Travis Taylor (American football)

Travis Lamont Taylor (born March 30, 1979) is an American former college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons during the 2000s. Taylor played college football for the University of Florida. A first-round pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, he played professionally for the Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders and St. Louis Rams of the NFL.

Travis Taylor
No. 89, 18, 19, 17
Position:Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1979-03-30) March 30, 1979 (age 44)
Fernandina Beach, Florida, U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school:Jacksonville (FL) Jean Ribault
College:Florida
NFL draft:2000 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:312
Receiving yards:4,017
Receiving touchdowns:22
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Early years edit

Taylor was born in Fernandina Beach, Florida.[1] He started his high school career at Camden County High School in Camden County, Georgia, but transferred to Jean Ribault High School in Jacksonville, Florida.[2] As a senior at Ribault High School, Taylor was a first team Class 4A All-State selection, won All-America honors from SuperPrep, and was named to The Florida Times-Union Area Super 24 Team.

College career edit

Taylor accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators football team from 1997 to 1999.[3] Taylor compiled seventy-two receptions for 1,150 yards and fifteen touchdowns in eleven career starts, and also earned Most Valuable Player honors in the 1999 Orange Bowl with seven catches for 159 yards and two touchdowns; in the 2000 Florida Citrus Bowl, he made eleven catches for 156 yards and three touchdowns.[3] As a junior in 1999, he was selected as one of the Gators' team captains.[3]

Professional career edit

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash Vertical jump
6 ft 0+78 in
(1.85 m)
199 lb
(90 kg)
31+12 in
(0.80 m)
9+14 in
(0.23 m)
4.43 s 37.0 in
(0.94 m)
All values from NFL Combine[4]

Baltimore Ravens edit

The Baltimore Ravens selected Taylor in the first round (tenth pick overall) in the 2000 NFL Draft; he was the third receiver taken in the 2000 draft.[5][6] The Ravens had high hopes of him making an immediate impact. However, Taylor would only make twenty-eight catches for 278 yards in nine games as a rookie in 2000.[7] That season, Taylor showed early promise for himself and for his team by scoring two touchdowns in the second game of the season, a shootout victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars—a team the Ravens had never beaten. In 2000, the Ravens would go on to win Super Bowl XXXV. Taylor's best season with Baltimore came in 2002, when he compiled sixty-one catches for 869 yards and six touchdowns.[7] Baltimore released Taylor after a lackluster 2004 season.

Minnesota Vikings edit

Taylor was then picked up by the Minnesota Vikings, where he played the 2005 and 2006 seasons and led the team in receiving both years. In 32 games (29 starts) with the team, Taylor caught 107 passes for 1,255 yards and seven touchdowns. He became a free agent in the 2007 offseason.

Oakland Raiders edit

On May 22, 2007, Taylor was signed by the Oakland Raiders. He was inactive for the team's season opener, then played in the team's Week 2 contest but recorded no statistics. He was released on September 22.

St. Louis Rams edit

Taylor worked out for the New Orleans Saints on October 11, 2007, but was not signed. He was signed by the St. Louis Rams a week later. He appeared in one game for the team, catching one pass for four yards and recording a solo tackle on special teams. The Rams released him in November.

Carolina Panthers edit

On December 26, 2007, the Carolina Panthers signed Taylor to a two-year contract. He was inactive for the team's regular season finale. He was released from the team on August 30, 2008.

Detroit Lions edit

Taylor was signed by the Detroit Lions on December 16, 2008, after wide receiver Shaun McDonald was placed on injured reserve. He was released on May 4, 2009.

During his eight-season NFL career, Taylor played in 101 regular season games, and started ninety of them.[1] He had 312 career receptions for 4,017 yards and twenty-two touchdowns; he also had thirty-two carries for 232 rushing yards.[1]

NFL statistics edit

Regular season edit

Year Team GP Receiving Rushing
Rec Yds Avg Lng TD FD Att Yds Avg Lng TD FD
2000 BAL 9 28 276 9.9 40 3 17 2 11 5.5 12 0 1
2001 BAL 16 42 560 13.3 63 3 27 5 46 9.2 16 0 3
2002 BAL 16 61 869 14.2 64 6 40 11 105 9.5 39 0 4
2003 BAL 16 39 632 16.2 73 3 23 11 62 5.6 16 0 2
2004 BAL 11 34 421 12.4 47 0 21
2005 MIN 16 50 604 12.1 31 4 34 2 3 1.5 5 0 0
2006 MIN 16 57 651 11.4 36 3 29 1 5 5.0 5 0 0
2007 STL 1 1 4 4.0 4 0 0
Career[8] 101 312 4,017 12.9 73 22 191 32 232 7.3 39 0 10

Postseason edit

Year Team GP Receiving Rushing
Rec Yds Avg Lng TD FD Att Yds Avg Lng TD FD
2001 BAL 2 6 76 12.7 45 1 3 1 15 15.0 15 0 1
2003 BAL 1 7 82 11.7 30 0 5
Career 3 13 158 12.2 45 1 8 1 15 15.5 15 0 1

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Travis Taylor. Retrieved March 19, 2011.
  2. ^ databaseFootball.com, Players, Travis Taylor Archived April 12, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 19, 2011.
  3. ^ a b c 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 125, 136, 144–145, 162, 173, 186 (2011). Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  4. ^ "Travis Taylor, Combine Results, WR - Florida". nflcombineresults.com. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  5. ^ "2000 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  6. ^ Pro Football Hall of Fame, Draft History, 2000 National Football League Draft. Retrieved March 19, 2011.
  7. ^ a b National Football League, Historical Players, Travis Taylor. Retrieved March 19, 2011.
  8. ^ "Travis Taylor Stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved May 5, 2014.