A quick reminder: As a senior at Katy High School, against some of the best prep competition you'll find, Class 5A football in the state of Texas, Taylor ran for 2,754 yards and 45 touchdowns, leading his team to a 16-0 record and a state championship. That came after he tore his ACL during his junior season, mind you.
In the state semifinals, Taylor ran 40 times for 226 yards. In the finals, he willed his team to a win, toting it 30 times for 276 yards, grabbing a late lead for Katy with a 56-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-1. He put the matter to bed with a 42-yard house call after spinning a safety out of his shoes. He was said to put more than 400 pounds on the bench and squat more than 500 as a high schooler.
He signed in the same 2013 recruiting class as Terrell Newby, giving Nebraska arguably the top running back recruit out of both Texas and California that year.
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Taylor is still here despite suffering a broken ankle that took him out of the 2014 season. He came back to play every game in 2015 on special teams, and played five more the next season on special teams before another injury.
He isn't one for interviews. An NU media relations person couldn't recall if he'd given one during his time in Lincoln.
He didn't do many even when he was tearing up the scene in high school. But others said enough on his behalf. His high school coach Gary Joseph once remarked that Taylor's leadership was as good as anyone had provided for Katy High football in the last 20 years.
"He's a really good person," said senior offensive lineman David Knevel. "Overall, just growing up with him in this class, I respect him a lot. Guys like that ... they're good guys that just stick it out and play."
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