“Had a Little Bit of Fear”: Michael Jordan Used to Fear Former NFL MVP in His College Days

Posted on by Jack Marks

For basketball enthusiasts, Michael Jordan doesn’t require an introduction, but for the uninformed, Jordan is perhaps the best player to ever play the game. His illustrious career includes six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls, but his national championship-winning ways began at North Carolina as a freshman when he made the pivotal jumper in the 1982 NCAA championship game.

From the 1981–1982 season until the 1983–1984 season, Michael Jordan played for North Carolina. Only four players in North Carolina history have started their first game as freshmen, and Jordan was one of them. From his time at UNC in college to his time in the NBA, Jordan was renowned for his fearless demeanor.

Lawrence Taylor Michael Jordan
Credits: Giants Wire

Jordan was renowned for being rough with his teammates in practice because he wanted them to improve. However, there was one player who had instilled fear in Jordan’s eyes during his days at the University of North Carolina. The player was Lawrence Taylor, who won the Super Bowl twice and was named NFL MVP once in his career.

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Buzz Peterson, roommate of Michael Jordan in college, reveals MJ used to fear Lawrence Taylor

Peterson said to The Athletic: “There is one guy that I always thought, and I know to this day — I don’t know if Michael won’t admit or not, but I swear that he had a little bit of fear of — and it wasn’t a basketball player. It was a football player by the name of Lawrence Taylor. LT, phenomenal athlete. Could guard east to west, as quick as anybody, could jump, big hands, strong and was a bit crazy. So Michael in the back of his mind said, “Shit, I better be careful with this guy.” And LT always wanted to guard him.”

Jordan was even the best man at Peterson’s wedding; now, Peterson works as the assistant general manager for Jordan’s basketball team, the Charlotte Hornets.

When discussing who the best player in NFL history is, Taylor is sometimes linked to Tom Brady as the greatest defensive player of all time. Taylor was an athletic freak. He was voted MVP and Defensive Player of the Year three times during his NFL career, won two Super Bowls, appeared in ten Pro Bowls, and led the league in sacks in 1996. He weighed 240 pounds and stood around 6-3.

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