Family, Love And Faith Landed Ivan Taylor At Notre Dame
On December 1st, Notre Dame landed a commitment from elite 2025 Winter Garden (Fla.) West Orange safety Ivan Taylor. Getting a big time safety recruit was huge for the Irish in the cycle, and Taylor is just that.
Outside of the obvious impact on the field potentially, Notre Dame also added a great young man who fits South Bend perfectly. You won’t find a more mild mannered and outstanding person, who somehow balances it with elite on field intensity and swagger, like you will with Taylor. Then you meet his parents and you begin to understand why Taylor is who he is.
In a recent interview with Irish Breakdown, his parents - Ike and Danielle Taylor - went in depth on their son’s abilities on the field and humility off of it. They also talked about why Notre Dame was the best fit, which came down to family, love and faith.
According to Danielle, his college choice needed to have all three.
"No question, it’s his relationship with Chris O’Leary,” Danielle Taylor explained. "When he talks to Coach O’Leary, it’s like a friendship. There were two different times when I overheard a conversation, I initially thought he was talking to his best friend Sebastian. Then I realized he was talking to Coach O’Leary. He’s just extremely comfortable and connected. They definitely have a bond with each other.
"He can also definitely identify with Coach (Marcus) Freeman,” she continued. "He is a genuine person.”
Just getting to know the Taylor family briefly, you can tell that they don’t just preach faith, they live it. Ivan’s faith and spirituality mean a lot to him. That’s yet another box that Notre Dame checked.
"You also can’t take away the fact that Ivan went to a Catholic school from kindergarten through eighth grade,” she explained. "The principal was a nun, Sister Dorothy. He’s used to that environment. I know that right now he is in a public school but that is his foundation. When he told Chad (Bowden) and Coach Freeman that he was going to commit to Notre Dame, immediately after the Wake Forest game, they offered mass and we went. His faith is very important. The combination of those three things were very important.”
Ivan’s father brings a very unique background to the table. He was a 12-year NFL veteran who knows the game inside and out. Taylor has been a guiding light on the football field for Ivan, having coached him growing up.
When his father first heard of Notre Dame’s interest, he knew the obvious reputation it holds. When the family got on campus, however, their appreciation for the school and program went to an even deeper level.
"When you hear about Notre Dame, you think it's like a really big college,” his father stated. "But Notre Dame is very intimate.It's a very small private college school, and that's what I like. Ivan is a very intimate person. His mom is the same way.
"As soon as I saw the Catholic Church, I knew where his mama wanted him to go because you best believe we are hitting the church,” Taylor continued. "Ivan goes to church on his own every Saturday. When I stepped on Notre Dame campus, all the mystique, everything you kind of heard about Notre Dame, the movie Rudy, all that just hits you.”
Ike also had some experience with some former Golden Domers, which doesn’t hurt from a background perspective.
"I had a few teammates, Jerome Bettis went to Notre Dame, Stephon Tuitt went to Notre Dame,” he said. "You hear about Notre Dame, but until you actually get there, it lives up to the hype.”
Ike also, along with Danielle, helped to guide Ivan to the finish line. As his father, he wanted Ivan to make his own decision but there was some key advice that he parlayed to his son.
"I told Ivan when he was picking a school, just go where they love you,” he explained. "Coach Freeman loves him. His relationship with Coach O’Leary is unmatched. They have a natural bond and can talk about anything.
"I know his mom was very proud when he said Notre Dame because you best believe that if she's on campus, she'll be in church seven days a week,” Taylor added. "We're just going to help me out because I need an extra angel around me, so I’m not tripping on that.”
In the end, there was one key ingredient for Ivan. He needed to find a place he was comfortable, a place that was his. That is what he found with the Irish.
"It was just the home part,” Taylor said. "You said it earlier, Notre Dame just felt like home.”
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