They're Responsible for the Rise of the Left Tackle
Big stage. Big game. Big rivalry. Big hurt. On November 18, 1985, the Giants' Lawrence Taylor came flying around the left side of the Redskins' offensive line before leaping onto the back of Washington QB Joe Theismann. The hulking linebacker delivered a (literally) bone-breaking hit as Theismann suffered a compound fracture of his leg. He never played another down of football again. Other than ending a quarterback's career, the hit reshaped the thinking of the men in the luxury box suites who paid the players on the field. Protecting the quarterback instantly became the second highest priority, following getting a quarterback worthy of high-priced protection. In his book, The Blind Side, writer Michael Lewis linked the hit to the increased emphasis in front offices across the NFL on finding men with the size, speed and skill to guard the quarterback's most vulnerable spot. And as demand for these protectors has grown, so has the size of their wallets. Left tackles average the highest annual salary in the league, behind only the gunslingers they protect.