Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1276571
T here aren't many things that Penn State freshman Brandon Taylor enjoys more than strapping on pads and getting a;er it on the gridiron. Growing up in Lima, Ohio, Taylor got his 7rst taste of organized football when he was only 8 years old. At the time, soc- cer was the only sport he had tried, so his family thought a less-physical option, 8ag football, would be a good way to get his feet wet. That decision ended up hav- ing the reverse e9ect. "Flag football wasn't physical enough for me," Taylor said. "As soon as I started that, I remember, all I really wanted to do was play the real sport. So my dad got me into the city league team the next year. I actually had to try out, and I'll be honest, I remember being real nervous. I was young still and I had never put pads on and all that. I never played any contact sport. I knew none of the drills, nothing like that. Obviously, it all ended up working out. I picked it up pretty quick." That he did. By the time Taylor entered high school, it was clear that he had seri- ous potential as a pass rusher. He didn't start right away as a freshman, but Taylor ended up being a four-year letterman at Lima High School, totaling 25 sacks over the course of his career. But football isn't the only hobby that Taylor enjoys. There's another sport on the exact opposite side of the spectrum that he also participates in frequently. "I'm big into 7shing. That's something I love to do whenever I get time," Taylor said. "I have a license and all that. I think I've been 7shing since before I ever played football. That goes way back. It's a little bit of a stress reliever sometimes, you could say, but I really just like doing it for sport. It's fun, and you can always 7nd new spots, bigger 7sh. I love it." For those who love both football and the outdoors, there aren't many places that would be a better 7t than State College, Pa. Taylor came to that realization early in the recruiting process. Visiting for the 7rst time in March 2019, he earned a scholarship o9er from James Franklin two days later, and that relationship quickly blossomed into one of his favorites. Taylor also visited Kentucky, Purdue, Ohio State and West Virginia, but it was a Big Ten rival that ultimately pushed Penn State the most. And no, it wasn't his in- state school. "I actually grew up a fan of Michigan. I was never a Buckeye fan," Taylor said. "But honestly, that was never going to impact me with recruiting. Michigan was one of the 7rst schools I saw, and I really liked it, but I knew I had to 7nd the best school for me, and I knew pretty quick that Penn State was going to be that school." Taylor took his o:cial visit to Penn State in late June. It ended up being the only o:cial visit that he used, as he ended up committing to the Nittany Lions on June 28. "When I went up there, it was just something di9erent," he said. "Everyone is real genuine, and Coach Franklin goes out of his way to show you what he's building. Every time I visited there, it just felt right." Taylor and his remaining 2020 class- mates o:cially joined the team about two months ago. He checked in at just under 270 pounds, which is up about 5 pounds from his playing weight last season. De- spite the arrival of a new position coach, Taylor said that the plan hasn't changed; he'll begin his collegiate career at defen- sive end. "For right now, they're planning to keep me at end, but it's 8uid," Taylor said. "We've talked about playing inside. It's just going to depend on how I progress and how the guys around me progress. I'm down to play wherever they need me." Taylor said there were no hard feelings when he learned about Sean Spencer's decision to leave Penn State for a job with the New York Giants. He said he's enjoyed getting to know Spencer's successor, John Scott Jr. "Coach Spence was my guy, no doubt, but I know he had to make the best choice for his family. We're all trying to get to the NFL someday. That's part of the business, so I'm happy for him," Taylor said. "I talked to Coach Scott about every week in the spring. It'll be nice to work with him. I did do a few position meetings with him and the other guys [before enrolling]. I liked what he had to say during those. He's de7nitely someone that I can work with." ■ Taylor's switch to football pays big dividends CLICK HERE to see video of Taylor in action. THE TAYLOR FILE STATS Was a four-year letterman and a team captain as a senior... Totaled 14 sacks and 57 tackles during his junior and senior seasons at Lima Senior High... Had 11 sacks in his first two seasons HONORS Named a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, as well as the No. 14 prospect in Ohio and No. 28 weakside defensive end in the Class of 2020 |