Chester Taylor
Encyclopedia
Chester Lamar Taylor also known as "Che Tay" (born September 22, 1979 in River Rouge, Michigan
) is an American football
running back
of the National Football League
who is currently on the Arizona Cardinals. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens
in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft
. In 2006, he signed with the Minnesota Vikings
and played four seasons before signing with the Chicago Bears
. Taylor now plays for the Arizona Cardinals
. He played college football
at the University of Toledo
.
. While at Toledo, Taylor set school records for rushing yards and touchdowns. In 2001, he led the Rockets to an impressive victory over in-state rival Cincinnati Bearcats
in the Motor City Bowl
, giving Toledo their first bowl win since the 1995 Las Vegas Bowl
. He was named the MVP
of the game with 31 (Motor City Bowl Record) carries for 190 yards (then a Motor City Bowl Record) and a touchdown.
Taylor ranked seventh in nation for the 2001 season with 1,492 rushing yards (268 attempts, 5.3 yards-per-carry) and 20 touchdowns. He also hauled in 26 receptions for 242 yards and three touchdowns, with a longest reception of 43 yards.
Taylor was named North Team MVP in the 2002 Hula Bowl
.
by the Baltimore Ravens
. He spent four years backing up Jamal Lewis
, seeing minimal yet increasing playing time throughout his tenure with the team.
to a four-year, $14.1 million contract on March 12, 2006. On October 22, 2006, Taylor set a Vikings franchise record for longest run from scrimmage when he ran for a 95-yard touchdown in the third quarter, which is also an NFL record for the longest run in the 3rd quarter, against the Seattle Seahawks
. He also broke 1000 rushing yards for the first time in his NFL career. Taylor and Adrian Peterson were considered one of the NFL's top running back tandems.
to a four-year, $12.5 million contract on March 5, 2010. In 2010, Taylor shared carries with running back Matt Forte
. His stats fell compared to his times with the Ravens and Vikings and rushed for only 267 yards on 112 carries for a 2.4 yard average.
Chester Taylor was released by Chicago
during final cuts on September 3, 2011.
on September 4, 2011.
River Rouge, Michigan
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,917 people, 3,640 households, and 2,504 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,713.9 per square mile . There were 4,080 housing units at an average density of 1,528.0 per square mile...
) is an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
who is currently on the Arizona Cardinals. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft
2002 NFL Draft
The 2002 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft took place April 20–21, 2002 at the theater at...
. In 2006, he signed with the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
and played four seasons before signing with the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Taylor now plays for the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of Toledo
Toledo Rockets football
The Toledo Rockets football team is a college football program in Division I FBS, representing the University of Toledo. The Rockets compete in the Mid-American Conference. Toledo began playing football in 1917, although it did not field teams in 1931, and 1943-1945. Since the inception of the AP...
.
Early years
Taylor was a four-time all-state running back and sprinter at River Rouge High School before attending the University of ToledoUniversity of Toledo
The University of Toledo is a public university in Toledo, Ohio, United States. The Carnegie Foundation classified the university as "Doctoral/Research Extensive."-National recognition:...
. While at Toledo, Taylor set school records for rushing yards and touchdowns. In 2001, he led the Rockets to an impressive victory over in-state rival Cincinnati Bearcats
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
in the Motor City Bowl
Motor City Bowl
The Little Caesars Pizza Bowl is a post-season college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that has been played annually since 1997. The first five games were played at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. Starting in 2002, the game was moved to 65,000-seat Ford Field in downtown...
, giving Toledo their first bowl win since the 1995 Las Vegas Bowl
Las Vegas Bowl
The Maaco Bowl Las Vegas is an NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A post-season college football bowl game that has been played annually at 40,000-seat Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. since 1992. From 1992 to 1996, matchups featured the champion teams from the Big West and Mid-American...
. He was named the MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
of the game with 31 (Motor City Bowl Record) carries for 190 yards (then a Motor City Bowl Record) and a touchdown.
Taylor ranked seventh in nation for the 2001 season with 1,492 rushing yards (268 attempts, 5.3 yards-per-carry) and 20 touchdowns. He also hauled in 26 receptions for 242 yards and three touchdowns, with a longest reception of 43 yards.
Taylor was named North Team MVP in the 2002 Hula Bowl
Hula Bowl
The Hula Bowl was an independently administered post-season invitational college football game held each year in Hawaii from 1947 to 2008. The game was last played at Aloha Stadium in the Hālawa district of Honolulu, Hawaii. At one point the longest-running sporting event in Hawaii, it had been...
.
College statistics
| Year | Team | Att | Yds | TD | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Toledo Rockets | 250 | 1470 | 18 | 17 | 129 | 1 |
| 2001 | Toledo Rockets | 268 | 1430 | 20 | 26 | 242 | 3 |
Baltimore Ravens
Taylor was taken with the 35th pick in the 6th round (207th overall) of the 2002 NFL Draft2002 NFL Draft
The 2002 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft took place April 20–21, 2002 at the theater at...
by the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
. He spent four years backing up Jamal Lewis
Jamal Lewis
Jamal Lafitte Lewis is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens fifth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
, seeing minimal yet increasing playing time throughout his tenure with the team.
Minnesota Vikings
Taylor was signed by the Minnesota VikingsMinnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
to a four-year, $14.1 million contract on March 12, 2006. On October 22, 2006, Taylor set a Vikings franchise record for longest run from scrimmage when he ran for a 95-yard touchdown in the third quarter, which is also an NFL record for the longest run in the 3rd quarter, against the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
. He also broke 1000 rushing yards for the first time in his NFL career. Taylor and Adrian Peterson were considered one of the NFL's top running back tandems.
Chicago Bears
Taylor was signed by the Chicago BearsChicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
to a four-year, $12.5 million contract on March 5, 2010. In 2010, Taylor shared carries with running back Matt Forte
Matt Forté
Matthew Garrett Forté is an American football running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bears in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
. His stats fell compared to his times with the Ravens and Vikings and rushed for only 267 yards on 112 carries for a 2.4 yard average.
Chester Taylor was released by Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
during final cuts on September 3, 2011.
Arizona Cardinals
Taylor was claimed via waivers for a one year contract by the Arizona CardinalsArizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
on September 4, 2011.