toward the middle of the line, putting his head down for the impact. Then he changed his tack, stopping and flipping the ball back to Theismann. They were trying a flea flicker. Theismann wanted to throw downfield to Art Monk.Unfortunately for the Redskins and Theismann, we read the play correctly. We were blitzing. It felt like our entire defense was pouring in on Theismann. I got a hold of him and pulled him down. As we went to the ground, my knee rammed into his lower right leg; Harry Carson and Gary Reasons also congregated at Theismann on the sack. He didnt get up. I didnt expect him to, either. I knew hed been hurt badly.Theismann later told the New York Times in a 2005 interview: The pain was unbelievable, it snapped like a breadstick. It sounded like two muzzled gunshots off my left shoulder. Pow, pow! It was at that point, I also found out what a magnificent machine the human body is. Almost immediately, from the knee down, all the feeling was gone in my right leg. The endorphins had kicked in, and I was not in pain.Everybody on the field saw Theismann sprawled out on the field and knew he was in trouble. I know I started hollering for the doctors to get to him in a hurry to give him some help. Initially, some of the Redskins thought I was taunting after the sack. That obviously wasnt the case.Its just one of those things that happened. I knew he was hurt when I heard him under the pile yelling and I understood. Thats why I tried to get everybody off him and get some help for him. I knew when youre sitting on the bottom of the pile -- I dont care if its a toe sprain, or an ankle sprain, I dont care what it is -- it seems like forever, like the people on top of you are never going to figure it out. All you want is the people to get off of you and to get some help. And to breathe again.Everybody just kind of stood around like nobody knew what had happened.At that juncture of his career, Theismann was still a decent football player and an icon in Washington. Of course, Id been playiing against him for years.dddddddddddd And during our time, we spent a lot of time together and wed see each other a lot. Just like anybody else, you hate to see somebody sit there and suffer. So I wanted to get some help out there for the sumbitch.What happened? He fractured both the tibia and the fibula. In other words, the lower leg bones in his right leg were broken between his ankle and knee. That end result left his leg bent gruesomely in different directions.A lot of time passed before they quit tending to Joe and got him off the field and on his way to the hospital. Jay Schroeder took over at quarterback. Nobody knew at the time that Theismann would never play again.An ESPN poll of viewers later voted that play as the NFLs Most Shocking Moment in History.Really, its not a moment I want to remember or care to see again. Ive never seen the play. Football is a tough game, so players are always going to get hurt while playing the game. Thats one of the hazards of the job. Believe me; Ive seen a lot worse hits on film than the one on Joe, though. Everyone who thinks they know me wants to talk about that Monday Night Football game. First of all, like I said, I have never watched the play, dont wont to watch it, and I never will watch it. I saw it in person. I dont want to see it again.I remember calling him the morning after I broke his leg. A woman answered the phone. I dont know if she was his girlfriend or wife at the time. I hear her say, Joe, Joe, that guy is on the phone! When he got on the phone, he told me that I had broken both the bones in his leg. I kidded him by telling him that I didnt do anything half-assed. I told him, If Im going to break them, Im going to break them both.To Joes credit, he never blamed me for what happened. Weve never had a problem. Ive never had a problem with Joe. And every time we see each other, we talk. We talked before then, we still talk, and there is no animosity there. I know his son very well. Hey, I did [Theismann] a favor. He had Lloyds of London [insurance]. He made about $3 million.Joe had a helluva a career, and he did well after the NFL. But hes always maintained that his legacy is that injury. As he told the Orlando Sentinel, Ill forever be known as the Godfather of Broken Legs.This excerpt from My Giant Life by Lawrence Taylor with William Wyatt is printed with the permission of Triumph Books. For more information and to order a copy, please visit this link. Black China NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys From China NFL Jerseys China Wholesale NFL Autographed Jerseys Wholesale Throwback Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Online ' ' '