T. C. Taylor

Last updated

T. C. Taylor
Current position
Title Head coach
Team Jackson State
Conference SWAC
Record7–4
Biographical details
Born (1978-09-22) September 22, 1978 (age 45)
Magnolia, Mississippi, U.S.
Playing career
1998–2001 Jackson State
2002–2003 New England Patriots
2003 Frankfurt Galaxy
2003 Amsterdam Admirals
2003 Detroit Lions
Position(s) Quarterback, wide receiver
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2005 Coahoma CC (QB/WR)
2006–2011Coahoma CC (OC)
2012–2013 Texas Southern (WR/RC)
2014 North Carolina Central (QB)
2015–2016North Carolina Central (co-OC/QB)
2017–2018North Carolina Central (OC/QB)
2019–2020 Jackson State (WR/TE)
2020Jackson State (interim OC)
2021–2022Jackson State (OC/WR/TE)
2023–presentJackson State
Head coaching record
Overall7–4

Thomas "T. C." Taylor (born September 22, 1978) is an American football coach and former player who is currently the head coach for the Jackson State Tigers. He played college football for the school as a quarterback and wide receiver, and after graduating had stints in the National Football League (NFL) with the New England Patriots and Detroit Lions, as well as in NFL Europe with the Frankfurt Galaxy and Amsterdam Admirals. He later served as a coach at Coahoma Community College, Texas Southern, and North Carolina Central, before joining Jackson State in 2019.

Contents

Early life and education

Taylor was born on September 22, 1978, in Magnolia, Mississippi. [1] He attended South Pike High School and played quarterback, the same position he had played in elementary school and junior high school. [1] [2] He began attending Jackson State University (JSU) in 1998 [1] and spent his first two seasons as backup to Mark Washington. [1] He showed enough promise while backup to Washington that in 2000, Taylor's junior year, he was named starter at the position. [2] However, after struggling in his first two games, Taylor was benched for freshman Robert Kent. [2]

One week after being benched at quarterback, Taylor switched to playing wide receiver. [2] In his first game at the new position he caught one pass. [2] He caught one again in the following game, before scoring his first career touchdown in the third. [2] He then went on to catch 26 passes in the next four games, including eight for 148 yards and two touchdowns against Arkansas–Pine Bluff. [2] Taylor finished his junior year as Jackson State's third leading receiver, having recorded 559 yards and four touchdowns on 34 receptions. [2]

As a senior in 2001, Taylor broke the single-season school record for receptions, [3] finishing with 84 for 1,234 yards and 11 scores. He was named third-team All-American by The Sports Network and first-team Black college All-American by the Sheridan Broadcasting Network. [4] He additionally was the runner-up for the Conerly Trophy, given to the best player in Mississippi (with Eli Manning winning the award). [4] Although Taylor only appeared in a total of 19 games at wide receiver in his career at JSU, he finished with 1,793 receiving yards and over 175 catches. [4]

Professional career

After going unselected in the 2002 NFL Draft, Taylor was signed by the defending champion New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent. [4] He was released at the final roster cuts, [5] but later re-signed to the practice squad. [6] He was released from the practice squad in October 2002. [7] Taylor was re-signed in January 2003 [8] and was sent to NFL Europe two months later. [9] Although originally slated to play for the Barcelona Dragons, [9] he ended up appearing in four games for the Frankfurt Galaxy and one for the Amsterdam Admirals. [1] Taylor appeared in the Galaxy's World Bowl XI win over the Rhein Fire. [10] He was released by the Patriots in July 2003, [11] but later signed with the Detroit Lions, before an injury ended his playing career. [10]

Coaching career

Taylor began a coaching career in 2005, being named wide receivers and quarterbacks coach at Coahoma Community College. [12] He served one year in that position before being named offensive coordinator, which he served as through 2011. [12] He left for Texas Southern in 2012, serving two years there as the recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach. [13] Taylor joined North Carolina Central in 2014, spending his first year as quarterbacks coach. [14] He was promoted to co-offensive coordinator in 2015, and became the team's sole offensive coordinator in 2017. [10] While at North Carolina Central, he helped them earn three conference championships and an appearance in the 2016 Celebration Bowl. [15]

Taylor returned to his alma mater, Jackson State, in January 2019, being hired as quarterbacks coach. [16] He did not serve in that position, ultimately becoming the tight ends and wide receivers coach. [4] He served as interim offensive coordinator in 2020. [10] He rose to full-time offensive coordinator in 2021, while retaining his other positions. [17] After head coach Deion Sanders left for Colorado in December 2022, Taylor was named his successor. [17]

Head coaching record

YearTeamOverallConferenceStandingBowl/playoffs
Jackson State Tigers (Southwestern Athletic Conference)(2023–present)
2023 Jackson State 7–45–3T–2nd (East)
Jackson State:7–45–3
Total:7–4

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Joiner</span> American football player and coach (born 1947)

Charles B. Joiner Jr. is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. He played 11 seasons with the San Diego Chargers, with whom he earned all three of his Pro Bowl selections, and was named first-team All-Pro in 1980. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Perkins</span> American-football player and coach (1941–2020)

Walter Ray Perkins was an American football coach and player. He played as a wide receiver for the University of Alabama and Baltimore Colts. He later worked as a football coach for 28 years, including stints as the head coach for the New York Giants, the University of Alabama, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Arkansas State University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al Saunders</span> American football coach (born 1947)

Alan Keith Saunders is an American football coach who most recently served as the senior offensive assistant for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL).

Nolan Neil Cromwell is an American former professional football player who was a safety for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas Jayhawks, where he earned All-American honors. Cromwell played for the Rams from 1977 through 1987 and was named to the Pro Bowl in four consecutive years, 1980 through 1983. He played on the Rams' 1979–1980 Super Bowl XIV team. He became a coach and was the Rams' wide receivers coach from 2010 to 2011.

Derrick Scott Alexander is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at the University of Michigan from 1989 to 1993 where he was selected as a first-team All-Big Ten receiver in both 1992 and 1993. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft and played nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Cleveland Browns (1994–1995), Baltimore Ravens (1996–1997), Kansas City Chiefs (1998–2001), and Minnesota Vikings (2002). In 2000, he set a Kansas City Chiefs single-season record with 1,391 receiving yards. He is currently employed as the head coach at Avila University in Kansas City, Missouri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hue Jackson</span> American football coach (born 1965)

Hue Jackson is an American football coach who is the head football coach at Grambling State University. An offensive assistant at both the collegiate and professional levels, he held coordinator positions in the National Football League (NFL) with the Washington Redskins in 2003, the Atlanta Falcons in 2007, the Oakland Raiders in 2010, and the Cincinnati Bengals from 2014 to 2015. He also served as the head coach of the Raiders in 2011 and Cleveland Browns from 2016 to 2018. Jackson compiled a 3–36–1 record with the Browns, including a winless season in 2017, which is the worst record among coaches who presided over an NFL team for at least 40 games.

James "Big Daddy" Carson Jr. was an American football coach. He served as the head football coach of Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi from 1992 to 1998, compiling a record of 54–25–1. Carson's Jackson State Tigers won a black college football national championship in 1996 and back-to-back Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) titles in 1995 and 1996. They appeared in the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs three consecutive years from 1995 to 1997.

Troy Scott Taylor is an American football coach and former player who is currently the head coach of the Stanford Cardinal. Previously, he served as co-head football coach at Folsom High School in Folsom, California, from 2012 to 2015; co-offensive coordinator at Eastern Washington University in 2016; offensive coordinator at the University of Utah from 2017 to 2018; and as head coach at Sacramento State from 2019 to 2022.

The 1984 Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils team represented the Mississippi Valley State University as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) during the 1984 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Archie Cooley, the Delta Devils played their home games at Magnolia Stadium—now known as Rice–Totten Stadium—in Itta Bena, Mississippi. Mississippi Valley finished the season with an overall record of 9–2 and a mark of 6–1 in conference play, placing second in the SWAC. The team qualified for the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs, losing to Louisiana Tech in the first round. With an offense led by quarterback Willie Totten and wide receiver Jerry Rice, the Delta Devils scored 628 points on the season, averaging more than 57 points per game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay Norvell</span> American football player and coach (born 1963)

Merritt James Norvell III is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at Colorado State University, a position he has held since the 2022 season. Norvell served as the head football coach at the University of Nevada, Reno from 2017 to 2021. His father, Merritt Norvell, was the athletic director at Michigan State University from 1995 to 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Miller (American football coach)</span> American gridiron football coach (born 1970)

Mike Miller is the quarterbacks coach for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He also coached in the National Football League (NFL) from 1999 to 2005 and from 2007 to 2012.

James Urban is an American football coach who was the quarterbacks coach for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jedd Fisch</span> American football coach

Jedd Ari Fisch is an American football coach who is currently the head football coach at the University of Arizona. Fisch previously served as the quarterbacks coach for the New England Patriots and as an assistant offensive coordinator and senior offensive assistant for the Los Angeles Rams. In addition, Fisch served as the interim head football coach at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) for the final two games of the 2017 season. He was the quarterbacks coach, wide receivers coach, and passing game coordinator under head coach Jim Harbaugh at the University of Michigan from 2015 to 2016. Fisch has served several stints as an assistant coach in both the professional and college ranks.

The 1971 Grantland Rice Bowl was an NCAA College Division game following the 1971 season, between the Tennessee State Tigers and the McNeese State Cowboys.

Phil Longo is an American football coach who is currently the offensive coordinator for the Wisconsin Badgers. A practitioner of the air raid offense, he was previously the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for North Carolina, Ole Miss and Sam Houston.

Gerald N. Carr is a former American football quarterback and coach. He played college football at Southern Illinois before starting a coaching career that spanned from 1981–2012 with North Mecklenburg High School, Southern Illinois, Davidson, Akron, Washington State, Arizona, North Carolina, the Philadelphia Eagles, Wake Forest, the Carolina Cobras, Indiana, Kentucky, Baylor, Buffalo, Southern, and the Virginia Destroyers.

William Wyatt Rogers III is an American football quarterback for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Rogers holds Mississippi State program records in nearly every major passing category and Southeastern Conference (SEC) records for single season and career completions.

The 1980 Jackson State Tigers football team represented Jackson State University as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) during the 1980 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by fifth-year head coach W. C. Gorden, the Tigers compiled and overall record of 8–3 with a mark of 5–1 in conference play, sharing the SWAC title with Grambling State.

Robert "Big Bob" Hill was an American football and baseball coach. He served as the head football coach at Jackson State University from 1971 to 1976, compiling a record of 44–15–1. Hill's winning percentage of .742 is the second highest of any head coach in the history of the Jackson State Tigers football program. During his tenure at Jackson State, he mentored future Pro Football Hall of Famers Walter Payton and Jackie Slater. Hill was fired from his post during the 1976 season and replaced by his assistant, W. C. Gorden.

Buster Faulkner is an American football coach and former player who is currently the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Georgia Tech team.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "T.C. Taylor Stats". Pro Football Archives.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Alexander, Mark (August 14, 2001). "Ex-pitcher finds gold as catcher". Clarion-Ledger . p. 25, 27 – via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  3. ↑ Alexander, Mark (November 18, 2001). "Taylor hurdles Morris on JSU receiving list". Clarion-Ledger . p. 39 – via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "T.C. Taylor". Jackson State Tigers.
  5. ↑ "Leading Off". Enterprise-Journal . September 3, 2002. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  6. ↑ "Transactions". The Boston Globe . September 18, 2002. p. 44 – via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  7. ↑ "Leading Off". Enterprise-Journal . October 18, 2002. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  8. ↑ "Transactions". The Cincinnati Enquirer . January 8, 2003. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  9. 1 2 Borges, Ron (March 25, 2003). "NFL Europe stays in place". The Boston Globe . p. 61 – via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  10. 1 2 3 4 Robinson, Prince (September 2, 2020). "5 things to know about offensive coordinator T.C. Taylor, former Jackson State star". Clarion-Ledger .
  11. ↑ "Deals". Great Falls Tribune . July 11, 2003. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  12. 1 2 Keith, J. T. (December 13, 2022). "Jackson State football announces T.C. Taylor as Deion Sanders' successor". Clarion-Ledger .
  13. ↑ "McComb native T.C. Taylor named next head coach of Jackson State football". Enterprise-Journal . December 13, 2022.
  14. ↑ "T.C. Taylor". North Carolina Central Eagles.
  15. ↑ McDougle, Anthony (January 29, 2019). "Why did T.C. Taylor choose to return to JSU?". Clarion-Ledger . p. B1, B3 – via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  16. ↑ McDougle, Anthony (January 15, 2019). "JSU football fills coaching vacancies". Clarion-Ledger . p. C1, C2 – via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  17. 1 2 Mosley, Kyle T. (December 13, 2022). "The Prime Successor: T.C. Taylor Named New Head Coach By Jackson State". Sports Illustrated .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.