Aussie cult hero Tory Taylor’s dream realised at NFL Draft

The previous Hawks ahead, who spent three years on Hawthorn’s listing earlier than being lower in late 2020, was solely simply beginning to familiarise himself with the world of school soccer.

It was a world shut good friend Tory Taylor already knew nicely, one he was not solely part of however rapidly embraced by. Having a thick Australian accent helps. Not as a lot as taking part in nicely although.

And on at the present time, Taylor wasn’t simply taking part in nicely. He was, as Ross put it chatting with foxsports.com.au forward of this week’s NFL draft, placing on an “absolute clinic”.

Though Ross didn’t actually understand it on the time. Didn’t recognize how Taylor, who landed six of his 9 punts contained in the 20-yard line on that day, helped Iowa win discipline place — and the sport — in opposition to Penn State.

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“I didn’t actually perceive what was happening an excessive amount of,” Ross, now a punter for Tennessee, mentioned.

“… Wanting again, I now realise what he was doing, how superior he was taking part in and the way he really modified the momentum in that sport the place they really received.

“It was cool to observe and funky for mum to observe as nicely. I believe that was her first kind of realisation of what may occur for me as nicely.”

At one level within the fourth quarter Taylor pinned Penn State on its one-yard line, later following it up with two extra punts that backed the Nittany Lions as much as the eight-yard line.

Penn State head coach James Franklin mentioned Taylor “may have been the MVP” of the sport.

Nebraska punter William Przystup, in the meantime, advised AP that it appeared like Taylor was “already at NFL degree” whereas everybody else on the place was “attempting to attempt to get there”.

Former NFL punter turned TV character and one in every of Taylor’s most vocal supporters, Pat McAfee, merely described the Australian as a “f***ing weapon”.

“It’s going to be a protracted street for you Sean Clifford,” McAfee mockingly added because the quarterback threw a choose after Taylor pinned Penn State’s offence on the two-yard line early within the first quarter.

“Tory Taylor is controlling the sphere place. Area place wins you video games. Tory Taylor wins you video games.”

That was significantly true given the sorry state of Iowa’s offence, which frequently relied on Taylor’s mixture of energy and precision to flip the sphere. Its dominant defence then did the remainder.

Now Taylor, recent off setting the NCAA 85-year-old single-season yardage document (4,479), has had his NFL dream realised after the Chicago Bears chosen him with the No. 122 general choose within the fourth spherical of the draft.

It means Taylor is the second-highest drafted punter since 2012.

However to the folks of Iowa, Taylor is a lot extra than simply the most recent winner of the Ray Man Award, which is given to one of the best punter in school soccer.

As a result of for those who ask Hawkeyes particular groups coordinator LeVar Woods what he thinks about when he hears the identify Tory Taylor, it has nothing to do along with his booming leg.

“First off I consider an individual who cared about others,” Woods advised foxsports.com.au.

“Who needed to find out about you as an individual, who needed to find out about your life, what was happening with you, with your loved ones. He simply cared.”

Cared sufficient to make use of his platform to help a neighborhood non-profit, serving to increase $50,000 whereas even being credited with saving a life.

To Hawkeyes followers, proudly sporting ‘Punting is Profitable’ shirts and waving Australian flags, Taylor is one in every of their very own. And to Taylor Iowa grew to become his second dwelling, a great distance from his precise one.

Round 52 hours, in reality, which is how lengthy coach Woods travelled in January 2020 to satisfy Taylor in individual.

All of a sudden, every kind of latest potentialities have been opening up for Taylor, simply as rapidly as elements of the world itself began to do the other.

A RECRUITING TRIP ‘UNLIKE ANY OTHER’ AND PROMISING PROSPECT WITH LOTS TO LEARN

When Taylor first turned up at Prokick Australia he wasn’t precisely certain what he was getting himself into, however Nathan Chapman preferred what he noticed.

Chapman, who had his personal desires of creating it to the NFL earlier than founding the Prokick program alongside John Smith in 2007, thought Taylor was “fairly gifted”.

“However,” as Chapman defined, “it kind of wasn’t the best time in his life to get began”.

So, Taylor went away after which, after giving it a bit extra thought, got here again round a yr later.

“It simply felt like he was in a greater spot,” Chapman advised foxsports.com.au.

“He digested it only a bit extra about what was doubtlessly in entrance of him and when he got here again he was all in.”

So was Woods, having been given permission by Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz to make the 52-hour spherical journey to Melbourne to recruit Taylor after listening to about him by Chapman and Smith.

“It was actually an fascinating expertise not like every other recruiting journey I’ve ever been on,” Woods mentioned on the time.

“I’ve been type of throughout totally different corners of this nation gamers at totally different positions and whatnot, however actually haven’t crossed the borders or crossed the ocean into Australia.”

Woods had already been despatched some tape of Taylor however he needed to see him punt in individual, meet him in individual.

Did he anticipate that this unknown Australian would go on to emerge as among the best punters in school soccer and, within the course of, turn into a cult hero of types amongst Iowa followers?

In all probability not. However even early on, Woods may see potential within the “very, very spectacular” leg expertise that Taylor flashed throughout that recruiting journey.

As for Taylor the individual, he was “a little bit shy early on” in line with the previous NFL linebacker.

“I believe he was type of new to all the pieces and didn’t completely perceive possibly essentially what was happening and why I used to be there,” Woods, now chatting with foxsports.com.au earlier than the draft,added.

“… However that rapidly received erased as soon as we met nose to nose and had an opportunity to talk for a bit.”

On the finish of what had been a profitable recruiting journey, Woods was on the point of head again to Iowa and picked up the paper to learn over breakfast the morning of his flight dwelling.

“It talked a few pressure of virus that Australians have been involved with,” Woods mentioned, though he didn’t assume a lot of it on the time.

“Quick ahead six weeks abruptly your complete world is shutting down.”

Taylor and his household have been scheduled to go to the College of Iowa in April however that was later cancelled and when it got here time for him to get on a airplane to journey to America, he needed to first quarantine for 2 weeks in Sydney with none assure he would get his visa.

When Taylor arrived in Iowa, one other fortnight in isolation was ready for him.

“That’s actually onerous on somebody,” Woods mentioned.

“However he got here in as a participant and instantly you possibly can see his expertise, you possibly can see his capacity and inside 10 days he was taking part in his first sport.”

So sudden was Taylor’s arrival at Iowa that there was not even a photograph to go along with the Australian’s participant profile within the group media information when he performed his first sport.

Woods can nonetheless bear in mind Taylor’s debut sport in opposition to Purdue and his first punt, which went 55 yards and was honest caught.

“He was so nervous,” defined Woods, “he didn’t know what to do”.

Every thing was new, from the game and its guidelines to even the USA itself.

That’s proper, Taylor wasn’t even certain what the remainder of the nation seemed like, asking Woods a query forward of the Purdue sport that basically drove dwelling simply how a lot this Melbourne native needed to study — and the way far he has since come.

The group had arrived in West Lafayette forward of the sport at Ross-Ade Stadium and have been having a place assembly whereas sharing a meal, as was usually the case on Friday nights.

With it being Taylor’s first sport, Woods requested him how he was discovering all of it and particularly what he thought of being there in West Lafayette for what was not solely his debut however his first street journey of the season.

“Coach, is that this what it’s like in all places in America?” was his response, to which a barely perplexed Woods mentioned in return: “What do you imply?”.

“Properly,” the Australian replied, “I’ve solely ever been to Iowa Metropolis or to West Lafayette”.

“In order that was very eye-opening for me,” Woods mentioned on the time.

“I hadn’t even thought of that. Every thing is model new to him.”

However even when that was the case, Taylor proved he was a fast learner, averaging a Massive Ten-best 46.1 yards within the first two video games of his collegiate profession in opposition to Purdue and Northwestern, punting 10 occasions with half of these downed contained in the 20-yard line.

In the meantime, solely as soon as did somebody attempt to return one in every of Taylor’s 10 punts. It turned out to be a mistake as Northwestern fumbled the ball for an eight-yard loss that led to Iowa’s first rating of the sport.

“We simply despatched him on the market and he punted the ball and it ended up being an excellent punt,” Woods, talking now forward of the draft to foxsports.com.au, mentioned of Taylor’s debut.

“He went out in his first sport and punted extremely nicely. Nobody even actually knew who he was as a result of he had solely been on the group for 10 days.”

With time that modified and in just some years, MVP chants have been ringing out of Kinnick Stadium.

HOW TAYLOR BECAME THE ‘PINNACLE’ OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL

To know simply how extremely regarded Taylor was in school soccer, first you could know two different names.

Ray Man, who the award for the nation’s finest punter in school soccer is called after, and Reggie Roby, whose booming leg made him an Iowa legend and one of many best to ever play on the place.

Taylor, who broke an 85-year-old NCAA document with 4479 punting yards from 93 makes an attempt final season, etched his identify into the historical past books as Iowa’s first-ever Ray Man Award winner.

The Australian additionally grew to become the one Massive Ten punter to be named the Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Yr twice of their profession, additional cementing his place in Hawkeyes folklore.

With all that success got here lofty expectations and, when the second felt proper, lofty comparisons.

That second got here after Taylor had among the best video games of his profession in a 15-6 win at Wisconsin final yr.

“The impression he [Taylor] has on our group and the video games is paying homage to Reggie Roby, who was an enormous a part of our success in 1981,” Iowa head coach Ferentz mentioned after that sport.

“In case you received a man who is actually stellar like that, it’s an actual luxurious.”

Ferentz was a first-year assistant coach at Iowa again in 1981, when Roby’s highly effective leg helped the Hawkeyes turn into Massive Ten Champions and later safe a Rose Bowl berth.

“I actually type of realized the significance of an excellent punter,” Ferentz mentioned of that yr.

So, when requested to check Taylor with an all-time Iowa nice, Ferentz didn’t take the query flippantly, understanding simply how a lot weight his phrases would carry.

And with that reply, the legend of Tory Taylor continued to develop.

“To be in that firm of these guys, that’s fairly spectacular,” Woods mentioned.

Regardless of battling winds that averaged 27 kilometres per hour, Taylor punted a career-high 10 occasions for 506 yards whereas touchdown six contained in the 20-yard line within the win over Wisconsin.

Taylor alone greater than doubled the overall yards of offence (237) Iowa managed within the sport, with the Massive Ten Community even posting an almost two-minute lengthy video of the Australian’s punts on social media.

Just a few days later, NBC Sports activities analyst and former Ohio State linebacker Joshua Perry posted a video on his Twitter account declaring Taylor needs to be within the Heisman dialog for probably the most worthwhile participant in school soccer.

“Everyone knows J.J. McCarthy, the frontrunner to win the Heisman out of any of the blokes within the Massive Ten, however I believe we have to put Tory Taylor, the Iowa punter, in that dialog,” Perry mentioned.

“He impacts profitable for his group greater than any participant in America.”

Whereas LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels ended up being topped with the honour, one Massive Ten head coach did vote for Taylor because the Silver Soccer award winner, which is given to the convention’s MVP — and it wasn’t Ferentz.

“He’s been one in every of their finest gamers for the entire time he’s been there, which is like actually loopy to say a few punter, but it surely’s true,” Ross, Taylor’s shut good friend and now Tennessee punter, mentioned.

“… He’s fairly sound in all elements of his sport whether or not that’s attempting to pin it deep or simply kicking lengthy balls with nice dangle time and stuff like that, he actually does all of it. He’s been the top of school soccer the final couple of years.”

Going again to that spectacular debut sport in opposition to Purdue, Taylor continued to ship in a stellar freshman season that was capped off by being named Massive Ten Punter of the Yr.

“I hoped he was good, however, like, wow,” head coach Ferentz mentioned after a win in opposition to Iowa State in Taylor’s sophomore marketing campaign, the place he averaged 51.1 yards on eight punts, putting 5 contained in the 20-yard line.

“The most effective half, he has no thought what he’s doing half the time by way of soccer. He does as a participant. The remainder of the stuff, it’s an journey trip for him. He’s having fun with life.”

Taylor stored having fun with life as a junior too, named Massive Ten Convention Particular Groups Participant of the Week after touchdown seven of his 10 punts contained in the 20-yard line, with two resulting in safeties, in a 7-3 season-opening win over South Dakota State.

By the tip of his remaining season at Iowa, Taylor was a Ray Man Award winner, unanimous consensus All-American, fan favorite and among the best punters in program historical past.

TORY TAYLOR’S 2023 SEASON IN NUMBERS

1 — Ray Man Award received

32 — Punts landed contained in the 20, main the Massive Ten

48.2 — Taylor’s common yards per punt, an NCAA document

52.3 — Taylor’s career-best single-game yard common (in opposition to Penn State)

4,479 — Taylor’s complete punting yards, one other NCAA document

“Particular groups isn’t all the time probably the most glamorous job… kicking, punting, masking down these punts,” Woods mentioned.

“Nonetheless, Tory Taylor was so good at what he did that when he would stroll into the stadium, the primary time he’d exit and punt, the stadium would begin chanting his identify and say MVP. “Australian flags can be within the stands waving round. Folks completely beloved him and adored him. He’d stroll into the stadium, our stadium is slightly below 70,000 folks, and the place would go loopy for him, which once more doesn’t occur for the punter.”

As a result of usually when a drive ends in a punt, it’s seen as an indication of offensive failure.

“However right here,” added Woods, “Tory was so good at what he did and so fashionable that individuals couldn’t look forward to him to get on the sphere.

“They knew he was going to make a distinction and do rather well along with his punts.”

And Taylor wanted to given the state of Iowa’s offence, with the Australian punting for 4,479 yards final season in 14 video games — 1,183 greater than what your complete Hawkeyes offence put up (3,296).

No different group within the nation had extra punting yards than offensive yards and but, Iowa completed the season 7-2 within the Massive Ten with an general document of 10-2 within the common season.

Not all due to Taylor however he actually introduced new which means to the ‘Punting Is Profitable’ T-shirts Iowa followers proudly wore frequently.

McAfee stays one in every of Taylor’s greatest followers.

“As we’re speaking about anomaly, one-of-one and we’re speaking about an alien, that is likely to be what Tory Taylor is,” the previous NFL punter mentioned in 2022.

“Going into the season each Hawkeye fan knew for the previous couple of years the fashion of soccer they’ve been taking part in has been one step above rugby. That offence has been depressing to observe… after which this Aussie got here in named Tory Taylor and he grew to become electrifying on fourth downs.

“Coming into the season they knew he was a weapon.”

Though, as a lot as Taylor’s rising reputation in Iowa was largely a product of what he produced on the sphere, solely including to it was the impression he was having off it too.

That impression got here within the unlikeliest of locations too — and that’s what made it so “highly effective”.

‘HE’S UNFORGETTABLE’: HOW ‘REVERED’ TAYLOR IS HELPING SAVE LIVES

A minimum of, that’s in line with Emily Value of Rely the Kicks, a non-profit organisation based in 2008 by 5 girls in central Iowa, introduced collectively by a shared ache.

They’d all misplaced their daughters to stillbirth or toddler loss of life within the early 2000s and, in a bid to assist forestall different households from experiencing the identical heartbreak, arrange the evidence-based stillbirth prevention program.

Central to their aim was educating expectant dad and mom the significance of monitoring foetal motion every day through the third trimester of being pregnant, or in different phrases — counting the kicks.

Though that message isn’t all the time a assure of getting by, even whether it is from a medical skilled.

Taylor then again, “revered” in Iowa as Value put it, was capable of persuade one expectant mom, Stephanie, to obtain the Rely the Kicks app. It ended up saving her second daughter Lexi’s life.

“Very just lately we received a cellphone name or an electronic mail from a mum who lives in our state and whose physician had advised her about Rely the Kicks and the app,” Value advised foxsports.com.au.

“They advised her to concentrate to her actions and obtain her app. She thought on the time, ‘Oh I don’t want that, I’m nice, I don’t must obtain it’.

“However then she noticed Tory speaking about it on social media and within the information and she or he loves Tory. So she thought, ‘If Tory Taylor is speaking about this, I ought to actually be downloading this app’. And so she did.”

It simply so occurred that round two weeks later, Stephanie observed a change.

“Her child was in large misery,” Value added.

She went to her physician and found there was a difficulty and her child wanted to be delivered straight away.

“She [Lexi] is now right here and wholesome and this mum credit Tory for saving her child’s life,” Value mentioned.

“She was not going to do it, regardless that her physician had advised her to, however Tory advised her to.

“I believe when folks see Tory as a giant, sturdy athlete soccer participant, it’s a little bit stunning to listen to him speak about infants and maternal well being. That’s not one thing that you just all the time see out of a giant, sturdy athlete, proper?

“… The truth that he’s unafraid to speak about it makes it much more highly effective as a result of it’s so possibly uncharacteristic of athletes to speak about maternal well being of all issues. I believe that’s a part of what makes it so highly effective.

“When he talks in Iowa, folks pay attention. He’s revered right here.”

Such is Taylor’s popularity in Iowa. In truth, the Australian has now raised over $50,000 for the organisation, having pledged again to donate his NIL funds from a partnership with T-shirt firm Raygun to Rely the Kicks, who he partnered with in 2021.

NIL being identify, picture and likeness, which Taylor isn’t capable of revenue off as a global pupil. However that didn’t imply he couldn’t use his success on the sphere for the Hawkeyes to make a distinction off it.

Not that anybody requested him to within the first place anyway.

“Tory discovered his option to be tied to this charity with out anybody coercing him to, with out anybody telling him he ought to, it’s simply who he’s,” Woods mentioned.

“He took curiosity in it and needed to find out about it and assist them increase cash for that charity. That’s not one thing school youngsters usually do. That’s one thing that Tory Taylor did that tells you numerous about him as an individual.”

And the connection between Taylor and Rely the Kicks received’t cease any time quickly, with the Australian already committing to put on the organisation’s brand as a part of the NFL’s My Trigger My Cleats marketing campaign, ought to he be drafted to the league.

“I believe it’s one thing that may stick to him for the remainder of his life as a result of his energy and his affect has been so nice and I hope that he realises the true measure of his affect,” Value mentioned.

“He’s unforgettable. I don’t know if there’s every other option to describe it aside from he’s unforgettable.”

‘FULL-CIRCLE MOMENT’: THE AUSTRALIAN PUNTERS FOLLOWING IN TAYLOR’S FOOTSTEPS

So unforgettable that changing him was all the time going to be a problem for the Hawkeyes, though coach Woods really took the identical airplane journey to Australia final yr to recruit one other Prokick graduate.

“I believe he’s received a really shiny future as nicely,” the Hawkeyes particular groups coordinator mentioned of Rhys Dakin, Iowa’s new freshman punter.

“The distinction between the 2 is Tory got here right here a little bit bit older and arrived right here at 22 years previous. Rhys received right here at 19.

“However so far as capacity and potential and searching on the future, I believe Rhys is true on observe, proper on track.”

Dakin additionally received an early introduction to what life is like because the group’s new punter too when he was recognised by a neighborhood whereas sitting in an airport on the best way to Iowa.

All of the fan wanted was to listen to the Australian accent and see the Hawkeyes jumper earlier than he, as Dakin mentioned, “put two and two collectively”.

“I’ve by no means skilled that,” the Australian added.

It was the same feeling, however on a a lot greater scale, for Tennessee punter Ross when he first began going out for warm-ups at Neyland Stadium, which has a capability of 101,915.

“You get on the market and also you simply go… particularly within the warm-ups kicking balls you possibly can type of replicate and assume, ‘How is that this even occurring?’,” Ross mentioned, including that the most important crowd he performed in was round 22,000 in a VFL grand remaining.
“I wouldn’t have even recognized about school soccer three years in the past and three years later, I’m out amongst it and I’m glad plenty of the Australian boys get to expertise alternatives like this.”

Ross has Taylor and ProKick Australia to thank for that, having discovered himself at a little bit of a “crossroads” after he was delisted by Hawthorn in 2020 following three years with the membership.

Ross didn’t play an AFL sport in that interval, as an alternative toiling away within the VFL earlier than Taylor advisable he go down sooner or later to check out at ProKick.

“Tory kind of mentioned there was no hurt happening and having a kick,” Ross mentioned.

“I did {that a} week or two later, received involved with them and all the pieces went fairly fast from there actually… that kind of kicked off my profession and I’m fairly grateful that he did counsel it.”

Over three years later Ross performed Taylor within the Citrus Bowl in what he described as a “full-circle second” for the pair, who met as college students at Haileybury Faculty after bonding over their mutual curiosity within the A-League.

Taylor was a fan of the then-called Melbourne Coronary heart whereas Ross was a Victory fan. It was the same story within the AFL, the place Taylor supported Richmond and Ross barracked for Collingwood.

Ross’ AFL dream didn’t work out however now he’s making new reminiscences over within the States.

He’s additionally getting messages from former Australian guidelines gamers all in favour of making the change to varsity soccer, together with ex-Hawk Damon Greaves, who reached out to Ross after he was delisted and is now a punter for the Kansas Jayhawks.

It is only one instance of how Prokick has developed right into a punter manufacturing unit for the school sport, pumping out Australian prospects with Taylor set to be the most recent to make it to the NFL.

And, doubtlessly, he may even make historical past within the course of.

“My agent has advised me that I’m in all probability, greater than possible going to be one of many extra higher-drafted punters of the final couple of a long time,” Taylor mentioned final month on the NFL Mix.

WHERE IS TAYLOR EXPECTED TO LAND IN THE DRAFT?

Taylor is predicted to be the primary punter taken off the board on this week’s draft, with Jordan Reid, Matt Miller, Area Yates and Mel Kiper Jr. all ranking him the highest choice in ESPN’s newest draft place rankings.

In truth, FOX Sports activities nationwide school soccer author and analyst RJ Younger wrote that if any group goes to take a specialist within the draft, Taylor “is the primary one to go off the board”.

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, broadly considered among the best draft analysts within the enterprise, has a fourth-round grade on Taylor and mocked him to the New Orleans Saints in Spherical 5 with the a hundred and fiftieth choose.

A group like New Orleans would make sense given it could present coaching camp competitors for Australian Lou Hedley, who did nicely to restrict return yards whereas punting for the Saints final yr.

In truth, the Saints solely gave up 163 punt return yards which ranked second-best within the league, though their 43.0 yards per punt additionally rated the worst within the NFL.

No matter the place he could land, Taylor’s expertise taking part in within the excessive chilly, excessive winds and different testing circumstances makes him an asset to any NFL group.

With that in thoughts, Chicago has a real want on the place and is choosing at in Spherical 4 at 122nd general, which means the Bears could also be one of many earliest choices for Taylor within the draft.

Ross mentioned his shut good friend is “going to be superior” regardless of which group takes him.

“I’d like to be in Tennessee,” Ross laughed, though that’s unlikely because the Titans have already got two punters on their roster within the spectacular Ryan Stonehouse and back-up Ty Zentner.

Taylor spent the offseason perfecting his craft in San Diego, reuniting with Chapman forward of the Mix as he swapped the Iowa chilly he had grown used to for the California sunshine.

For Chapman, who has helped Prokick ship 270 Australians to U.S. universities on full soccer scholarships, Taylor’s precision punting specifically units him other than the competitors.

“He was unbelievable at pinning the opposite group actually deep and placing them on the one, two [or] three-yard line,” Chapman mentioned.

“He had plenty of punts the place he needed to have a brief punt however put it near the aim line. I believe his capacity to constantly try this additionally grew to become an actual power of his.

“… You place him with a high-powered offence within the NFL and he’s going to proceed and put that ball within the two-yard line. It’s fairly useful.”

Taylor is the eighth Prokick graduate to win the Ray Man Award and appears set to turn into its newest graduate to make it to the NFL.

However for Chapman, seeing gamers undergo this system and play within the NFL is “the cream on high”. In different phrases, it’s an added bonus however finally not the be-all and end-all.

“They do plenty of onerous work after which they get out the opposite aspect after which no matter occurs, occurs,” Chapman mentioned.

“If that’s one yr, one sport, coaching camp, it’s simply nice for them to get there … what we do love is that they get educated, they get their diploma in school after which the remainder is cream on the highest.”

MORE THAN JUST A ‘PHENOMENAL’ PUNTER: THE OTHER SIDE OF TAYLOR

Ought to Taylor be drafted into the NFL as anticipated, there will likely be plenty of reminiscences that may come flooding again in that one, singular second when he hears his identify be referred to as.

From the help of his mom Tanya and father Stuart when he first made the choice to maneuver to the opposite aspect of the world to the those who helped get him there within the first place, together with Chapman.

Coach Woods too, who had been there with him each step of the best way from the primary second they met in Melbourne again in 2020 to a five-day interval in Orlando after the 2022 Citrus Bowl, when the realities of the brand new world pressured the remainder of the group to go away Taylor behind.

That’s, apart from one individual.

“I bear in mind the physician rang me later that night time at like 9:30,” Taylor mentioned at this yr’s NFL Mix, sharing a narrative “not many individuals actually find out about”.

“And the truth that he was ringing — I used to be like, ‘Oh, God.’”

Taylor had wanted to take a Covid-19 check earlier than flying again to Australia after the 20-17 loss to Kentucky within the Citrus Bowl, so he knew there wasn’t excellent news on the opposite line.

“They wanted another person as nicely [to stay with me],” Taylor mentioned, with the optimistic check outcome which means he needed to stay in Orlando for an additional 5 days.

“Coach Woods ended up staying down there as nicely. I believe that’s one factor that basically resonated with me is he’s all the time needed one of the best for his gamers, and he’s all the time needed to guarantee that they’re all good.

“That’s actually simply coach Woods as an individual… I’m actually grateful to have labored with him.”

The sensation is mutual, as a result of as a lot as Taylor has gained so much from their relationship, Woods additionally is aware of he’s going to overlook having Taylor round. Miss the easy issues, like simply with the ability to give the amicable Australian a hug.

“Each time I see Tory now,” Woods mentioned, “I give him a hug and I say, ‘I don’t know once I’m going to have the ability to hug you once more, so I wish to get this in now’.

“As a result of I completely love the man. Not simply as a participant. You realize, he was an excellent participant, phenomenal participant, very gifted. However I simply miss being round him each day.

“He was able the place he was continually chasing excellence. He was continually attempting to be the best at his craft and he achieved that whereas he was right here.”

However even when he achieved that, when Taylor was recognised as one of the best punter in school soccer, it wasn’t about chasing after which discovering that excellence as a person.

It was in regards to the group, prefer it all the time was for Taylor, as former Hawkeyes tight finish and John Mackey Award winner Dallas Clark revealed on a stay broadcast of the ‘Pat McAfee Present’ in Iowa.

“The most effective factor about this child which lots of people don’t know is that he received recognised in entrance of the group [after winning the Ray Guy Award], and one of many coaches slipped me the video of it,” Clark mentioned.

“And his very first thing he mentioned to his teammates is, ‘Guys, I simply didn’t wish to disappoint you’. That may be a man the place it’s not about me, he simply needed to do nice for his teammates and that is a man you need in your locker room.

“So, whoever drafts him, nice choose, you’re going to like him, he’s unbelievable.”

Coach Woods agrees, assured there’s a “shiny future” for Taylor within the NFL.

“He had an exceptional profession,” Woods mentioned.

“I believe the best way he would stroll right into a stadium, significantly a house stadium, and other people would chant his identify and cheer his identify, and he’d exit and have an unbelievable efficiency, I don’t know if we’ll ever see anybody like that once more.”

Initially revealed as Aussie cult hero Tory Taylor’s dream realised at NFL Draft