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Fred Taylor (football player)
Encyclopedia
Frederick Antwon Taylor is a former American college and professional football
player who was a running back
in the National Football League
(NFL) for thirteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. He played college football
for the University of Florida
, and was recognized as a first-team All-American. Taylor was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars
ninth overall in the 1998 NFL Draft
, and played for the Jaguars and the New England Patriots
.
. He attended Glades Central High School
in Belle Glade, Florida
, where he was a standout high school football
player for the Glades Central Raiders. Taylor initially played linebacker
, but switched to running back as a junior
. As a senior, he ran for 1,700 yards and 22 touchdown
s, including a 301-yard, 5-touchdown outing. He received Florida "Super Senior" and all-state honors, and was also Florida's "Mr. Football" in 1993. In 2007, 13 years after he graduated from high school, the Florida High School Athletic Association
(FHSAA) recognized Taylor as one of the "100 Greatest Players of the First 100 Years" of Florida high school football.
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played for coach Steve Spurrier
's Florida Gators football
team from 1994 to 1997. He started two games as a true freshman, picking up 873 yards and eight touchdowns. As a sophomore in 1995, he played in six games, gaining 281 yards and scoring five touchdowns. He returned in 1996
to start two of the seven games he played, running for 629 yards and five touchdowns, and helping the 12–1 Gators win the national championship
. As a senior team captain
in 1997, Taylor was the team's leading rusher with 1,292 yards on 214 carries and scoring 13 touchdowns, earning first-team All-Southeastern Conference
(SEC) recognition and Walter Camp first-team All-American honors, and was chosen by his teammates as the Gators' most valuable player. He finished his college career ranked fourth in school history with 3,075 yards and 31 touchdowns.
Taylor was inducted into the Florida–Georgia Hall of Fame in 2008, and the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2010.
by the Jacksonville Jaguars
with the first of two picks they acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Bills
in exchange for quarterback Rob Johnson. Taylor started 12 of 15 games for the Jaguars as a rookie in 1998
, rushing for 1,223 and 14 touchdowns, a career high, while also catching 44 passes for 421 yards and three touchdowns.
In 1999
, Taylor played in ten games, starting nine, missing six due to a hamstring injury. He ranked second on the team with 732 yards, but posted two 100-yard rushing performances in the playoffs. He also recorded the longest run in playoff history with a 90 yard touchdown run in a 62-7 win over Miami. He missed three-and-a-half games in 2000
, but still finished sixth in the NFL with 1,399 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, while making 36 catches for 240 yards for another two touchdowns. Taylor played in the first two games of 2001
before suffering a groin injury and missing the rest of the season.
Overall, injuries caused Taylor to miss 23 out of a potential 48 games from 1999 to 2001. Fans and media were highly critical of Taylor's tendency to get injured, questioning his toughness and donning him the moniker "Fragile Fred", which deeply upset him, as he would later admit. Despite knowing that Taylor's season was over in Week 3 of 2001, Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin
listed him on the injury report as "questionable" every game for the remainder of the season, further fueling the doubts of Taylor's toughness in the minds of fans. He still has not completely rid himself of the stigma and the nickname.
Following the 2001 season, it was alleged that Taylor's agent William "Tank" Black
had stolen between $12 million and $14 million from players he had represented, the majority of whom were University of Florida alumni, and that Black had laundered
nearly all of Taylor's $5 million signing bonus, the only guaranteed money in his rookie contract. In an interview with Vic Ketchman of Jaguars.com in November 2007, Taylor admitted he seriously considered retiring from football early in his career, because of the difficulties he experienced with injuries and Tank Black.
, Taylor rebounded to start all 16 games for the Jaguars, finishing the season with 1,314 yards, third most in team history, while setting a then-team record with 1,722 yards from scrimmage. He also set a career high with 49 reception
s, second best on his team, for 408 yards, and also recorded eight touchdowns. He again started all 16 games for the Jaguars in 2003
and set a career high with 1,572 yards on 345 carries for six touchdowns. He also caught 48 passes for 370 yards. In 2004
, Taylor started the first 14 games of the season, recording 1,224 yards and two touchdowns. His streak of 46 consecutive starts ended when a knee injury sidelined him for the final two weeks of the season.
, as he started 11 games while missing five games with injuries throughout the season. He still led the team with 787 yards rushing while also recording three touchdowns. In 2006
, Taylor was joined in the Jaguars backfield by Maurice Jones-Drew
, the Jaguars' second-round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft
and Taylor's eventual replacement. Despite sharing carries throughout the season, Taylor started 15 games and posted a 5.0 yard-per-carry average with 1,146 yards on 231 carries for five touchdowns. He also added 23 receptions for 242 yards and one touchdown. Together, Taylor and Jones-Drew combined for 2,087 yards, the most by two rushers in Jaguars history.
As a team captain in 2007
, Taylor rushed for 1,202 yards on 223 carries, a career-best 5.4 yards-per-carry average, in 15 games started. On November 11, Taylor surpassed 10,000 yards career rushing in a game against the Tennessee Titans
. Taylor rushed for five straight 100-yard games in late November and December, earning him AFC Offensive Player of the Month honors. He tied for first in the NFL with four rushes of 50-plus yards and finished with two of the four longest rushes in the NFL in 2007. Following the season, he was named to the Associated Press
second-team All-Pro
team and was named to the 2008 Pro Bowl
as an injury replacement, the first such honor of his career.
In his final season with the Jaguars in 2008
, Taylor started the first 13 games of the season before being placed on injured reserve
for the first time in his career with a thumb injury on December 11. A team captain for the second straight season, Taylor surpassed both the 11,000 yards career rushing and 13,000 career all-purpose yards milestones on the year. He finished the season with 556 yards on 113 carries; meanwhile, Jones-Drew, now a third-year player, rushed for 824 yards on 197 carries.
After his 2008 season had ended, when asked about his future with the team, Taylor said, "All of that still has to handle itself. I don't know how it's going to play out." Taylor said that it was clear to him that the organization was headed in "another direction" as a result of his reduced role with the team and the rise in his salary that was due to receive if he had remained on the roster.
On February 16, 2009, Taylor was released by the Jaguars after 11 seasons with the team.
on February 27, 2009. He played in the first four games of the season for the Patriots, starting one, before suffering an ankle injury in Week 4 against the Baltimore Ravens
. Despite the fact that the injury was expected to keep him out until late in the season, the Patriots chose not to place Taylor on injured reserve, and instead de-activated him. Taylor returned to the field for the Patriots' Week 16 matchup with his former team, the Jaguars, on December 27, 2009. He did not play until the fourth quarter, but managed to rush for 35 yards on 11 carries. He finished the season with 269 yards on 63 attempts and four touchdowns.
In 2010
, Taylor played in the first three games of the season as a reserve before suffering a toe injury in Week 3 against the Buffalo Bills
. He was inactive until Week 12 against the Detroit Lions
, but did not play in that game. He saw his first snaps since Week 3 in the fourth quarter of the Patriots' Week 13 win over the New York Jets
. Taylor played in seven games total, all as a reserve, running 43 times for 155 yards (3.6 yard average) and no touchdowns.
wide receiver
Santonio Holmes
. Both scored a touchdown in the 2007 AFC
wildcard
game in which the Jaguars defeated the Steelers 31-29.
Taylor's son, Kelvin, is a junior at Glades Day School
who has received interest from the University of Florida
and the University of Tennessee
. The younger Taylor is considered to be the best running back prospect of the 2013 prep class, and as of the end of the 2011 high school season, is on pace to set rushing records in the state of Florida. The two are very close, and the elder Taylor can often be seen his son's games.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who was a running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) for thirteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and was recognized as a first-team All-American. Taylor was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
ninth overall in the 1998 NFL Draft
1998 NFL Draft
The 1998 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 18-19, 1998...
, and played for the Jaguars and the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
.
Early years
Taylor was born in Pahokee, FloridaPahokee, Florida
Pahokee is a city located on the shore of Lake Okeechobee in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,985 at the 2000 census. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,459. Culturally, Pahokee is associated with the Florida Heartland, although...
. He attended Glades Central High School
Glades Central High School
Glades Central High School is a high school located in Belle Glade, Florida. It is known for having one of the best high school football teams in the nation, with more football players in the NFL and in the NCAA than any other high school...
in Belle Glade, Florida
Belle Glade, Florida
Belle Glade is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida on the southeastern shore of Lake Okeechobee. The population was 14,906 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2007, the city had a population of 16,739....
, where he was a standout high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
player for the Glades Central Raiders. Taylor initially played linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
, but switched to running back as a junior
Junior (education)
"Junior" is a term used in the United States to describe a student in their 3rd year of study . A Junior is considered an upperclassman...
. As a senior, he ran for 1,700 yards and 22 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s, including a 301-yard, 5-touchdown outing. He received Florida "Super Senior" and all-state honors, and was also Florida's "Mr. Football" in 1993. In 2007, 13 years after he graduated from high school, the Florida High School Athletic Association
Florida High School Athletic Association
The Florida High School Athletic Association is an organization whose purpose is to organize sports competition for high school It is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations ....
(FHSAA) recognized Taylor as one of the "100 Greatest Players of the First 100 Years" of Florida high school football.
College career
After graduating from high school, Taylor accepted an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played for coach Steve Spurrier
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...
's Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team from 1994 to 1997. He started two games as a true freshman, picking up 873 yards and eight touchdowns. As a sophomore in 1995, he played in six games, gaining 281 yards and scoring five touchdowns. He returned in 1996
1996 Florida Gators football team
The 1996 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. This was the team's seventh season under head coach Steve Spurrier...
to start two of the seven games he played, running for 629 yards and five touchdowns, and helping the 12–1 Gators win the national championship
1997 Sugar Bowl
The 1997 Sugar Bowl was the 63rd edition to the annual game. It featured the top ranked , and their heated rivals, the third ranked Florida Gators. It was the designated National Championship Game for the 1996-97 season by the Bowl Alliance. The match up was supposed to feature the top two teams...
. As a senior team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
in 1997, Taylor was the team's leading rusher with 1,292 yards on 214 carries and scoring 13 touchdowns, earning first-team All-Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) recognition and Walter Camp first-team All-American honors, and was chosen by his teammates as the Gators' most valuable player. He finished his college career ranked fourth in school history with 3,075 yards and 31 touchdowns.
Taylor was inducted into the Florida–Georgia Hall of Fame in 2008, and the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2010.
1998–2001
Taylor was drafted ninth overall in the 1998 NFL Draft1998 NFL Draft
The 1998 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 18-19, 1998...
by the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
with the first of two picks they acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in exchange for quarterback Rob Johnson. Taylor started 12 of 15 games for the Jaguars as a rookie in 1998
1998 Jacksonville Jaguars season
The 1998 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the team's fourth year in the National Football League. The Jaguars appeared twice on Monday Night Football.-Staff:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Awards and records:...
, rushing for 1,223 and 14 touchdowns, a career high, while also catching 44 passes for 421 yards and three touchdowns.
In 1999
1999 Jacksonville Jaguars season
The 1999 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the team's fifth year in the National Football League. Wide receiver Jimmy Smith set a franchise record for most receptions and receiving yards in one season. Smith would finish second in the NFL in receiving yards with 1,636 yards. The Jaguars' regular...
, Taylor played in ten games, starting nine, missing six due to a hamstring injury. He ranked second on the team with 732 yards, but posted two 100-yard rushing performances in the playoffs. He also recorded the longest run in playoff history with a 90 yard touchdown run in a 62-7 win over Miami. He missed three-and-a-half games in 2000
2000 Jacksonville Jaguars season
The 2000 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the team's sixth year in the National Football League. They finished with a record of 7–9.-Staff:-Schedule: -Schedule:-Standings:-Awards and records:...
, but still finished sixth in the NFL with 1,399 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, while making 36 catches for 240 yards for another two touchdowns. Taylor played in the first two games of 2001
2001 Jacksonville Jaguars season
The 2001 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the team's seventh year in the National Football League.-2001 NFL Draft:-Staff:-Schedule:-Standings:-References:* *...
before suffering a groin injury and missing the rest of the season.
Overall, injuries caused Taylor to miss 23 out of a potential 48 games from 1999 to 2001. Fans and media were highly critical of Taylor's tendency to get injured, questioning his toughness and donning him the moniker "Fragile Fred", which deeply upset him, as he would later admit. Despite knowing that Taylor's season was over in Week 3 of 2001, Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin
Tom Coughlin
Thomas Richard Coughlin is an American football coach who is currently head coach for the New York Giants of the National Football League . Coughlin has led the Giants to victory in Super Bowl XLII. Coughlin was also the inaugural head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, serving from 1995–2002 and...
listed him on the injury report as "questionable" every game for the remainder of the season, further fueling the doubts of Taylor's toughness in the minds of fans. He still has not completely rid himself of the stigma and the nickname.
Following the 2001 season, it was alleged that Taylor's agent William "Tank" Black
William "Tank" Black
William H. Black is a former sports agent.Black was an assistant coach for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks before starting his Columbia, South Carolina-based sports agency, Professional Management Incorporated in 1988...
had stolen between $12 million and $14 million from players he had represented, the majority of whom were University of Florida alumni, and that Black had laundered
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
nearly all of Taylor's $5 million signing bonus, the only guaranteed money in his rookie contract. In an interview with Vic Ketchman of Jaguars.com in November 2007, Taylor admitted he seriously considered retiring from football early in his career, because of the difficulties he experienced with injuries and Tank Black.
2002–2004
In 20022002 Jacksonville Jaguars season
The 2002 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the team's 8th year in the National Football League. The team finished with a record of 6–10 and finished 3rd place in the AFC South...
, Taylor rebounded to start all 16 games for the Jaguars, finishing the season with 1,314 yards, third most in team history, while setting a then-team record with 1,722 yards from scrimmage. He also set a career high with 49 reception
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
s, second best on his team, for 408 yards, and also recorded eight touchdowns. He again started all 16 games for the Jaguars in 2003
2003 Jacksonville Jaguars season
The 2003 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the ninth season for the team in the National Football League. The Jaguars failed to improve upon their 6–10 regular season record in 2002 and did not make the playoffs....
and set a career high with 1,572 yards on 345 carries for six touchdowns. He also caught 48 passes for 370 yards. In 2004
2004 Jacksonville Jaguars season
The 2004 season brought about Jack Del Rio's second year as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Byron Leftwich's first full year as a starter...
, Taylor started the first 14 games of the season, recording 1,224 yards and two touchdowns. His streak of 46 consecutive starts ended when a knee injury sidelined him for the final two weeks of the season.
2005–2008
Injuries hampered Taylor again in 20052005 Jacksonville Jaguars season
After a 9–7 season in 2004 the Jaguars came out of the gates prepared to become a dominant force in the AFC. They achieved that task, going 12–4 in the regular season, but did not manage to win their own division, getting swept by the Indianapolis Colts as they went 14–2...
, as he started 11 games while missing five games with injuries throughout the season. He still led the team with 787 yards rushing while also recording three touchdowns. In 2006
2006 Jacksonville Jaguars season
The 2006 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the 11th season for the team in the National Football League. The Jaguars failed to improve on their 12–4 record from 2005, and missed the playoffs.-2006 NFL Draft:-Staff:-Preseason:Source:...
, Taylor was joined in the Jaguars backfield by Maurice Jones-Drew
Maurice Jones-Drew
Maurice Christopher Jones-Drew is a professional American football player who currently plays running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League . He was drafted in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
, the Jaguars' second-round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
and Taylor's eventual replacement. Despite sharing carries throughout the season, Taylor started 15 games and posted a 5.0 yard-per-carry average with 1,146 yards on 231 carries for five touchdowns. He also added 23 receptions for 242 yards and one touchdown. Together, Taylor and Jones-Drew combined for 2,087 yards, the most by two rushers in Jaguars history.
As a team captain in 2007
2007 Jacksonville Jaguars season
-Final roster:-Schedule:The Jacksonville Jaguars pre-season schedule was announced on April 11, 2007.-Schedule:-Week 1: vs. Tennessee Titans:-Week 2: vs. Atlanta Falcons:-Week 3: at Denver Broncos:-Week 5: at Kansas City Chiefs:...
, Taylor rushed for 1,202 yards on 223 carries, a career-best 5.4 yards-per-carry average, in 15 games started. On November 11, Taylor surpassed 10,000 yards career rushing in a game against the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
. Taylor rushed for five straight 100-yard games in late November and December, earning him AFC Offensive Player of the Month honors. He tied for first in the NFL with four rushes of 50-plus yards and finished with two of the four longest rushes in the NFL in 2007. Following the season, he was named to the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
second-team All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
team and was named to the 2008 Pro Bowl
2008 Pro Bowl
The 2008 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2007 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 10, 2008. The game was televised in the United States by Fox and began shortly after 11:40am local time . The NFC won, 42–30, despite a 17-point first half AFC...
as an injury replacement, the first such honor of his career.
In his final season with the Jaguars in 2008
2008 Jacksonville Jaguars season
The 2008 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the 14th season for the team in the National Football League. The Jaguars failed to improve upon their 11–5 record from 2007 and did not make the playoffs, contrary to many preseason predictions.-2008 NFL Draft picks:...
, Taylor started the first 13 games of the season before being placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
for the first time in his career with a thumb injury on December 11. A team captain for the second straight season, Taylor surpassed both the 11,000 yards career rushing and 13,000 career all-purpose yards milestones on the year. He finished the season with 556 yards on 113 carries; meanwhile, Jones-Drew, now a third-year player, rushed for 824 yards on 197 carries.
After his 2008 season had ended, when asked about his future with the team, Taylor said, "All of that still has to handle itself. I don't know how it's going to play out." Taylor said that it was clear to him that the organization was headed in "another direction" as a result of his reduced role with the team and the rise in his salary that was due to receive if he had remained on the roster.
On February 16, 2009, Taylor was released by the Jaguars after 11 seasons with the team.
New England Patriots
Taylor was signed to a two-year contract by the New England PatriotsNew England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
on February 27, 2009. He played in the first four games of the season for the Patriots, starting one, before suffering an ankle injury in Week 4 against the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
. Despite the fact that the injury was expected to keep him out until late in the season, the Patriots chose not to place Taylor on injured reserve, and instead de-activated him. Taylor returned to the field for the Patriots' Week 16 matchup with his former team, the Jaguars, on December 27, 2009. He did not play until the fourth quarter, but managed to rush for 35 yards on 11 carries. He finished the season with 269 yards on 63 attempts and four touchdowns.
In 2010
2010 New England Patriots season
The 2010 New England Patriots season was the 41st season for the team in the National Football League and 51st season overall. The Patriots improved on their 10–6 record from 2009 by finishing with a league-best 14–2 record and clinching the top seed in the AFC, before losing to the New York Jets...
, Taylor played in the first three games of the season as a reserve before suffering a toe injury in Week 3 against the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was inactive until Week 12 against the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, but did not play in that game. He saw his first snaps since Week 3 in the fourth quarter of the Patriots' Week 13 win over the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Taylor played in seven games total, all as a reserve, running 43 times for 155 yards (3.6 yard average) and no touchdowns.
Retirement
Taylor signed a one-day contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday, September 2, 2011, in order to formally retire from the team that drafted him ninth overall in 1998.Personal
Taylor is a first cousin of New York JetsNew York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Ohio State...
. Both scored a touchdown in the 2007 AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
wildcard
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
game in which the Jaguars defeated the Steelers 31-29.
Taylor's son, Kelvin, is a junior at Glades Day School
Glades Day School
Glades Day School is a K-12 private school located in Palm Beach County, northeast of Belle Glade, Florida. It accredited by the FCIS . It was founded in 1965 by parents and continues to be governed by parents....
who has received interest from the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
and the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
. The younger Taylor is considered to be the best running back prospect of the 2013 prep class, and as of the end of the 2011 high school season, is on pace to set rushing records in the state of Florida. The two are very close, and the elder Taylor can often be seen his son's games.
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1990–1999
- List of Florida Gators football players
- List of Jacksonville Jaguars first-round draft picks
- List of New England Patriots players