[UAZip0510]

Taylor's Farewell Speech to the Dolphins - http://deadspin.com/5872453/

ESPN's "Face of the Program" Feature on Taylor - http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/face/team?teamId=2006

JT finishes his career with 774 tackles and 139.5 sacks (6th all-time). He was a 6-time Pro-Bowler and was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2006. He is widely recognized for his charitable work, winning the 2007 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. While at Akron, he was a four year letterman, three-year starter, and an All-American as a junior. He also lettered for the basketball team.

I hope you will all join me in Canton to see JT get inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in a few years. It would be nice to see a large contingent of Blue and Gold there. Hopefully UA has some sort of "Jason Taylor Day" in the near future, either next season or when he gets inducted. I'd also love to see #33
retired.

[trimmy10]

As a Dolphins fan and a Zips alum, thank you JT for your great play and representing both the Dolphins and UA admirably. Looking forward to seeing you as the first Zip in the HOF!

[Zip_ME87]

I hope you will all join me in Canton to see JT get inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in a few years. It would be nice to see a large contingent of Blue and Gold there. Hopefully UA has some sort of "Jason Taylor Day" in the near future, either next season or when he gets inducted.

When he gets inducted would be excellent.

[skip-zip]

Hopefully UA has some sort of "Jason Taylor Day" in the near future, either next season or when he gets inducted.

Did you miss the Marshall game a few years ago? How do we do that all over again? Would be kinda strange.

[mes102]

[scottditzen]

Family on Three....

What a class act. Very glad to have known him in class. Truly a friendly and genuine cat.

And it's been so fun rooting for him this whole time. Getting to see him make plays on the big stage for all these years was a real blessing.

Congrats on a great career, you are the greatest Zip ever.

Don't be a stranger Jason!!!

[Blue & Gold]

Congrats on a great career, you are the greatest Zip ever.

Don't be a stranger Jason!!!

+1.Probably my favorite Zip all time. He was the team stud when I first really started passionately identifying with UA football. I remember being so proud watching JT play (on Christmas Day, IIRC) & wear the Akron helmet in the Army All-American Bowl. Scouts were always concerned with his lack of bulk, but he was clearly the best player on the field that day.

[GP1]

2012 Modern Era HOF Nominees

When the time comes for JT to get voted into the HOF, many of these same players will be on the list. Other than Tomlinson, I can't think of anyone other player who might retire this year to add to the list five years from now. There are also some players who have retired in the last four years who cannot be on the list yet. Given the list and then high number of player the NFL puts in the HOF every year, I think there is a VERY good chance JT is a first ballot HOFer.

Maybe interesting to talk about.

[ZipRoo]

It can't hurt to take advantage of Jason's retirement and newsworthiness this season. Above all, RECRUITS need to see that there is definitely hope of an NFL career for Akron alums, despite the Zips' record, conference, history, or 'image' as a smaller school. Anything Coach Bowden can do to entice JT to place a phone call, meet recruits/families face-to-face, or otherwise assist in the quick rebuild of our program will be a big boost.

[Class of 82]

Two things I'll forever remember about Jason Taylor's time in Akron:

1) That game at the Rubber Bowl against a ranked Virginia Tech team where he had a bushel of tackles, several sacks, an interception (I think), a forced fumble (and recovery) on kick-off coverage, and a blocked kick (extra point?). Don't remember the exact stat line, but it was the most impressive performance by a Zips defender probably ever. NFL scouts were there to watch a highly-touted VT DT, and Taylor absolutely stole the show and got him the national notice he so richly deserved. It was a miserable November night, weather wise, but I am so glad I was there to see what he did. Only a win could have made it sweeter. (EDIT: Found the stat line from the 1996 VT game: 12 tackles, two sacks, two fumble recoveries, three stops for loss and tackled a punt returner in the end zone for a safety. Named AP's NCAA Defensive Player of the Week.)

2) The fact that he agreed to play basketball (as a junior, I think?) on an absolutely awful Coleman Crawford team because he wanted to help his school. He wasn't a great b-ball player, but he was better than any of the big men Crawford (worst Zips bb coach ever?) had. I think I admired that genuine sense of school pride and loyalty that Jason showed more than just about anything. A big and great athlete. But an even bigger and greater person.

Congrats to him on an amazing NFL career.

[Blue & Gold]

1) That game at the Rubber Bowl against a ranked Virginia Tech team where he had a bushel of tackles, several sacks, an interception (I think), a forced fumble (and recovery) on kick-off coverage, and a blocked kick (extra point?). Don't remember the exact stat line, but it was the most impressive performance by a Zips defender probably ever. NFL scouts were there to watch a highly-touted VT DT, and Taylor absolutely stole the show and got him the national notice he so richly deserved. It was a miserable November night, weather wise, but I am so glad I was there to see what he did. Only a win could have made it sweeter. (EDIT: Found the stat line from the 1996 VT game: 12 tackles, two sacks, two fumble recoveries, three stops for loss and tackled a punt returner in the end zone for a safety. Named AP's NCAA Defensive Player of the Week.)

Ah, perhaps my favorite Zips football memory outside, of course, of the MAC Championship game -vs- Northrn Illinois. I don't even remember the name of 14th-ranked Virginia Tech's All-American DE that JT completely out-classed.
I also remember the crowd erupting when Willie Spencer threw a last-minute TD to bring the Zips to within 10 (IIRC). Even though the Zips still had no chance of actually winning the game, the pride & tangible sense of community in the Rubber Bowl that night was epic.

[MDZip]

Peter King spent a little time talking wth Jason on SI.com.

[johnnyzip84]

1) That game at the Rubber Bowl against a ranked Virginia Tech team where he had a bushel of tackles, several sacks, an interception (I think), a forced fumble (and recovery) on kick-off coverage, and a blocked kick (extra point?). Don't remember the exact stat line, but it was the most impressive performance by a Zips defender probably ever. NFL scouts were there to watch a highly-touted VT DT, and Taylor absolutely stole the show and got him the national notice he so richly deserved. It was a miserable November night, weather wise, but I am so glad I was there to see what he did. Only a win could have made it sweeter. (EDIT: Found the stat line from the 1996 VT game: 12 tackles, two sacks, two fumble recoveries, three stops for loss and tackled a punt returner in the end zone for a safety. Named AP's NCAA Defensive Player of the Week.)

Ah, perhaps my favorite Zips football memory outside, of course, of the MAC Championship game -vs- Northrn Illinois. I don't even remember the name of 14th-ranked Virginia Tech's All-American DE that JT completely out-classed.
I also remember the crowd erupting when Willie Spencer threw a last-minute TD to bring the Zips to within 10 (IIRC). Even though the Zips still had no chance of actually winning the game, the pride & tangible sense of community in the Rubber Bowl that night was epic.

That was a great football game. Has a Zip defense EVER played better? I believe the Va Tech DE was Cornell Brown.

B&G, my memory is that we were down by around ten (more than one score) when Spencer hit the TD pass on the very last play of the game. I think we might have even went for two and converted (even though there was no time for any onside kick), making the final deficit 2 points?

EDIT:

We were both wrong apparently! Spencer must have been injured/benched, because the box score shows Mike Junko as having completed the TD on the last play of the game. Plus, the Zips only converted the extra point (no 2 point attempt like I first thought). What's the first thing to go?

[Dr Z]

Anything Coach Bowden can do to entice JT to place a phone call, meet recruits/families face-to-face, or otherwise assist in the quick rebuild of our program will be a big boost.

Never thought of that. JT might be able to help him recruit the Miami area (since he lives there) as coach Bowden suggested he was going to do in his interview yesterday with Tim Brando. Maybe he'll just use his dad, I'm not sure were Bobby lives, but I think it's in Florida too, northern maybe?

[Class of 82]

1) That game at the Rubber Bowl against a ranked Virginia Tech team where he had a bushel of tackles, several sacks, an interception (I think), a forced fumble (and recovery) on kick-off coverage, and a blocked kick (extra point?). Don't remember the exact stat line, but it was the most impressive performance by a Zips defender probably ever. NFL scouts were there to watch a highly-touted VT DT, and Taylor absolutely stole the show and got him the national notice he so richly deserved. It was a miserable November night, weather wise, but I am so glad I was there to see what he did. Only a win could have made it sweeter. (EDIT: Found the stat line from the 1996 VT game: 12 tackles, two sacks, two fumble recoveries, three stops for loss and tackled a punt returner in the end zone for a safety. Named AP's NCAA Defensive Player of the Week.)

Ah, perhaps my favorite Zips football memory outside, of course, of the MAC Championship game -vs- Northrn Illinois. I don't even remember the name of 14th-ranked Virginia Tech's All-American DE that JT completely out-classed.
I also remember the crowd erupting when Willie Spencer threw a last-minute TD to bring the Zips to within 10 (IIRC). Even though the Zips still had no chance of actually winning the game, the pride & tangible sense of community in the Rubber Bowl that night was epic.

One of the neat things I also remember about that game was the weather, with wind-driven sleet flying in from the open end. The wind direction ensured abject misery on the visitors' sideline, while the Zips' side was pretty well protected by the mass of the building. Huge advantage, and along with Taylor's epic night, it helped keep the game at least close.