- Jun 19, 2014
- 12,797
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Founding Member
Everybody thought Kelvin Taylor was the next Emmitt Smith. Not even the next Fred Taylor, the next Emmitt Smith. He broke Emmitt's records in high school. He was a superstar. He was from South Florida. His daddy was a stud.
It didn't really show up on the field. We were seduced by the name and the massive numbers, and conveniently forgot that he played at a very small school.
We blamed the coach, the offense, the line, everybody except Kelvin. People kept talking about how he had "wiggle" and needed to be the starter.
While Gillislee was a stud on the field, folks were talking about our future and Kelvin Taylor. Wait till Kelvin Taylor gets into this offense they said.
Couple other Florida running backs in his recruiting class...Derrick Henry out of Yulee and Alex Collins out of Plantation. Both of those guys are studs for their teams.
We got Taylor and Adam Lane that year.
Remember the hue and cry when Matt Jones got the first carry in our first game last season? Because Taylor was supposed to be so much better? Folks pulling their hair out? Jones was a plodder, only in because he was a better pass blocker, Taylor was a budding superstar?
Imagined it plenty, never saw it on the field. And for the record, Matt Jones is looking like he's going to have a nice NFL career.
Kelvin Taylor was a stud last year against Georgia. But other than that game, he's been (wow I really hate saying this) a bust.
I know, I know, Muschamp, o-line, injuries, etc.
Would Kelvin Taylor be the starter over Collins at Arkansas or the starter over Henry at Bama? Heck, at Arkansas he's be 3rd string at best (Jonathan Williams and Collins are basically co-starters).
OK, forget about his recruiting class. Would he be starting at UGA over Nick Chubb or starting at LSU over Leonard Fournette or at Tennessee over Jalen Hurd?
What about a cellar-dweller like Kentucky? We play Kentucky tomorrow. Kentucky starts Boom Williams with Mikel Horton and JoJo Kemp coming off the bench.
Nobody wants to hear it but Imma say it anyway...Kelvin Taylor wouldn't start for Kentucky tomorrow.
OK. Take a deep breath. Would he start over Ralph Webb at Vandy? In case you forgot, Ralph Webb was a GHS Purple Hurricane and dreamt of being a Gator.
Look, KT is a good Gator. I want nothing but success for him. If he was the starter at 'Bama, they could still get to Atlanta. But we're not 'Bama. Not right now, anyway.
He's more Moody than Gillislee. He is a below-average SEC back. That's fine if you're Kentucky or Vanderbilt. For us, he should be a quality back-up.
I really hope I'm wrong about the kid. I hope the light comes on and I see the next coming of Emmitt, or his dad, or Rhett, or even Gillislee. But I haven't seen it yet.
C'mon Kelvin. Make me eat crow. Please.
Alex.
It didn't really show up on the field. We were seduced by the name and the massive numbers, and conveniently forgot that he played at a very small school.
We blamed the coach, the offense, the line, everybody except Kelvin. People kept talking about how he had "wiggle" and needed to be the starter.
While Gillislee was a stud on the field, folks were talking about our future and Kelvin Taylor. Wait till Kelvin Taylor gets into this offense they said.
Couple other Florida running backs in his recruiting class...Derrick Henry out of Yulee and Alex Collins out of Plantation. Both of those guys are studs for their teams.
We got Taylor and Adam Lane that year.
Remember the hue and cry when Matt Jones got the first carry in our first game last season? Because Taylor was supposed to be so much better? Folks pulling their hair out? Jones was a plodder, only in because he was a better pass blocker, Taylor was a budding superstar?
Imagined it plenty, never saw it on the field. And for the record, Matt Jones is looking like he's going to have a nice NFL career.
Kelvin Taylor was a stud last year against Georgia. But other than that game, he's been (wow I really hate saying this) a bust.
I know, I know, Muschamp, o-line, injuries, etc.
Would Kelvin Taylor be the starter over Collins at Arkansas or the starter over Henry at Bama? Heck, at Arkansas he's be 3rd string at best (Jonathan Williams and Collins are basically co-starters).
OK, forget about his recruiting class. Would he be starting at UGA over Nick Chubb or starting at LSU over Leonard Fournette or at Tennessee over Jalen Hurd?
What about a cellar-dweller like Kentucky? We play Kentucky tomorrow. Kentucky starts Boom Williams with Mikel Horton and JoJo Kemp coming off the bench.
Nobody wants to hear it but Imma say it anyway...Kelvin Taylor wouldn't start for Kentucky tomorrow.
OK. Take a deep breath. Would he start over Ralph Webb at Vandy? In case you forgot, Ralph Webb was a GHS Purple Hurricane and dreamt of being a Gator.
Look, KT is a good Gator. I want nothing but success for him. If he was the starter at 'Bama, they could still get to Atlanta. But we're not 'Bama. Not right now, anyway.
He's more Moody than Gillislee. He is a below-average SEC back. That's fine if you're Kentucky or Vanderbilt. For us, he should be a quality back-up.
I really hope I'm wrong about the kid. I hope the light comes on and I see the next coming of Emmitt, or his dad, or Rhett, or even Gillislee. But I haven't seen it yet.
C'mon Kelvin. Make me eat crow. Please.
Alex.
