Can Gabe Taylor earn a roster spot with the Commanders?
Gabe Taylor isn’t your typical undrafted player in rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. You see, Taylor is the younger brother of legendary Washington safety Sean Taylor. And after going undrafted last month, Taylor chose to attend the Washington Commanders’ rookie minicamp instead of going elsewhere. He had options, he chose Washington.
On Friday, Taylor arrived in Ashburn for his first NFL practice. After his second practice on Saturday, Taylor spoke with the media.
“They upgraded the facility for sure,” Taylor said about the Commanders’ Ashburn headquarters. “Just coming in through these doors, all the memories, and they got the 21 jersey on the wall in the equipment room and then to just see my brother’s name there, it’s something I feel like I gotta do to represent him.”
So, what would Taylor tell his older brother if he were there?
“I know you damn proud of me,” Gabe Taylor said with a smile. “All the pressure on my back that I don’t feel like people would think I feel, I don’t really care. I like to see that conversation. I’m the type of person that thrives on critics. You know, I’d rather be criticized than all the positivity because, you know, I gotta get better.”
That’s the perfect attitude. Head coach Dan Quinn said Saturday that not every player can become a great player, but you can become a great teammate.”
You can bet Taylor’s attitude and mindset will endear him to Washington’s coaching staff. Taylor chose to come to a place that was special to him with no guarantees, knowing he would need to compete to earn an opportunity.
“I had to take a moment, take a deep breath. I just looked at the helmet,” Taylor said via Hannah Lichtenstein of commanders.com. “I’ve been watching the Washington Redskins, Commanders all my life. I could have gone somewhere else, but I chose here for a reason. Hopefully, I get to put it on again and continue forward with them.”
After practice, Quinn was asked specifically about Taylor, but was careful not to single him out. That wasn’t meant disrespectfully toward Taylor, but it was Quinn again focusing on the team mindset. Also, Quinn was probably cautioning the media to be careful when applying too much pressure on Taylor.
Here’s Taylor in action:
Taylor wanted to be in Washington. He said his father, Pedro, wanted him in Washington. You can bet the fans want him with the Commanders. Taylor needs a strong weekend to earn a spot on Washington’s 90-man roster, but don’t count him out.
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