Gators Hits The Ground Of $900 Million Key Player In Gainesville…
The goal of the Florida Gators’ offseason was to use the NCAA Transfer Portal to take care of a few issues. The line of scrimmage has been one of the staff’s focal points. Former Penn defensive lineman Joey Slackman, ranked among the top names on 247Sports transfer ratings, joined the Gators earlier this month. Currently ranked No. 29 in the 247Sports transfer rankings, he chose the Gators following trips to Virginia Tech, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. The Gators were his first choice because, upon closer inspection, they satisfied every requirement he had for his next house.
“I think Coach [Billy] Napier and the staff did the best job recruiting me holistically, not just my football ability, my leadership ability, or my academic background,” Slackman stated. “I believe that he and Florida did the best job of bringing everything together to show how they saw my place on the team. Other than that, Florida had everything I was looking for in comparison to other locations. They were the ones that I could cross the most off my list, and I was happy to hear from them early in the process. I am incredibly appreciative that I made it there.”
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Fred Taylor named one of 15 finalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame…
Fred Taylor, a former New England Patriot and legend of the Jacksonville Jaguars, made the most recent Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist roster. Taylor made it through the most recent round of cuts, which reduced the list from 25 semifinalists to 15 finalists after the 25 semifinalists were announced in November. Taylor is a ninth-year eligible student, and 2024 is his first year as a finalist.
Taylor was one of 15 modern-era players named to the finalists list for the 2024 class, 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.
Following a meeting by the Hall of Fame selection committee prior to the Super Bowl on February 8, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024 will be inducted during NFL Honors. The committee will then reduce the list from fifteen to ten, and finally to five. A minimum of 80% positive votes are required for election, and the five remaining finalists are voted on for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on a yes-or-no basis.
The 13-year NFL veteran accumulated 11,695 rushing yards on 2,534 career carries, scoring 66 rushing touchdowns in 153 games. In his professional career, Taylor had seven seasons where he rushed for over 1,000 yards. Taylor added another 290 catches for 2,384 receiving yards, scoring eight receiving touchdowns.
Taylor is a local favorite because he played for the Jaguars in Jacksonville for 11 of his 13 professional seasons. With more NFL rushing yards than Steven Jackson, Corey Dillon, O.J. Simpson, Sean McCoy, and Warrick Dunn combined, Taylor is ranked No. 17 all-time. It should come as no surprise that Taylor has the most rushing yards in Jaguars history—11,271—followed by Maurice Jones-Drew (8,071 yards).
Taylor was the second member of the Pride of the Jaguars, which “honors the key figures and legends that shaped the Jaguars franchise.”
In 1998, Taylor was a rookie who finished third in the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting behind Peyton Manning and Randy Moss despite recording 14 touchdowns and 1,223 yards on 264 rushes.
Originally from Pahokee, Florida, Taylor attended Galdes Central High School before attending the University of Florida.
A first-round pick out of Florida in the 1998 NFL Draft, Taylor was drafted ninth overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars after a phenomenal 1997 season at UF, exploding for 1,292 rushing yards on 214 attempts, averaging six yards per carry and adding 12 scores on the ground.
Taylor, a Gator Great under Steve Spurrier, is already inducted into both the Florida-Georgia Hall of Fame and the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame. Taylor was a member of the squad that won the 1996 National Championship, which saw the Gators win the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans 52–20 over Florida State. Taylor ran for 60 yards in the last game of his junior year to help the Gators win.
Taylor gained 3,075 yards on 537 carries over four seasons at Florida, scoring 31 touchdowns on the ground. While at Florida, Taylor caught 67 passes for 717 more receiving yards, but he was unable to score a touchdown through the air.