Upbringing helped Law find success in NFL

NEW YORK — Ty Law was a wideeyed youngster with big dreams when he started making summer visits to his Uncle Tony’s home in Texas.

They fueled his passion for football and guided his journey to greatness.

Tony Dorsett was forging his own path to the Pro Football Hall of Fame long before his nephew even put on a uniform and became one of the best cornerbacks in NFL history. Dorsett’s days in Dallas as one of the NFL’S greatest running backs followed an incredible college career at the University of Pittsburgh — and it all had Law imagining someday being like his famous uncle.

“I used to just stare at that Heisman, stare at his Hall of Fame bust,” Law recalled. “And that right there, it meant the world to me because I realized dreams do come true.”

Law, like Dorsett, grew up in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, a football hotbed that has also produced the likes of Mike Ditka, Darrelle Revis and Sean Gilbert.

Ask anyone from there, and they’ll tell you that toughness and perseverance are part of their inner fabric.

“It hardens you to an extent, in a good way, because you see a lot of things, both good and not so good,” Law said. “My journey stems through what I’ve done and what I’ve seen in Aliquippa. You cannot get any more competitive than that.”

On Saturday, Law will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame — 25 years after he watched Dorsett get his gold jacket and bronze bust.

Law was a first-round pick by New England out of Michigan in 1995 and played 15 seasons, including 10 with the Patriots. He also had two oneyear stints with the New York Jets and with Kansas City, and one with Denver.

He quickly established himself as a shutdown cornerback who routinely covered — and regularly quieted — opponents’ best receivers. Law helped Bill Belichick’s Patriots win three Super Bowls as the heart of a defense filled with other stars such as Willie Mcginest, Rodney Harrison, Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Lawyer Milloy and Richard Seymour. Law, a member of the NFL’S All-decade Team for the 2000s, is the only Hall of Famer among them.

He was a game-changing cornerback whose swagger and confidence were intimidating.