Akheem Mesidor Carrying Guidance, Relationship With Miami Coach Into NFL
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INDIANAPOLIS — The Miami Hurricanes have had one of the best and most historical defensive ends in NFL history on their coaching staff since 2022. Jason Taylor, a former Miami Dolphin standout on multiple occasions, has served two different roles with the Hurricanes, both as a defensive analyst and the defensive ends coach.
2022 also happened to be the season in which defensive end Akheem Mesidor arrived in Coral Gables. Mesidor, who didn't have a super deep football background before college and spent 2020 through 2021 with West Virginia, didn’t even know who Taylor was when he got to Miami.
“I didn't know a ton even (about) my defensive line coach, Jason Taylor, coming into Miami,” Mesidor said at the NFL Scouting Combine on Wednesday. “I didn't know much about him till I looked him up on YouTube.”
If he didn’t know Taylor before, there's no doubt that he does now. Taylor showed Mesidor the ropes of being a professional defensive lineman, which helped him both with the Hurricanes and moving forward into the NFL.
They also developed a relationship that stemmed beyond the game or practice field. The two spent plenty of time with eachother which allowed Mesidor to pick the brain of a former NFL legend. Because of that, Mesdior attributes plenty of his success to Taylor.
“I'm always in his office, always in the facility. JT has a couch right now. I'm always laying on it,” Mesidor said. “We're always talking, watching the film. So he's been a tremendous help and a mentor throughout this whole process.”
Taylor is well-versed and experienced, both as a coach and player. He started off as a high school coach for St. Thomas Aquinas, a historic football powerhouse in the state of Florida, before transitioning to Miami. He also played 15 seasons in the NFL.
He certainly has the playing resume to justify being where he is now. With how highly Mesidor and others speak of him, that case only gets solidified further. Regardless, Taylor’s been around the game of football at a high level since 1993 with Akron. It’s hard to imagine there’s a lot he hasn’t seen that he could pass down to guys like Mesidor.
“He's done it for so long,” Mesidor said. “He was tremendous. In the league, a legend, and he taught me how to be a professional, how to approach the game, how to approach the way you eat, sleep, train, all these different things. And he treats us like professionals.”
Mesidor’s biggest takeaway from Taylor is centered around exactly that. A lot goes into that and Taylor was by his side to make sure the intricacies of treating his body right and preparing the correct way were precise and benefited him. Taylor, obviously, experienced and learned how to deal with that himself in his playing days.
“The professional approach of the game, the way you prepare, the way you take care of your body. Everything,” Mesidor said. “Everything that helps you achieve your maximum potential on the field.”
The entire Miami program means a ton to Mesidor. He endured plenty of hardships there and also spent four of his six collegiate seasons with them. If he was willing to stay for that long, that must be a sign of a positive relationship on both sides.
“It means the world,” Mesidor said. “I feel like I transformed the type of person that I was going into Miami when it comes to maturity, my IQ for the game, the way I approach the game and the way I take care of business, really.”
Mesidor has gratitude and appreciation for everyone in Miami’s locker room who helped him get to a point where he could be an NFL defensive end. He obviously put the product on the field, but a lot went into keeping him on the field and showing improvement through those four years.
“The brotherhood out there, the coaches that I've been blessed to be coached by, they made a tremendous impact on my life and I'll forever be grateful,” Mesidor said.
Not everything was positive about his time in Coral Gables. Mesidor suffered through multiple injury stints during his four years there, one of which ruled him out for the entire 2023.
But after the dust settled and he suited up for his final season, Mesidor managed to put the best version of himself and the most productive season of his career together. He finished with 63 total tackles and 12.5 sacks, both of which were career-high numbers.
“The only word is blessed,” Mesidor said. “It's just truly a blessing to be able to come back from what I endured in 2022 and 2023 and have my best season yet.”
As a draft prospect, Mesidor’s age is a concern. He’s going to be 25 by the time he is drafted, which doesn’t intertwine well with his injury history.
At the same time, the fact that he was mentored by Taylor and has multiple productive seasons under his belt and is a technically sound player can counteract that.
“You can call me a seasoned rookie,” Mesidor said. “Whatever you want to call it, I think I'm coming more mature with a different approach, different mentality, than a lot of younger guys. I think my age could be a plus, depending on how you look at it.”
With Mesidor currently at the NFL Combine, it feels hard to discount the idea of the impact that Taylor has had on Mesidor’s player and character development. He has a chance to go in the first round despite those concerns and it’s because he’s so polished and physically imposing.
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Michael Stamps is attending the University of Missouri pursuing a degree in journalism. He joined Missouri Tigers On SI as a recruiting writer in 2023, but his beats have subsequently included football and basketball, plus recruiting. He occasionally contributes to Miami Hurricanes On SI. Michael is from Papillion, Neb.