Tag: Fred Taylor

Fred Taylor named Semifinalist for Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025

Former Gators running back Fred Taylor named a semifinalist in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

Former Florida Gators standout and NFL star running back Fred Taylor was announced as a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025, a well-deserved recognition for one of the most electrifying players of his era.

Taylor, who played for Florida football from 1994-1997, was a key piece of the Gators’ national championship team in 1996 under legendary head coach Steve Spurrier.

Taylor was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the ninth overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft and he didn’t waste any time making an impact.

Taylor was placed on the PFWA All-Rookie team after racking up over 1,200 rushing yards and 17 total touchdowns. Over the course of his career, Taylor rushed for 11,695 yards, placing him 17th on the NFL’s all-time rushing list at the time of his retirement in 2011.

Taylor coined the nickname “Fragile Fred” because of his durability concerns early in his career, but he later silenced those doubts with his consistent production.

What’s next?

Taylor is among 25 semifinalists for the 2025 Hall of Fame class. The list will be narrowed down to finalists in the beginning of 2025, with the official inductees announced shortly after.

If chosen, Taylor would join fellow Florida legends Emmitt Smith and Jack Youngblood in Canton, Ohio, proudly representing the Gators in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

For now, Taylor’s name remains in the conversation. But his contributions to the sport of football have earned him a rightful place in the Hall of Fame discussion.

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Four Patriots legends named as Hall of Fame semifinalists

Four former Patriots players made the list of 25 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Four New England Patriots legends have made it to the semifinal round for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

Safety Rodney Harrison, kicker Adam Vinatieri, defensive tackle Vince Wilfork and running back Fred Taylor have all made it to the next round

Harrison was one of the most dominant safeties in the Patriots’ franchise history. He recorded 446 tackles and nine sacks throughout six seasons with New England. He had 125 tackles in his first year with the team in 2003. He followed that up with 141 tackles in 2004.

Vinatieri, who played in the league for 24 years, was one of the greatest kickers in NFL history. He played in 160 games with the Patriots and made 263-of-321 field goals. He also made 367-of-374 extra points.

The game-winning kicks in Super Bowl XXXVI and XXXVIII cemented him as both an NFL and Patriots legend.

Wilfork was a staple of the Patriots’ defensive line for many seasons. He was a playmaker on the interior and amassed 517 tackles and 16 sacks in 11 years with the team. He made the Pro Bowl five times as a member of the organization and was a fan favorite.

Taylor was a part of Patriots history as well. He joined the team for two seasons in 2009-2010. He carried the ball 106 times for 424 yards and four touchdowns during his run in New England.

However, the Florida legend is best known for his time with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He had 11,271 rushing yards and 62 touchdowns in his 11-year run in Jacksonville.

The next step in the Hall of Fame process will be cutting the list of 25 semifinalists down to 15 finalists. We’ll see how many, if any, Patriots players make the cut this time around.

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Legendary Jaguars RB Fred Taylor a semifinalist for 2025 HOF class

Legendary Jaguars RB Fred Taylor a semifinalist for 2025 HOF class

Not much has gone right for the Jaguars this season. Perhaps the Pro Football Hall of Fame can help them end the year, and 30th anniversary as a team, on a good note.

Legendary former Jacksonville running back Fred Taylor was one of 25 “Modern-Era Players” named a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 on Wednesday, the organization announced.

It marks the sixth consecutive class in which Taylor has been named a semifinalist; he advanced to the round of 15 modern-era finalists for the first time last year.

Among the nominees, Taylor is tied with former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne for the fourth-most semifinalist nods. Former St. Louis Rams (and one-year Jaguars) wide receiver Torry Holt leads the group with 11; former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver and Dallas Cowboys safety Darren Woodson are tied for second with nine.

Taylor, Jacksonville’s ninth overall pick in the first round of the 1998 NFL draft out of Florida, spent 11 seasons with the Jaguars and holds the franchise’s all-time rushing yards record with 11,271. He also rushed for 62 touchdowns and caught 286 passes for 2,361 yards and eight touchdowns with the club.

Taylor’s 11,695 career rushing yards, of which 1,299 were compiled with the New England Patriots between 2009-10, are the 17th most in league history. Every eligible running back ahead of Taylor on the list is a Pro Football Hall of Famer.

The candidate pool for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 was cut from 167 “modern-era players” to 25 on Wednesday, including six first-year eligible players: Former Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs and offensive lineman Marshall Yanda, Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas and Indianapolis kicker Adam Vinatieri.

Find the 25 semifinalists below.

  • Eric Allen, CB — 1988-1994 Philadelphia Eagles, 1995-97 New Orleans Saints, 1998-2001 Oakland Raiders | (Times as a Semifinalist: 5 – 2021-25)
  • Jared Allen, DE — 2004-07 Kansas City Chiefs, 2008-2013 Minnesota Vikings, 2014-15 Chicago Bears, 2015 Carolina Panthers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 5 – 2021-25)
  • Willie Anderson, T — 1996-2007 Cincinnati Bengals, 2008 Baltimore Ravens | (Times as a Semifinalist: 5 – 2021-25)
  • Anquan Boldin, WR — 2003-09 Arizona Cardinals, 2010-12 Baltimore Ravens, 2013-15 San Francisco 49ers, 2016 Detroit Lions | (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2022-25)
  • Jahri Evans, G — 2006-2016 New Orleans Saints, 2017 Green Bay Packers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 3 – 2023-25)
  • Antonio Gates, TE — 2003-2018 San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2024-25)
  • James Harrison, LB — 2002-2012, 2014-17 Pittsburgh Steelers, 2013 Cincinnati Bengals, 2017 New England Patriots | (Times as a Semifinalist: 3 – 2023-25)
  • Rodney Harrison, S — 1994-2002 San Diego Chargers, 2003-08 New England Patriots | (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2021, 2023-25)
  • Torry Holt, WR — 1999-2008 St. Louis Rams, 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars | (Times as a Semifinalist: 11 – 2015-2025)
  • Luke Kuechly, LB — 2012-19 Carolina Panthers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2025)
  • Eli Manning, QB — 2004-2019 New York Giants | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2025)
  • Robert Mathis, DE/LB — 2003-2016 Indianapolis Colts | (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2022-25)
  • Steve Smith Sr., WR — 2001-2013 Carolina Panthers, 2014-16 Baltimore Ravens | (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2022-25)
  • Terrell Suggs, LB/DE — 2003-2018 Baltimore Ravens, 2019 Arizona Cardinals, 2019 Kansas City Chiefs | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2025)
  • Fred Taylor, RB — 1998-2008 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2009-2010 New England Patriots | (Times as a Semifinalist: 6 – 2020-25)
  • Earl Thomas, DB — 2010-18 Seattle Seahawks, 2019 Baltimore Ravens | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2025)
  • Adam Vinatieri, PK — 1996-2005 New England Patriots, 2006-2019 Indianapolis Colts | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2025)
  • Hines Ward, WR — 1998-2011 Pittsburgh Steelers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 9 – 2017-2025)
  • Ricky Watters, RB — 1992-94 San Francisco 49ers, 1995-97 Philadelphia Eagles, 1998-2001 Seattle Seahawks | (Times as a Semifinalist: 5 – 2020, 2022-25)
  • Reggie Wayne, WR — 2001-2014 Indianapolis Colts | (Times as a Semifinalist: 6 – 2020-25)
  • Richmond Webb, T — 1990-2000 Miami Dolphins, 2001-02 Cincinnati Bengals | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2025)
  • Vince Wilfork, DT — 2004-2014 New England Patriots, 2015-16 Houston Texans | (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2022-25)
  • Steve Wisniewski, G — 1989-2001 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2014, 2025)
  • Darren Woodson, S — 1992-2003 Dallas Cowboys | (Times as a Semifinalist: 9 – 2015, 2017, 2019-2025)
  • Marshal Yanda, G/T — 2007-2019 Baltimore Ravens | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2025)

It seems Fred Taylor was an afterthought for Hall of Fame voters

Reports from behind the scenes of Hall of Fame discussions make it sound like Fred Taylor never stood much of a chance.

Former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor got as close to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as he’s ever been this year when he was one of 15 modern-era finalists for the Class of 2024. It seems he wasn’t that close to being one of the five selected to be enshrined, though.

On Monday, Peter King of NBC Sports — a member of the selection committee — offered some insight into the group’s deliberations on the finalists. Thoughts on Taylor were few and far between in King’s column.

When the committee cut the list of candidates from 15 to 10, King didn’t list Taylor as one of the 10 players to get his vote. He also didn’t put the former Jaguars running back on his list of the dozen players likeliest to reach Canton in the Class of 2025. King did include Marshawn Lynch — who will be newly eligible next year — on that latter list, though.

More specific details of the discussions and votes are confidential, so it’s impossible to know how many other committee members felt the same as King. It sure seems like Taylor never stood much of a chance, though.

When it came time to debate Taylor’s case, the committee evidently didn’t take much time to reach a conclusion. King listed the length of each discussion and Taylor’s was one of the shortest.

“Parker, 70 minutes, 38 seconds; *Gradishar, 15:26; *McMichael, 10:02; Powell, 15:00; *Hester, 22:22; Gates, 35:55; Holt, 13:00; *Johnson, 22:45; Wayne, 37:30; Anderson, 13:40; Evans, 11:58; Jared Allen, 14:05; *Freeney, 11:35; *Peppers, 7:50; *Willis, 12:55; Eric Allen, 10:52; Harrison, 19:18; Woodson, 13:53; Taylor, 12:08.”

King cautioned readers to not make much of the discussion lengths, but added that often “discussions for those deemed very likely to enter are short.” Julius Peppers, Steve McMichael, and Dwight Freeney, three members of the Class of 2024, were subjects of three of the four shortest discussions.

Taylor is 17th in NFL history with 11,695 career rushing yards. Only two of the players ahead of him on the list — Frank Gore and Adrian Peterson — aren’t Hall of Famers, although neither has reached eligibility yet.

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Fred Taylor not selected for Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024

Fred Taylor was a finalist, but wasn’t selected as one of the five modern-era selections for the Class of 2024.

Jacksonville Jaguars great Fred Taylor was not among the five modern-era selections for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024.

Taylor, 48, was a semifinalist for four years without reaching the finalist stage of the selection process. That changed this year when Taylor was one of 15 to be a finalist for the Class of 2024. Still, he didn’t get in as Dwight Freeney, Andre Johnson, Patrick Willis, Devin Hester, and Julius Peppers were the five picked to be enshrined as modern-era selections later this year.

In 11 seasons with the Jaguars, Taylor racked up 11,271 rushing yards, 2,361 receiving yards, and 70 total touchdowns. He finished his career with two seasons with the New England Patriots, but managed only 424 rushing yards during that stint.

Taylor is 17th on the all-time rushing list behind 14 players already in the Hall of Fame and two — Frank Gore and Adrian Peterson — who undoubtedly will be soon.

The only Jaguars player to ever be enshrined in the Hall of Fame is offensive tackle Tony Boselli, the team’s first ever draft pick. Wide receiver Torry Holt, who spent most of his career with the St. Louis Rams before finishing with one year in Jacksonville, was also a finalist who didn’t earn a spot in the Class of 2024.

Taylor is eligible to be a modern-era nominee until 2035. Among the players who will be newly eligible in 2025 are linebacker Luke Kuechly, offensive lineman Marshal Yanda, and safety Earl Thomas.

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Legendary Florida running back named a Pro Football HOF finalist

In his ninth year of eligibility, former Florida running back Fred Taylor has been named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Legendary Florida running back [autotag]Fred Taylor[/autotag] was named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 on Wednesday.

Although he has been eligible for nine seasons, the 2025 cycle marks the first time Taylor was selected as a finalist.

The selection committee cut the list of 25 semifinalists down to 15 finalists, including Eric Allen, Jared Allen, Willie Anderson, Jahri Evans, Dwight Freeney, Antonio Gates, Rodney Harrison, Devin Hester, Torry Holt, Andre Johnson, Julius Peppers, Reggie Wayne, Darren Woodson and Patrick Willis.

The 2024 Hall of Fame Class will be inducted on Feb. 8. After that, the committee will reconvene and cut the list of finalists down to 10 players, then five. Once the five players have been selected for consideration, the committee votes, with players needing 80% or more to vote in their favor.

Taylor won a national championship in 1996 as a member of Steve Spurrier’s Florida Gators. He spent three seasons in Gainesville, totaling 3,075 yards and 31 touchdowns on 537 carries.

Taylor left Florida in 1998 for the NFL draft. The Jacksonville Jaguars selected him with the ninth overall pick, and he stayed there for 11 of his 13 seasons in the pros. He ranks 17th all-time in career rushing yards.

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Jaguars great Fred Taylor is finally a Hall of Fame finalist

In his fifth year as a semifinalist, Fred Taylor finally earned a well-deserved spot among the Hall of Fame finalists.

It took five tries, but Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor is finally a well-deserved Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist.

Taylor, who is in his ninth year of eligibility , was one of 15 former players named modern-era finalists for the Class of 2024 on Wednesday. Shortly before the Super Bowl in February, the 50-person Selection Committee will convene and cut the list down from 15 to 10 and then 10 to five.

If Taylor reaches the final five, the committee will vote to decide if he’s an inductee. An 80 percent vote would get him enshrined.

Taylor is the only running back on the list of finalists, which includes two players in their first year of eligibility: Julius Peppers and Antonio Gates.

Wide receiver Torry Holt, who spent the majority of his career with the St. Louis Rams before finishing his career with one season in Jacksonville, is also a finalist.

Tony Boselli is the only former Jaguars player to be enshrined at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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Fred Taylor a Hall of Fame semifinalist for 5th straight year

Fred Taylor is one of 25 semifinalists for the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024. Is this the year he gets in?

Former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor is one of 25 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024.

Taylor, 47, has now been a semifinalist in five consecutive years, but has never made it to the next round of the voting process. In January, the 15 finalists will be announced and the Class of 2024 will be formally introduced days before the Super Bowl in February.

During his 11 seasons with the Jaguars, Taylor accumulated 11,271 rushing yards, 2,361 receiving yards, and 70 total touchdowns. He later finished his career with two seasons as a member of the New England Patriots.

Taylor’s 11,695 career rushing yards are 17th most in NFL history behind 14 Hall of Famers and a pair of likely future inductees in Frank Gore and Adrian Peterson.

Only two players this year, former Chargers tight end Antonio Gates and former Panthers pass rusher Julius Peppers, are semifinalists in their first year of eligibility. Taylor is one of four running backs on the list, along with Tiki Barber, Eddie George, and Ricky Watters.

Also among the semifinalists is Torry Holt, who played 10 seasons with the St. Louis Rams before finishing his career with one year in Jacksonville. Holt has now been a semifinalist in 10 straight years and has been a finalist in each of the last four years.

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Fred Taylor, Jimmy Smith among 173 Hall of Fame nominees

A handful of former Jaguars players are on the preliminary list of nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame released its preliminary list of 173 nominees for the Class of 2024, including Jacksonville Jaguars legends Fred Taylor and Jimmy Smith.

Neither name is a surprise as Taylor has advanced to the semifinalist stage of the process in each of the last four years and Smith has been a nominee in all but one year since he became eligible in 2011.

Taylor is 17th in NFL history in rushing yards behind 15 players already in the Hall of Fame and two, Frank Gore and Adrian Peterson, who will be soon.

Smith is 25th in career receiving yards and 27th in receptions.

There are nine players on the list of nominations for the first time, including running back Jamaal Charles, who played most of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs but finished it with an exceedingly brief stint in Jacksonville.

Similarly, Torry Holt — who played 10 years with the St. Louis Rams and ended his career with one season with the Jaguars — is a nominee. He was a finalist in each of the last four years, but hasn’t yet made the cut.

Andre Rison, Hardy Nickerson, and Bryce Paul are three more former Jaguars among the nominees.

In November, the 173-player list of nominees will be trimmed to 25 semifinalists. Another 10 players will be cut in January and the 15 modern-era finalists will be presented to the selection committee just before the Super Bowl.

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Fred Taylor says RB Dameon Pierce turned into different player with the Texans

Former Jacksonville Jaguars All-Pro running back Fred Taylor observed how the Houston Texans’ Dameon Pierce turned into a different back in the NFL.

Before he was a member of one of the hottest sports podcasts today, Fred Taylor terrorized NFL defenses for 13 years as a running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New England Patriots.

The Pivot Podcast co-host, along with former NFL players Ryan Clark and Channing Crowder, attended the Houston Texans training camp and had some very complimentary things to say about second-year running back Dameon Pierce.

“He gets downhill fast,” said Taylor about Pierce. “He doesn’t waste a lot of time going sideways. His speed is deceptive. Once he gets out in the open, he seems to run away from a lot of people.”

Taylor had a very productive NFL career as he finished in the top-10 in rushing for six of his 11 seasons with the Jaguars, with his best year coming in 2003 with 1,572 yards on 345 carries. He was selected second-team All-Pro in 2007. Before that, he was running through defenders at the University of Florida; the same college Pierce attended before being drafted by the Texans in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Pierce’s years at Florida remind Taylor of his playing days, as well as he had to split carries with two other running backs his junior season.

“Even when I watched him play at Florida, they were by committee a lot of time, so we didn’t get a chance to really see him when others got most of the reps,” said Taylor, who is also a member of the University of Florida Hall of Fame. “So, when he got to the league, he turned into a whole different player. Most guys are built for the pro-style, and he has proved to be one of them.”

The Georgia native took the league by surprise last season, rushing for 939 yards on 220 carries and four touchdowns. His rookie season was cut short in Week 14 when he suffered an ankle injury against the Dallas Cowboys, which placed him on the injured list for the remaining four games.

One of his best games of the season was in front of Taylor in Week 5 when the Texans visited TIAA Bank Field Stadium to take on the Jaguars. Pierce came one yard shy of having consecutive back-to-back 100-yard rushing games as he finished with 99 yards on 26 carries and one touchdown in Houston’s 13-6 victory.

“I didn’t want him to see him run like that against the Jags,” Taylor jokingly responded when asked about the game. “But I was torn because he is a Gator [Florida] boy, so I was proud of him.”

Heading into the 2023 regular season, Pierce has set high goals and expectations. If he meets those goals, he knows it will be a team accomplishment first and then a personal one.

“It’s going to look a lot better than last year, but to answer your question, definitely cap 1,000 [rushing] yards, definitely,” said Pierce when asked what a full, healthy season will look like for him. “I’ll say that. I think I got 960 something [yards], 939, so 60, 70 yards away from 1,000.”

“So, I definitely see that. That’s a goal I have for myself. That’s what I expect from me, so I definitely want to cap 1,000. ‘Slow’ [Bobby Slowik] expects that everybody around me expects that, and I’m going to try everything in my power to get that.”

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