Gold Jacket Spotlight: Jason Taylor’s long, rewarding 20-mile journey

JASON TAYLOR played collegiate football for the University of Akron at the Rubber Bowl, the Zips’ home field until 2009, about 20 miles from the Pro Football Hall of  Fame.

Twenty years after being selected by the Miami Dolphins in the 1997 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh native became, and remains, the solitary Zip and one of a handful of Mid-American Conference alumni enshrined in the Hall.

“I know it’s not far away,” Jason told the Akron Beacon Journal in 2017, referencing the Rubber Bowl while visiting the Hall in preparation for his enshrinement, “But those 20 years it took to travel those 20 miles is pretty big.”

Jason’s journey from Akron to a Bronze Bust is the focus of this week’s Gold Jacket Spotlight.

In the fall of 1993, Jason faced his first challenge to playing college football, and it came directly from the NCAA.

The college athletics governing body questioned if Jason was scholarship-qualified as he was home-schooled in high school, a concept about which the NCAA had limited knowledge. Prior to receiving the green light allowing him to play his initial season, three games had been lost, and Jason spent time on the scout team. 

“I remember we had to go to D.C. and do all of these legal battles,” Jason told the Beacon Journal. “It was a new thing. Sometimes being a pioneer is fun, sometimes it’s a pain in the butt, but it all ended well.”

It ended well for Jason and Akron, and the linebacker turned defensive end became a pain for opponents.

The third person inducted into Akron’s Ring of Honor, Jason earned first-team All-MAC honors his final two seasons and received honorable mention All-America honors as a junior.

Jason’s signature effort might have occurred against Virginia Tech in 1996, when he amassed 12 tackles, two sacks, two fumble recoveries and recorded a safety against the Orange Bowl-bound Hokies. That performance earned him National Defensive Player of the Week honors.

At the conclusion of his time with the Zips, Jason owned records for sacks in a season with 10, sacks in a career (21) and career tackles for loss (41). He also lettered in basketball, showcasing his overall athleticism.

At the NFL Combine prior to the draft, Jason’s agility scores caught the attention of the Miami Dolphins, and the team selected this longshot from a mid-major college program.

“Studying Jason Taylor, he reminded me a lot of another Pro Football Hall of Famer, CHARLES HALEY, who I had in Dallas,” Hall of Fame Coach JIMMY JOHNSON told NFL Films. “Jason was an undersized defensive end with great speed, quickness, intelligence, and so I said, ‘Hey this is going to be a similar type player,’ and that’s the way it turned out.”

Johnson was the Dolphins’ coach when Jason was selected.

“From Day 1, I knew Jason Taylor was going to be a good player for us because he’s an intelligent player, so I knew he would continually get better.”

In a story he penned recounting the experience of scouting Jason at the time of the draft, Ken Moll of Scouts Inc. observed, “There was no question he was special, with his initial quickness and speed off the edge ...”

Throughout his 15 seasons NFL career, Jason confirmed both Johnson’s and Moll’s positive reviews. He converted doubters.

Jason’s playing resume, which resulted in selection to the Hall in his first year of eligibility, included 139.5 career sacks, eight interceptions, three first-team All-Pro and six Pro Bowl selections, and the AP Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2006.

His six career fumble recoveries for touchdowns remain an NFL record. 

Jason’s off-field efforts to assist the youth in South Florida made him a fan favorite and were recognized when he received the Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2007.

Indeed, the 20 miles and 20 years were big for Jason and perhaps bigger for the communities he served.