Why Do Teams Kick to D.J. Taylor? Herm Edwards has No Clue
When analysts and fans discuss and debate football, typically heard are numerous words about whether or not the offense can put up points or if the defense is as stout as everybody believes.
Rarely though does anybody dive into the realm of special teams.
Perhaps for good reason, as those plays that involve punters or kickers are few and between. Those players see perhaps 10 percent of action during a game, and their impact is often forgotten about if the game doesn't come down to a last-second field goal.
However, the Arizona State Sun Devils know the importance of special teams and the value that comes with winning the battle of field position.
Return man D.J. Taylor was back in action Saturday night against Colorado after missing the road trip to BYU. His absence was felt immediately, as Arizona State fumbled the ball on the opening kickoff, quickly allowing BYU to jump out to a 7-0 lead in the blink of an eye.
Taylor's presence when fielding kicks is similar to a cheetah waiting to pounce on its pray. His freshman season in 2020 earned him a spot on Athlon Sports' Preseason All-Pac 12 team as a returner, while also grading out as the Pac-12's top return man with a grade of 81.1.
Taylor quickly cemented himself as a viable threat any time the ball is in his hands and the grass is green, and Arizona State head coach Herm Edwards remains puzzled as to why teams still openly give him opportunities.
"Why they kick to him (Taylor), I don't know. I wouldn't fool around with that guy, but I'm glad they do because he's going to give you the hidden yards," said Edwards following the game against Colorado.
"We had two of them where they got called back, and those were big plays. One of them was a 50-yard play. We were back 50 yards from where the foul was at. When you get across the 50-yard line on the return, you're playing half the football field. He's getting better. That was the whole conversation I had with him in his first year when he was here. He couldn't catch the punts very well and I said, 'Hey look, spring, summer you've got to catch punts. You got to do both.'
"(Special-teams coach Shawn) Slocum has done a nice job with him to get him more confident at it. But he just has a way. When he sees the hole, he attacks it. And all the good (returners) that I've seen at any level when they see air, they don't wiggle. They press the hole and they go fast. That's what he can do. He can accelerate and he goes fast and before you know it, he's up on you. He has good instincts. When he sees the field, he knows how to cut. He's a good return man."
Taylor nearly broke a handful of kicks back for big plays, as he appears nearing the breaking point to making a house call sooner rather than later. Taylor finished the night against Colorado averaging 20 yards per kickoff return and 10 yards per punt return.
When he does finally break through to the end zone, all of Tempe will have seen it coming and will carry a great appreciation for what Taylor's presence brings to Arizona State in a portion of the game that's rarely talked about.