National Football League Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor was a free spirit who made his own rules and broke the rest. But, after years of living on the edge, Taylor fell over â€” brought down by cocaine and alcohol.   His troubles were fodder for a hungry media, and as TV cameras rolled, the man known as L.T. hit rock bottom.

His reckless, aggressive style literally transformed not only the linebacker position, but also the way defense in general is played. But to many, Taylor's off-the-field notoriety overshadowed his gridiron accomplishments and brought disgrace to his legend and the game at which he excelled.

This Sunday's episode of Beyond the Glory traces the steps that Taylor took in his life and how his activities on and off the field affected those around him.

From his upbringing in Williamsburg, Virginia, his college career at the University of North Carolina, his 13-year NFL career that included an MVP season capped off with a Super Bowl victory, to his current life in retirement

Lawrence Taylor

D. B. Sweeney

Jay Mohr

Dale Jarrett

Gary Sheffield

Many know Evander Holyfield as the former heavyweight champion who lost a portion of his ear in a boxing ring when Mike Tyson bit him. But as this Sunday's episode of Beyond The Glory conveys, it was just one of many memorable nights in the life of one of the greatest pugilists to ever enter the squared circle.

While the documentary chronicles his significant moments inside the ring, the events that transpired outside are woven throughout and show what personal tragedies and exploits were affecting Holyfield.

Born in Atmore, Ala., a farming community near the Florida panhandle, Holyfield was the youngest of eight siblings. He was six when his mother Annie moved the family to Summerhill, a southeastern suburb of Atlanta, where she raised them all by herself. Evander never knew his father for his parents never wed.

He has a brother who was convicted of rape, another brother who was shot to death, lost his mother in a car accident in 1996 and is the father of nine children, five out of we

Evander Holyfield

Reggie White

Though quite at home on a basketball court, the seemingly invincible Alonzo Mourning has faced hs share of challenges off the court. As this episode chromicles, Mourning's success has certainly come at a price. Despite the fame and fortune he's achieved, Mourning's journey has neither been easy nor without pain.

Born in Chesapeake, Virgina in 1970, Mourning quickly outgrew both his clothes and his classmates, often making him the object of ridicule. An unhappy child, Mourning saw his parents divorce when he was 11. As a result, his first court battle took place not on a basketball court, but in custody court. The judge gave Alonzo the option of living with either one of his parents, but Mourning shocked everyone by opting to be placed in the state's foster care system instead.

After bouncing around the system, mainly at various boys' homes to his dismay, Mourning eventually ended up at the home of Fannie Threet. Threet was known around Chesapeake as the Queen Mother. Mourning was just

Alonzo Mourning

Billed as half-man, half amazing, Toronto Raptors all-star Vince Carter has always been an incredibly gifted athlete, whose high-flying heroics on the basketball court have been a sight to see.

While playing high school basketball in his hometown of Daytona Beach, Florida; His school had to set up closed-circuit telecasts in the cafeteria to handle the overflow crowds in the gym when he played. By the time his high school basketball career was over, he'd led his team to the state championship and was being heralded as ""Mr. Florida.""

However, as Carter ascended, things around him were falling. A troubled brother, an agent who betrayed him, a conflict with his famous cousin and controversy surrounding his college graduation, have all left their mark on ""Air Canada's"" wounded wings.

While Carter was becomming more famous, his younger brother, Chris, was becoming infamous. While Carter chose to further his career by attending the University of North Carolina, Chris chose to quit attending

Vince Carter

Gary Sheffield grew up in the Belmont Heights projects in Tampa, Florida. It was a tough, neglected neighborhood where violence was common and opportunities were scarce.

Though it was apparent that Sheffield was capable of being a special kind of ballplayer, his infamous temper was becoming a threat to others as well as himself.

It was his grandfather Dan Gooden who instilled in Gary a love for the game of baseball, and it was his uncle Dwight Gooden who taught Sheffield how to play the game.

But each stop among the way for Sheffield produced mixed results for both he and his teams. In this episode, we chronicle his life including his temper, his penchant for women, the time he was shot, the death threat on his mother's life and his frustrations with the teams he played his 14-year career.

Currently a member of the Atlanta Braves after a trade in the offseason, Sheffield has donned jerseys of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins (where he won a World Series ring), San Diego Padres

Despite growing up in a household with a famous father [Ned] who made his name racing cars, Dale Jarrett certainly didn't have anything handed to him despite his father's connections in NASCAR.

There have been several bumps in his road to the top of Winston Cup racing and this Sunday's episode of Beyond the Glory takes to the track to uncover them.

As a child growing up in Hickory, N.C., Jarrett found success in everything he tried. Crediting the leadership role he saw in his dad, Jarrett excelled in all sports including baseball, football, golf and basketball. It was this take-charge attitude and the respect he commanded that served him well in most of his endeavors.

However, he was not free of trouble. During his senior year in high school, Jarrett learned his longtime girlfriend Kim was pregnant. They married and Kim gave birth three months premature. This was the first of many tough decisions Jarrett would have to make over the years.

He declined a scholarship to play golf at Unive

Some may wonder why someone as young as Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, 23, would have enough of a story at this juncture to dedicate to an hour documentary.   But, that's precisely what makes this profile of Bryant compelling â€” his age, the problems it created with teammates and coaches as well as Byrant's willingness, despite being a high profile public figure, to guard his private life.

Bryant's childhood was far from that of the average kid. Growing up the son of a NBA player, Bryant spent the first six years of his life in Philadelphia. But, when his father, Joe ""Jelly Bean"" Bryant signed a deal to play in the Italian League, Kobe and the family moved to Italy.

This was the first time in his life that he had to adapt to a different environment, but it wouldn't be the last.

For the next seven years, Bryant immersed himself into the new culture and language and in his favorite activity â€” playing basketball. After getting comfortable though, the Bryants were on the move aga

Kobe Bryant

Beyond the Glory was a documentary series that profiles some of the most legendary and controversial athletes in recent history. Executive produced by Steve Michaels and Frank Sinton and narrated by Jay Mohr, the show used archived video, on-camera interviews and player histories to take viewers beyond the playing field and into the athletes' lives and minds.

The series was produced by Asylum Entertainment.

Lawrence Taylor

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Season 2 Episodes8

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