 Taylor with the Cleveland Browns in 2015 | |||||||||||
| No. 98, 97, 99 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Nose tackle | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | (1988-04-07)April 7, 1988 (age 37) Clinton, Maryland, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight | 320 lb (145 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school | Gwynn Park (Brandywine, Maryland) | ||||||||||
| College |
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| NFL draft | 2011: 1st round, 21st overall pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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Phillip Eugene Taylor Sr. (born April 7, 1988) is an American former professionalfootball player who was anose tackle in theNational Football League (NFL). He was selected in the first round of the2011 NFL draft by theCleveland Browns. He playedcollege football for thePenn State Nittany Lions andBaylor Bears.
A native ofClinton, Maryland, Taylor attendedGwynn Park High School, where he was a two-way lineman for head coach Dan Hayes. In his junior year, he was credited with 30 pancake blocks along offensive line. As a senior, he registered 77 tackles with 10 sacks, earning first-team all-state andWashington Post first-team all-metro honors.[1]
Regarded as a four-star recruit byRivals.com, Taylor was ranked as the No. 11 defensive tackle in the nation, in a class highlighted byGerald McCoy andAl Woods.[2] Taylor took official visits toMaryland andPenn State only, despite also holding offers byFlorida,Ohio State, andVirginia Tech, among others. In January 2006, Taylor committed to Penn State.
After sitting out the first half of histrue freshman year at Penn State, Taylor made his collegiate debut againstMichigan and went on to play the season's final seven games for theNittany Lions. In his sophomore year, he sustained a knee injury during preseason drills but still managed to play 12 games on the season, starting the Nittany Lions' final five games. He was credited with 20 tackles, 12 solo efforts, with 6.5 tackles for loss resulting in loss of 26 yards. He also tallied 3.0 sacks, good for loss of 18 yards, and recovered two fumbles. His finale game for Penn State came at theAlamo Bowl againstTexas A&M with five-tackle performance that included one tackle for loss.
In October 2007, Taylor was among several Nittany Lions involved in a brawl during a fraternity party at HUB–Robeson Center. He pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct misdemeanor, and was put on probation byJoe Paterno. In the summer of 2008, Taylor andChris Baker were involved in a minor pool party fracas, which resulted in both being ejected from the team.[3][4] Taylor eventually transferred to Baylor in September 2008 and sat out the season in compliance with NCAA Division I transfer policy.
As a junior in 2009, Taylor earned his first Baylor letter, playing all 12 games and started nine. For the season, he totaled 25 tackles (2.5 for loss), an assisted sack, five QB hurries, two blocked kicks and one interception, despite battling a“turf toe” injury through the middle portion of the season. In May 2010, Taylor spent two weeks inNairobi on a sports mission trip toKenya with other Baylor athletes.[5] He entered his senior year having shed almost 30 pounds, and started all 13 games at nose guard. He totaled 62 tackles (35 solo)—the most by a Baylor interior lineman sinceEthan Kelley in2002—, seven for loss including two sacks, three QB hurries, two pass breakups and one forced fumble. In his final college career game, theTexas Bowl againstIllinois, Taylor had a career-high 10 tackles.
For his physical abilities, Taylor was projected a safe first-round selection in the2011 NFL draft.[6]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Bench press | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 334 lb (151 kg) | 34 in (0.86 m) | 10+3⁄4 in (0.27 m) | 5.14 s | 4.77 s | 7.75 s | 29+1⁄2 in (0.75 m) | 31 reps | ||||
| All values from 2011NFL Scouting Combine. | ||||||||||||
Taylor was selected 21st overall by the Cleveland Browns.[7] Taylor was the highest-selected Baylor defensive tackle sinceDaryl Gardener in1996. After a four-day holdout, Taylor signed a four-year contract worth $8.1 million.[8] During his rookie season, Taylor started every game and finished the season with 59 tackles, 4 sacks, and a forced fumble. Taylor was a major standout in his rookie season, outperforming higher picks of the same position such asNick Fairley andCorey Liuget.
Taylor was also selected to thePro Football Weekly All-Rookie team of 2011, with teammateJabaal Sheard.[9]
On September 1, 2015, the Browns released Taylor.[10]
Taylor started 42 games for theCleveland Browns, posting seven sacks and 69 tackles.[11]
On February 22, 2016, Taylor signed with theDenver Broncos.[11][12] On July 31, 2016, Taylor was placed onInjured reserve due to a knee injury suffered in training camp.[13] He was released on August 10, 2016.[14]
On January 6, 2017, Taylor signed a one-year contract with theWashington Redskins.[15] In the Redskins' third preseason game, Taylor suffered a torn quad that would keep him out for the entire 2017 season.[16] He was officially place on injured reserve on September 2, 2017.[17]
On April 3, 2018, Taylor re-signed with the Redskins.[18] He was released prior to the 2018 regular season on September 1.[19]
On March 13, 2019, Taylor announced his retirement from the NFL.[20]
| Year | Team | GP | COMB | TOTAL | AST | SACK | FF | FR | FR YDS | INT | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | CLE | 16 | 59 | 37 | 22 | 4.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2012 | CLE | 8 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | CLE | 15 | 26 | 14 | 12 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2014 | CLE | 5 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Career | 44 | 109 | 69 | 40 | 7.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
