He may not be a Hall of Famer, but he's certainly a class act and a superb football player in his own right. This is why we at Baseline Sports want to salute running back Fred Taylor for his 13 seasons of service in the NFL. Taylor will be retiring tomorrow after signing a one day contract with his original NFL team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, who drafted him in the first round in 1998 and had the benefit of his play for the best years of his career through the 2008 season.
Taylor was the star running back for a Jaguars team, and a key component to what put that organization on the fast track to competing in the AFC. It wasn't until 1998 that the Jags won their first AFC Central Title (ha, remember the old AFC Central?). 1999 saw them reach the AFC Title Game.
Taylor is the franchise leader in rushing yards at over 11,000. When healthy, he was one of the premiere running backs in the league and the kind that an offense could solely depend on by not only being a feature back, but also through catching the ball and blocking.
Off the field Taylor was known as one of the hardest workers in the NFL, which made the cracks against him continuing to get hurt seem misleading, it wasn't a lack of desire to stay healthy that kept him off the field. His desire was further amplified by the fact he played the 2004 season with a broken bone in his foot, still rushing for over 1200 yards. He was also know as quiet and wanting to keep to himself, hardly wanting to cause trouble in the locker room, and even as he aged becoming a fantastic team leader.
Somehow, despite 7 seasons of 1000+ yards he only made one Pro Bowl, in 2007. Playing in the small market Jacksonville most likely had something to do with it, but it didn't hardly phase Taylor, who would have happily finished his career entirely with the Jags had their not been a change in the organization's direction that caused them to let him go after the 2008 season (that, and a guy named Maurice Jones-Drew waiting in the wings). Taylor didn't feel ready to end his career though so he went to New England and played a role while trying to win the Super Bowl that never came to him. Small market life, only one Pro Bowl, continuous injuries, and no rings will probably keep Taylor out of the Hall, which is a shame because I can think of few guys more deserving.
What's the baseline?
A fantastic man on and off the field, we will miss you, Fred Taylor. I have nothing but respect for you, and if nothing else, its nice to see you retire a Jaguar.
(photo courtesy of bigcatcountry.com)
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