Fred Taylor Needs Some Love
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by MegECass110
Now that my family lives near Jacksonville, I'm in a new sports town for the first time in my life (if you can call Jacksonville a sports town). Despite the fact that the Jaguars are on a playoff run and could probably beat anyone right now, not too many people seem to care. Everyone loves the University of Florida, Florida State or Georgia. The Jags don't get much love. Sometimes, the stadium sells so few seats, the games get blacked out, and CBS doesn't air football; they air a crappy infomercial or some other garbage for three hours instead.
While at lunch today with some family, I got in a discussion with my mom's cousin about the Jags and Fred Taylor. She said she had voted at least ten times for Taylor (and David Garrard) to go to the Pro Bowl. "Fred deserves it," she told me. "He's been so good for a long time."
I know, I know, all the talking heads always say Taylor is one of the most underrated backs in league, blahblahblah. I always thought of Taylor as a nice back who could bust out a few really good games in the season, but never really wowed you with his style of football. He's a bruiser. He doesn't get much love because the Jags a) play in a market where college sports are more important, and b) always seem to be just good enough to make the playoffs, but never make any noise.
Taylor, at 31, is in his 10th year in the league out of the University of Florida. Here are just a few interesting tidbits from his 10 year career...
- He has rushed for 1,000 yards in 7 out of 10 seasons, including his rookie year.
- In 10 seasons, he has fumbled 25 times, and lost it 16 times. He loses a fumble 1.6 times every year. That's extraordinary.
- He has started 12 games in 7 of his 10 seasons.
- In his career, he averages 4.7 yards per carry. This season, he is second (to Adrian Peterson) in the NFL among backs with more than 150 carries, averaging 5.1 yards per rush.
- He has the second longest run in the NFL this season, an 80-yard touchdown last week.
This just may seem timely because of the monster day Taylor had today in the snow against Pittsburgh (25 carries, 147 yards and a score). But it's more than that. No back in NFL history has more rush yards than Taylor without ever being selected to a Pro Bowl. Sure, there are better backs in the AFC. But this may be Taylor's year to get to Honolulu. In the AFC, there's LaDainian Tomlinson, Willie Parker and Joseph Addai, Anyone else stand out? I say Taylor should get the fourth spot.
Not that it really matters to the players, but Fred Taylor for Pro Bowl!
