The Ty Law Rule? New Hall of Famer likes the sound

CANTON, Ohio (AP) — Ty Law believes he already had a part in NFL lore before being elected this year to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The star cornerback is the first member of New England’s standout defense that won three Super Bowls in the early 2000s to make it into the Canton shrine. His aggressive style, which filtered through the Patriots‘ secondary, eventually led to a rules change.

“I looked at it as a compliment,” Law said of the 2004 change that made it a penalty to be overly forceful with receivers before the ball was thrown. “The Ty Law Rule? I like that. It feels good.”

Law believes the current game — he retired in 2009 with 53 interceptions, more than 800 tackles and seven touchdowns — has gotten soft, in great part because of the rules limiting contact.

“I do feel the game is being brought down,” he said. “But the attitude has to be, ‘I know there are no rules they are going to implement that will take away from what we’re gonna do and from our success.’”