Fred Taylor (American football) facts for kids
Taylor in 2008
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | January 27, 1976 Pahokee, Florida, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 228 lb (103 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Glades Central (Belle Glade, Florida) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Florida (1994–1997) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1998 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Frederick Antwon Taylor (born January 27, 1976) is a former professional football player. He was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. Fred Taylor played for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New England Patriots. He is known for being one of the few players to rush for over 10,000 yards in his career. Today, he co-hosts "The Pivot Podcast" with his friends, Channing Crowder and Ryan Clark.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Fred Taylor was born on January 27, 1976, in Pahokee, Florida. He grew up in Belle Glade, Florida and went to Glades Central High School. There, he was an amazing football player for the Glades Central Raiders. He also competed in track and field, showing his speed.
From Linebacker to Star Running Back
Taylor first played as a linebacker in high school. But in his junior year, he switched to running back. This change was a great move! In his senior year, he ran for an incredible 1,700 yards. He also scored 22 touchdowns. In one game, he ran for 301 yards and scored 5 touchdowns! He earned top honors in Florida for his skills.
A Top High School Player
Years later, in 2007, the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) recognized Fred Taylor. They named him one of the "100 Greatest Players of the First 100 Years" of Florida high school football. This shows how special his high school career was.
College Career at Florida
Fred Taylor received a scholarship to play football at the University of Florida in Gainesville. He played for the Gators from 1994 to 1997 under coach Steve Spurrier.
Making an Impact as a Gator
As a freshman in 1994, Taylor started two games. He gained 873 yards and scored eight touchdowns. In 1995, he played in six games, adding 281 yards and five touchdowns. In 1996, he helped the Gators win the national championship. He ran for 629 yards and five touchdowns that season.
Senior Year Success and Honors
In 1997, as a senior captain, Taylor was the team's top rusher. He gained 1,292 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. He was named first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) and a third-team All-American. His teammates even chose him as the Gators' most valuable player. He finished his college career with 3,075 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns.
Gator Greatness
Fred Taylor is considered one of the greatest Gators ever. The Gainesville Sun sports editors ranked him as the No. 36 all-time greatest Gator. He was inducted into the Florida–Georgia Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2010, he joined the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great." He completed his college degree in sociology in May 2024.
Professional Football Journey
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | Bench press | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11+7⁄8 in (1.83 m) |
226 lb (103 kg) |
32+1⁄2 in (0.83 m) |
9+5⁄8 in (0.24 m) |
4.29 s | 20 reps | |||||||
| All values from NFL Combine | ||||||||||||
Joining the Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars picked Fred Taylor ninth overall in the 1998 NFL draft. In his first year, 1998, he played in 15 games and started 12. He rushed for 1,223 yards and scored a career-high 14 touchdowns. He also caught 44 passes for 421 yards and three more touchdowns.
Overcoming Challenges
From 1999 to 2001, Fred Taylor faced many injuries. He missed 23 games during these three seasons. This led some fans and media to call him "Fragile Fred." This nickname upset him, as he later shared. Despite the challenges, he kept working hard.
In 2002, Taylor bounced back strong. He started all 16 games for the Jaguars. He rushed for 1,314 yards, which was the third-most in team history at the time. He also set a team record with 1,722 total yards from scrimmage. He caught 49 passes for 408 yards and scored eight touchdowns.
He continued his strong play in 2003, starting all 16 games again. He set a career-high with 1,572 rushing yards. In 2004, he started 14 games and gained 1,224 yards.
Teaming Up with Maurice Jones-Drew
In 2006, the Jaguars drafted Maurice Jones-Drew. He joined Taylor in the backfield. Even though they shared carries, Taylor still had a great season. He started 15 games and rushed for 1,146 yards. Together, Taylor and Jones-Drew combined for 2,087 yards. This was the most by two rushers in Jaguars history.
Reaching 10,000 Yards and Pro Bowl
In 2007, as a team captain, Taylor rushed for 1,202 yards. On November 11, he reached a huge milestone: over 10,000 career rushing yards! He had five straight games with over 100 rushing yards in November and December. This earned him the AFC Offensive Player of the Month award. After the season, he was named to the second-team All-Pro team. He also made his first Pro Bowl appearance.
In 2008, his final season with the Jaguars, Taylor was a team captain again. He passed both 11,000 career rushing yards and 13,000 career all-purpose yards. He finished the season with 556 rushing yards before a thumb injury ended his season early. On February 16, 2009, the Jaguars released him after 11 seasons.
Time with the New England Patriots
On February 27, 2009, Fred Taylor signed with the New England Patriots. He played in the first four games before an ankle injury sidelined him. He returned later in the season, playing against his former team, the Jaguars. He finished the 2009 season with 269 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
In 2010, Taylor played in seven games as a reserve player. He rushed for 155 yards.
Retirement and Honors
On September 2, 2011, Fred Taylor signed a special one-day contract with the Jaguars. This allowed him to officially retire as a member of the team that drafted him.
On June 7, 2012, the Jaguars announced a great honor for Fred Taylor. He became the second player inducted into the "Pride of the Jaguars." This is a special recognition for the team's greatest players. His induction ceremony took place on September 30, 2012.
NFL Career Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FD | Fum | Lost | |||||||
| 1998 | JAX | 15 | 264 | 1,223 | 4.6 | 77 | 14 | 58 | 44 | 421 | 9.6 | 78 | 3 | 16 | 3 | 2 | ||||
| 1999 | JAX | 10 | 159 | 732 | 4.6 | 52 | 6 | 38 | 10 | 83 | 8.3 | 41 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2000 | JAX | 13 | 292 | 1,399 | 4.8 | 71 | 12 | 73 | 36 | 240 | 6.7 | 19 | 2 | 11 | 4 | 2 | ||||
| 2001 | JAX | 2 | 30 | 116 | 3.9 | 24 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 2002 | JAX | 16 | 287 | 1,426 | 4.6 | 63 | 8 | 47 | 49 | 408 | 8.3 | 72 | 0 | 15 | 3 | 2 | ||||
| 2003 | JAX | 16 | 345 | 1,572 | 4.6 | 62 | 6 | 77 | 48 | 370 | 7.7 | 60 | 1 | 16 | 6 | 4 | ||||
| 2004 | JAX | 14 | 260 | 1,224 | 4.7 | 46 | 2 | 48 | 36 | 345 | 9.6 | 64 | 1 | 17 | 3 | 2 | ||||
| 2005 | JAX | 11 | 194 | 787 | 4.1 | 71 | 3 | 26 | 13 | 83 | 6.4 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2006 | JAX | 15 | 231 | 1,146 | 5.0 | 76 | 5 | 46 | 23 | 242 | 10.5 | 36 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 2 | ||||
| 2007 | JAX | 15 | 223 | 1,202 | 5.4 | 80 | 5 | 45 | 9 | 58 | 6.4 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | ||||
| 2008 | JAX | 13 | 143 | 556 | 3.9 | 34 | 1 | 24 | 16 | 98 | 6.1 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 2009 | NE | 6 | 63 | 269 | 4.3 | 19 | 4 | 13 | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 2010 | NE | 7 | 43 | 155 | 3.6 | 24 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 3.0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 153 | 2,534 | 11,695 | 4.6 | 80 | 66 | 510 | 290 | 2,384 | 8.2 | 78 | 8 | 97 | 27 | 18 | |||||
Jaguars Team Records
Fred Taylor holds many records for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Here are some of his impressive achievements:
- Most career rushing attempts (2,428)
- Most rushing yards in a career (11,271)
- Most rushing yards in a single game (234 yards in 2000)
- Most rushing touchdowns in a rookie season (14 in 1998)
- Most games with 100+ rushing yards in a career (51)
- Most seasons with over 1,000 rushing yards (7)
Personal Life
Fred Taylor has family ties to football. His first cousin is NFL wide receiver Santonio Holmes. His son, Kelvin Taylor, also played college football at Florida and was a running back in the NFL.
In November 2023, Fred Taylor became a co-owner of a planned Jacksonville USL Championship soccer club with Tim Tebow.
See Also
- Florida Gators football, 1990–99
- List of Florida Gators football All-Americans
- List of Florida Gators in the NFL draft
- List of Jacksonville Jaguars first-round draft picks
- List of New England Patriots players
- List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members
