| Date of birth: | July 23, 1957 |
| Place of birth: | Berkeley, California |
| Date of death: | April 2, 2004 (aged 46) |
| Place of death: | Lancaster, California |
| Career information | |
|---|---|
| Position(s): | Linebacker |
| College: | Southern California |
| NFL Draft: | 1980 / Round: 2 / Pick: 45 |
| Organizations | |
| As player: | |
| 1980-1989 1990 |
New England Patriots New York Giants |
| Playing stats at NFL.com | |
Lawrence "Larry" McGrew (July 23, 1957 – April 2, 2004)[1] was a retired American football linebacker in the National Football League.
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Lawrence McGrew played football at Contra Costa College and the University of Southern California, and started in two Rose Bowls. During the second round of the 1980 NFL Draft, he was selected by the New England Patriots as an outside linebacker.
McGrew played for the National Football League New England Patriots and New York Giants between 1980 and 1990. He helped New England reach the Super Bowl in 1986 and earned a championship ring when New York beat Buffalo in Super Bowl XXV.
An excellent linebacker and relentless defender, McGrew will forever be remembered for a play he didn't make that occurred during Super Bowl XX between the New England Patriots and Chicago Bears in 1986. One of the most famous plays in Super Bowl history was William "The Refrigerator" Perry's touchdown run. Lawrence was on the receiving end of the hit that propelled Perry into the endzone and into Super Bowl history. Lawrence was no match for Perry's momentum and wide girth and was consequently run over and flattened by Perry in the end zone. When Lawrence didn't get up immediately after the play a teammate came over and asked him if he was he okay. Lawrence replied "Yeah, I'm fine. But I just made ESPN highlights for eternity."
Lawrence McGrew, the former NFL linebacker who was once the victim of identity theft, died on April 2, 2004. He was 46.
McGrew collapsed at his home in Lancaster, California, due to a massive heart attack. Larry leaves his wife, Charyce McGrew and their two children Celsea and Camynn in addition to three children, Larry (currently a Barber/Hair Stylist,) Aaron and Annalyse, by a previous marriage to Elaine McGrew; she lost her father in 2002 - who currently resides in El Sabronte, CA.
A Colorado thief named Frederick William McGrew III illegally adopted Lawrence's name and career statistics to get a job as an assistant football coach at Gavilan College in California. The impostor was fired five weeks later and arrested. He told police he was Lawrence's nephew and repeated the claim at his initial court appearance, but it was all a lie.
In December, Frederick McGrew was sentenced to three years of supervised probation and 160 hours of community service for stealing Lawrence's identity and for fraudulently using an Ohio woman's Social Security number.[2]