Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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48 APRIL 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY TODD D. BURLAGE S ix seasons, two national champion- ships, two surgeries, two academic degrees, and one school record — Irish graduate student Jake Taylor has seen and done about everything there is to see and do during his lengthy stay at Notre Dame. Yet the talented lacrosse attacker be- lieves there is still much more to ac- complish this spring during his last go-around wearing a blue-and-gold uniform. Let's start with the good. When Taylor — already the holder of a bachelor's degree in management con- sulting, a master's in business analytics and his real estate license — isn't play- ing lacrosse, he's taking his graduate classes at the same time he's already moonlighting in real estate sales for Coldwell Banker and preparing for life after athletics. "Lacrosse is my biggest priority right now, but it's a nice balance," Taylor ex- plained of his busy schedule. "I can get everything done for school and I'm able to work and earn a little bit as well. But again, lacrosse is top priority." And Taylor's commitment is paying off. Through five games this season, Tay- lor was second on the Fighting Irish in both goals (14) and points (15). But beyond statistics, the Denver na- tive has also grown into a valuable team leader and mentor who's "been there and done that" at Notre Dame since 2019. "The expectations that we all have personally are obviously very high," said Taylor, who is trying to help the Irish be- come only the fourth program in NCAA history to win three straight national championships. "There are a lot of guys who have spent a lot of their careers Irish Lacrosse Star Jake Taylor Is Finishing Strong N O T R E D A M E S P O R T S Through five games this season, Taylor was second on the Fighting Irish in both goals (14) and points (15). PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS "Having known what I had been through the first time, I knew that I was able to come back. It was just going to be a huge recovery battle, just like the first time, and I accepted that." TAYLOR