Former Gators OL Jawaan Taylor Envisions Bright Future for Florida Football
While the Florida Gators, along with all sports programs across the country enter an uncertain time during the quarantine caused by the novel coronavirus, players and coaches must still prepare for the challenges ahead.
For the Gators' football program, 2020 is shaping to be one of their best seasons in a long time, potentially since Urban Meyer led the team to two National Championships during his time as the head ball coach of the team.
Former Gators offensive lineman, Jawaan Taylor, now with the Jacksonville Jaguars certainly feels the program is heading in the right direction. In speaking with AllGators via telephone on Tuesday, he expressed confidence in the program, and it's guidance under head coach Dan Mullen.
Taylor played for the Gators from 2016-18 as the team's right tackle and leaving as one of the team's most dominant offensive linemen in recent history before becoming a second-round selection in the 2019 NFL Draft. While he only was able to play under Mullen's staff for one season, the impression the staff has left on him remains to this day and helped guide the right tackle to start all 16 games for the Jaguars as a rookie last seasons.
"For one, [strength and conditioning] coach [Nick] Savage came in, he definitely got me a lot stronger and got me physically prepared," Taylor told AllGators in a phone interview when asked how Mullen and his staff helped him prepare for the NFL. "And then [offensive line] coach John Hevesy and [head] coach Dan Mullen got me mentally prepared. Every single practice, every single thing they were on us hard, making sure we just become better."
Savage has proven to be irreplaceable as the team's strength and conditioning coach over the past two seasons. There have been many instances, even this spring, in which players have shown progress pictures of their improvement, getting stronger and more prepared for the collegiate season and even the next level.
"We got better in the offseason with coach Savage, and then once we got into spring training, we got into fall camp, we got even better as a team. But, they definitely prepared me mentally as well (inaudible). It was a great year with them."
The Gators have gone on to enjoy double-digit victory seasons since hiring Mullen, along with going to two New Years Six Bowl games, winning both. Recently, Gators quarterback Kyle Trask has mentioned the goal of getting to the College Football Playoffs and Taylor agrees and is confident that's exactly where the team is heading, and potentially further.
"...they're definitely climbing every single year," Taylor said. "I definitely see them in the College Football Playoffs, or even competing for national championships. Coach Mullen's got them going in the right direction."
Currently, the team's starting quarterback is Trask, and after years of sitting behind multiple quarterbacks, he was able to lead the Gators to a Bowl Game victory after an injury to former Gators quarterback Feleipe Franks ended his season. Taylor saw first-hand how hard Trask has worked since getting onto campus in 2017.
Taylor praised Trask for how hard he works. Even while playing behind quarterbacks such as Franks, and former Gators quarterbacks Austin Appleby, Luke Del Rio, and Malik Zaire, all quarterbacks Taylor has blocked for over his three seasons with the Gators.
"He always worked hard," Taylor said. "He never wavered, he always kept his head in the playbook. He just played behind those guys and got better every single day, he competed hard, and you know he's doing great."
For now, all of the competition and getting better will have to take place elsewhere, with football in-person training on hold Taylor says the players will have to get their work in at home, and elsewhere while continuing to stay safe. The Gators themselves have come up with unique at-home exercises to do just that.
"...you know we [are] all social distancing thing right now, and quarantine right now. Everyone's trying to find a way to stay safe and stay strong and I feel like that's what all guys gotta do right now, said Taylor. "Like you said spring is a great time to compete and get better, but at this moment just gotta find ways to stay in shape."
