Early life
Taylor was born on September 11, 1985, in Temple, Texas. At Belton High School, Taylor was a multi-sport athlete who finished his high school career having set school records in three different sports. [1]
In football, he produced a school record of 4,010 rushing yards and 62 touchdowns over three years. [2] He was kicked off the team as a sophomore for what he called a "bad attitude" but worked his way back on. [3] He led his team to the 2001 playoffs where they lost in the first round and set a school record for longest run from scrimmage (96 yards). In his junior year he set the school records for rushing yards in a season (1,529) and TDs (28) and rushing touchdowns in a game (6). He was named 1st team all district and 3rd-team all-state. In his senior year he led the team to a District Championship broke his own school record for yards in a season (2,371) and TDs (32) and broke the record for rushing yards in a game (347). That season he also played cornerback and punter. He was named district Offensive MVP and 1st team all-state. In 2005 he was named to the All-Time Centex Team. [1]
Taylor was a four-year varsity track athlete. As a junior he won the state championship in the long jump with a 25' jump that was in the top mark in the country that year and as a result he was named a high school All-American. That summer he placed 3rd and 2nd in a pair of national high school meets. As a senior, he won both the long jump and triple jump at the District championship and also finished in 2nd in the 100 meters, 400 meters relay and 800 meter relay. He also won the long jump and triple jump at the regional championship and helped Belton to finish in 2nd at the meet. At the state championship he repeated as the long jump champion, came in 4th in the 100 meters and 7th in the triple jump. [1]
In basketball, he helped Belton win the 2002 district championship for the first time in 35 years and advance to the 2nd round of the playoffs while earning 1st team all-district honors. He helped them to the 2nd round of the playoffs again in 2003, repeated as 1st team all district and was also named All-Centex by the Austin American Statesman. Belton won a share of the championship in his senior year and made it to the 3rd round of the playoffs. He was named 1st team all-district; 2nd team all-region; and 2nd team All-Centex as a senior and set the 37 year-old record for most points in a game (44) in an upset victory over #8 Amarillo. [1]
College career
Taylor played football at Texas in 2004-05.
In 2004, he accumulated 284 yards rushing, backing up Cedric Benson and helped the team get to the Rose Bowl, which they won. [4]
In the 2005 season, his second with the Longhorns, he scored 4 TDs in his first 5 games, became a starter and compiled a total of 1,219 offensive yards for 15 touchdowns, which led the team. [2] He was all an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention on an undefeated team that won the Big 12 and the BCS Championship.
After the National Champions game, Taylor started making some "bad decisions". He got into academic trouble and in May 2005, he was arrested on marijuana charges. [5] Longhorn coach Mack Brown dismissed Taylor from the team due to academic and legal troubles. [6] [7] In September 2006, he pleaded guilty to the felony drug charges and was sentenced to 60 days in jail and five years deferred adjudication. [7] He avoided jail time by participating in a work release program. [3]
He attempted to transfer to Texas College, an NAIA school, and play football there - as he was academically ineligible to return to Texas - but could not get academically cleared to play in 2006. [8]
With his college career over, he played in the Texas vs The Nation All-Star game in 2007. [9]
Post-college career
Taylor entered the draft early, as a junior, and was expected to be taken in the 2007 NFL draft. [10] [11] He was invited to the NFL combine but after posting a 4.5 in the 40, he went undrafted. He was also not signed as a free agent.
In late 2007 he went to a tryout with the CenTex Barracudas. [12]
Disappointed with his football career, Taylor went back to drinking too much and smoking weed. In February 2008, he was given a workout by the Kansas City Chiefs that went well enough for the Chiefs to offer him a 3 year contract, [3] but just 7 days later he was sentenced to jail for 5 months for violating his probation and the deal fell apart. [13] [2] [3]
Rio Grande Valley Dorados (2nd stint)
Taylor returned to the Dorados for the last 6 games of the season. They lost in the first game of the playoffs to Bossier-Shreveport.
Edmonton Eskimos
On October 7, 2009, Taylor was signed by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League, but did not appear in any games that season. [21] On June 22, 2010, before the 2010 season started, he was cut by the Eskimos. [22]
RGV Magic
In March of 2011, Taylor was signed by the Rio Grande Valley Magic of the Southern Indoor Football League (SIFL). [18] He suffered a hamstring injury in the 3rd game of the season but recovered without missing a game, though other injuries hampered the start of his season. [23] Taylor was the team's backup quarterback and when starting quarterback Billy Garza was injured at the end of a late April game, Taylor - who had 4 touchdowns already - filled in, throwing an incomplete pass on 4th and goal that sealed the Magic's loss. [24] In that same game, he had the SIFL's season-high single game KO return performance with 216 yards. [25] The team went 6-6 and lost in the first round of the playoffs.
Allen Wranglers
In 2012, Taylor signed with the Allen Wranglers after the team had signed Terrell Owens and about a month into the season. [26] [27] Taylor found himself playing sparingly in his first 5 games, mostly handeling kickoff returns. [28] But after Owens was waived, Taylor got more playing time and was named IFL Player of the Week twice in a row. [28] Despite a late start, he ended the season 3rd in the League in kickoff return TDs (5) and kickoff return average (22.5). [29] He had over 900 yards in KO returns, 200 yards of receiving, 11 touchdowns and 142 tackles on defense. [29] [30] [26] The Wranglers lost in the first round of the playoffs despite Taylor scoring 3 touchdowns on 93 yards receiving. [31]
Texas Revolution
At the end of the 2012 season, the Wranglers folded and were replaced by the Texas Revolution, which promptly signed Taylor. [26] The Revolution went 5-9 and missed the playoffs in a season where Taylor only played in 3 games and got 12 touches and was off the roster at the end of the season. [32] [33]
In March 2014, the Texas Revolution re-signed Taylor, but not until after week 4. Despite his late start he had the team's 2nd most all-purpose yards (1088), rushing yards (92), receiving yards (585) and return yards (41) while also scoring 11 touchdowns and recording 6 tackles. He also went 7 for 19 passing for 142 yards with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. [34] He earned honorable mention player of the week honors 3 times - once on special teams and twice on offense - in April of that season. The Team went 3-11, missed the playoffs
In 2015 he worked out with Robert Griffin III and Adrian Peterson in the hopes of giving the NFL one last shot as a slot receiver, while also returning to Texas to finish his degree and working as a wide receiver's coach at St. Andrew's High School. [3] [35]
Centex Cavalry
On March 30, 2017, Taylor was signed by the CenTex Cavalry of the Champions Indoor Football League, which was about a month into the season. [36] For the Cavalry he continued to return kicks, play defense, catch and run the ball, but he played more quarterback than any of the other offensive positions. He went 22 for 43 for 314 yards passing with 7 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He also ran for 96 yards and 7 touchdowns on 34 attempts and had 47 yards receiving with 0 touchdowns on 6 receptions. As a kickoff returner he had 648 return yards and 1 touchdown on 32 returns. He even played kicker in one game sending both of his kickoffs out of bounds. [37] The Cavalry went winless that season, did not make the playoffs and was shut down at the end of the season.
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