Taylor Mays
Encyclopedia
Taylor Mays is an American football
safety for the Cincinnati Bengals
of the National Football League
.
He played college football
at USC. After stepping into the starting role at free safety for the USC Trojans after an injury to teammate Josh Pinkard
during his freshman year, Mays missed only 4 of his 52 career games and earned All-American honors and All-Pac 10 honors three times. He ended his junior season as one of the top three finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award
given to the nation's best defensive back.
Mays was drafted in the second round (49th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft
by the San Francisco 49ers
.
, the son of Stafford Mays
, a former defensive lineman in the National Football League
, and Laurie Mays (née
Black), a Nordstrom
executive. His younger brother, Parker Mays, attends Seattle Prep. He is African-American and Jewish (he was raised in his mother's Jewish religion); of his bar mitzvah, he said: "I don't think at the time I really understood what it meant. Now, looking back on it, I feel like I have come a long way in regards to maturity and becoming an adult. I think it helped me do that."
His father played defensive tackle for the University of Washington
in the late 1970s and was later drafted in the 9th round of the 1980 NFL Draft
by the then-St. Louis Cardinals
and later played for the Minnesota Vikings
from 1987 to 1988 where ex-USC head coach Pete Carroll
was a defensive back coach.
From a young age, Mays always had a deep desire to play football; his father recalls Mays, at age 14, doing homework with his football helmet on. Mays also spent a lot of time as a kid watching old football tapes from when his father played. While his parents declined in letting him play football, he played soccer and was noted as being very physical and much bigger than the other kids which led to his parents eventually letting him try out for the football team in the 7th grade.
, a Catholic boy's high school located in Seattle, Washington's First Hill neighborhood. Before playing football, Mays joined the track team to work on his speed. As a sophomore at O'Dea in 2004, Mays won both the 100-meter and 200-meter dash titles in the 3A State championships in the spring of 2004 before leaving track behind after his junior year to dedicate his last year in high school to prepare for football at the next level.
As a junior in 2004, he posted 124 tackles, 5 interceptions and 75 deflections, catching 25 passes for 700 yards (640.1 m) with 23 touchdowns and returning 12 punts for 392 yards (358.4 m) with 10 touchdowns while earning Student Sports Junior All-American honors as a defensive back, wide receiver and quarterback. His final year at O'Dea, he collected 166 tackles, 5 interceptions and 5 pass deflections as a safety while catching 36 passes for 765 yards (699.5 m) and 15 touchdowns. As a senior in 2005, he was named All-State First-team and All-Metro League Mountain Division Offensive MVP and Defensive Co-MVP. He also returned 12 punts for 392 yards (358.4 m) and 3 touchdowns. Mays played for the West Team in the 2006 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
game alongside future USC teammates Mitch Mustain
and Stafon Johnson
. He posted three tackles in the game.
On May 21, 2005, Mays participated in the 2005 Palo Alto Nike, Inc.
Training Camp. Listed at 6'3", 218-pounds, Mays ran a 4.59 in the 40 yards (36.6 m) dash, recorded 21 reps of 185-pounds on bench press and posted a 31" vertical jump. Rivals.com
listed Mays as the No. 1 overall prospect in the state of Washington in 2006. By age 17, Mays was 6' 3", 228-pounds.
While considering offers from the UCLA
, Washington
and Miami
, Mays elected to commit to the University of Southern California
after being recruited by defensive back coaches Rocky Seto
and Greg Burns. Mays was expected to attend Washington in the footsteps of his father but didn't want to fall under his father's shadow and decided to build his own legacy while citing Pete Carroll's enthusiasm and coaching style as a major factor in his decision, officially committing on August 14, 2005.
year after Josh Pinkard
went down with a season ending injury in their first game against Arkansas
. His first college career interception came in week 5 against Washington State
. Throughout the year he was a solid safety recording 62 tackles in only 12 starts and an ended the year leading his team in interceptions with 3. In 2006, Mays became the third player in Trojan history to be named the Pac-10’s Co-Freshman of The Year while also earning Second-team All-American, 1st-team Freshman All-American and Defensive Freshman of the Year honors from Sporting News magazine.
Mays surprised a lot of people throughout the nation when it was stated by Pete Carroll that the 6'3", 230-pound freshman was the fastest player on a top-tier team built with some of the speediest players in the nation. Teammate running back Joe McKnight
stated: "He's faster than me. I wish I had it, whatever he has." According to Carroll, Mays was clocked at an astonishing 4.25 in the 40 yards (36.6 m) dash, .01 seconds slower than the record set at the 2008 NFL Combine
by Tennessee Titans
running back Chris Johnson
. Mays also stated that he models his game after former USC safety and Pro Football Hall of Fame
safety Ronnie Lott
and the late Washington Redskins
safety Sean Taylor
: "He's been my favorite player. I look up to (former USC safety) Ronnie Lott, too. That's what's special being in this program, living up to the safeties here."
Mays switched from No. 29 to No. 2 after his freshman season for former Florida State
player Deion Sanders
and former Michigan
player Charles Woodson
who both wore the number while playing defensive back in college.
After Josh Pinkard was re-positioned to cornerback, Mays returned as the team's starting safety alongside All-Pac-10 strong safety Kevin Ellison
, whom he credits as his mentor. His most impressive game of the season came during week 10 against California
, where he posted tackles (10) and deflected 3 passes which helped hold one of the best offenses in the nation 14 points below its average in the 24–17 win. He also had a career-high 12 tackles in week 8 against the Oregon
.
Mays finished third on the team with 65 total tackles, 6 pass deflections, 1 forced fumble, and 1 interception in 13 games in 2007. He earned Third-team All-American honors from the Associated Press
, First-team All-American honors from Sporting News, and All-Pac-10 honorable mention.
After the 2007 season, Mays was listed by ESPN The Magazine
in an article titled "Workout Warriors", honoring college football's most physically talented players. According to the article, in the USC spring practices in 2008, Mays posted unbelievable numbers: Measured at 6' 3", 226-pounds with 6% body fat, Mays ran an electronically-timed 4.32 40-yard dash, threw up 225-pounds 23 times during the bench press, and recorded a 41" vertical jump and an 11' 4" standing broad jump. When he arrived at USC, Mays weighed 215-pounds, posted a 35" vertical and 10' standing broad jump. Mays was listed at the No. 2 spot behind Texas defensive end Brian Orakpo
.
Before the start of the 2008 season, Mays was honored with a 2008 Preseason All-American selection and was on the early watch list for both the Bronko Nagurski Trophy
, awarded to the best defensive player in the nation, and the Lott Trophy
. Mays stated in a Los Angeles Times
interview on November 10 that he would decide whether or not to forfeit his senior year at USC to enter the 2009 NFL Draft
after the 2008 post season, saying that a big factor in his decision would come from his father and head coach Pete Carroll Mays entered 2008 as one of the nation's top safety prospects in the nation.
The USC defense turned in the second-best defense in the nation and some argued one of the best college has ever seen. Through the air, the USC defense held opposing offenses to only 6 touchdowns while collecting 19 interceptions as the best pass defense in the nation with Mays being a key factor in their success. Though he didn't register an interception throughout his junior season, Mays had a team-leading 8 pass deflections with four of them coming in a week 9 matchup against California
who averaged almost 40 points per game to that point. Mays had a spectacular performance in the game delivering several big hits in the game which jarred balls loose from the receiver's hands. What would have been Mays' first interception of the season was called back on a penalty by Kaluka Maiava
. Through regular season play, Mays collected 53 total tackles and 8 pass deflections. The Trojans would go on to face Penn State
in the 2009 Rose Bowl
where the defense shut down one of the most explosive offenses in the country in the 38–24 win. A memorable play in the game by Taylor Mays was a devastating helmet-to-helmet hit on wide receiver Jordan Norwood
which momentarily knocked Norwood out of the game and incidentally his teammate Kevin Thomas as well.
Mays ended his junior season as a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award after being beaten out by Ohio State cornerback Malcolm Jenkins
. He finished 3rd in the running, coming in behind Jenkins and Tennessee
safety Eric Berry
. He earned First-team All-American honors from several sources such as Sporting News, Walter Camp Football and the Associated Press as well as Second-Team All-American honors by Rivals.com and All-Pac-10 First-team honors.
On January 13, two days before the deadline for college players to declare for the Draft, Mays announced that he would return to USC for his last year. Mays was regarded as unanimous first-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft but opted to return to continue to develop and to complete his education at Southern California, citing the importance of graduating to himself and his parents as well as giving his last shot at leading USC to the BCS National Championship.
In October, he was named a midseason All-American by The Sporting News
. The withdrawal of several key players from last year's Trojans team was heavily felt on the defensive side of the ball, with Mays and the secondary surrendering 211.5 passing yards per game, 126 more yards than the defense surrendered in 2008. The lack of playmaking and leadership-by-performance from Mays has led experts to quote his stock for the upcoming NFL draft as one that is heavily slipping, though his pre-draft workouts are expected to impress NFL managers the league over. Mays was named First-team All-Pac 10 for the second year in a row and was named First-team All-America
for the third consecutive season.
for his hitting ability, Mays was considered one of the top talents for the 2010 NFL Draft
. Mays was invited to the 2010 Senior Bowl
, a game played by the top college senior NFL prospects. Mays played sparingly in the game, with his interception of Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike
in the 2nd quarter being his only highlight. According to Sports Illustrated
's Tony Pauline, Mays "looked stiff and mechanical with his defensive back fundamentals and really showed limited skills in pass coverage drills," and is therefore projected to outside linebacker by some teams. However, during an interview with Steve Wyche of NFL Network
, Mays stated that the NFL teams he was interviewed by during the 2010 NFL Combine processes never mentioned him switching positions but that he would be willing do so if need be.
At the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine, Taylor Mays ran the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds officially. Several teams however noted Mays as logging between a 4.31 and 4.35, leading to the belief that Mays actually ran a faster time. There was also a deviance regarding the 40 time for Rutgers CB Devin McCourty
. NFL Network
originally handclocked his unofficial time on his first run as 4.24 seconds.
Mays was drafted in the 2nd round with the 49th-overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2010 NFL Draft. In an interview with the Sacramento Bee′s Matt Barrows following the draft, Mays suggested that he was led by Seattle Seahawks
head coach Pete Carroll
to believe that the Seahawks would select him with the 14th-overall pick, which they instead used to pick another safety, Texas' Earl Thomas
. "I understand it's a business. But with it being a business, he needs to be honest. And that's all I was asking for," Mays said, but reiterated that he was exceedingly happy to be playing for the 49ers, a team close to his home state of Washington and the team his idol, Ronnie Lott
, played the very same position on.
insisted that, despite the addition of Taylor Mays, current veteran strong safety Michael Lewis would be the starter for the 2010 season. On July 30, 2010, Mays signed a four-year contract with the 49ers.
After spending the entirety of the first three games on special teams, coach Singletary benched then-starting strong safety Michael Lewis in favor of Reggie Smith
and Mays who split time at the spot in the team's Week 4 match-up against the Atlanta Falcons
. While garnering a team-high 11 tackles in the game, Mays' most outstanding play of the game was a special teams touchdown made off of a deflected punt. After the game, Mays was named the indefinite starter at strong safety alongside free safety.
for an undisclosed draft pick.
neighborhood of Seattle.
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...
safety for the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
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...
.
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 USC. After stepping into the starting role at free safety for the USC Trojans after an injury to teammate Josh Pinkard
Josh Pinkard
Josh Pinkard is an American football cornerback, currently unsigned, who was most recently with the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League...
during his freshman year, Mays missed only 4 of his 52 career games and earned All-American honors and All-Pac 10 honors three times. He ended his junior season as one of the top three finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award
Jim Thorpe Award
The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport legend Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986...
given to the nation's best defensive back.
Mays was drafted in the second round (49th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
by the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
.
Early life
Mays was born in Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, the son of Stafford Mays
Stafford Mays
Stafford Earl Mays is a retired American football defensive lineman.-Life and career:Mays was born in Lawrence, Kansas. He went to Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Washington. Mays played junior college football at Mount Hood Community College. He later played college football at the University of...
, a former defensive lineman in 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...
, and Laurie Mays (née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Black), a Nordstrom
Nordstrom
Nordstrom, Inc. is an upscale department store chain in the United States, founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. Initially a shoe retailer, the company today also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and in some locations, home furnishings...
executive. His younger brother, Parker Mays, attends Seattle Prep. He is African-American and Jewish (he was raised in his mother's Jewish religion); of his bar mitzvah, he said: "I don't think at the time I really understood what it meant. Now, looking back on it, I feel like I have come a long way in regards to maturity and becoming an adult. I think it helped me do that."
His father played defensive tackle for the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in the late 1970s and was later drafted in the 9th round of the 1980 NFL Draft
1980 NFL Draft
The 1980 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 29–30, 1980. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
by the then-St. Louis 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...
and later played for 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...
from 1987 to 1988 where ex-USC head coach Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll
Peter Clay Carroll is the head coach and executive Vice-President of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He is a former head coach of the New York Jets, New England Patriots and the University of Southern California Trojans football team.-Early life:Carroll attended Redwood High...
was a defensive back coach.
From a young age, Mays always had a deep desire to play football; his father recalls Mays, at age 14, doing homework with his football helmet on. Mays also spent a lot of time as a kid watching old football tapes from when his father played. While his parents declined in letting him play football, he played soccer and was noted as being very physical and much bigger than the other kids which led to his parents eventually letting him try out for the football team in the 7th grade.
High school career
Mays attended O'Dea High SchoolO'Dea High School
O'Dea High School is a Catholic boys' high school located on Seattle's First Hill, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle. The school is named after Edward John O'Dea who was bishop of Seattle when the school was built....
, a Catholic boy's high school located in Seattle, Washington's First Hill neighborhood. Before playing football, Mays joined the track team to work on his speed. As a sophomore at O'Dea in 2004, Mays won both the 100-meter and 200-meter dash titles in the 3A State championships in the spring of 2004 before leaving track behind after his junior year to dedicate his last year in high school to prepare for football at the next level.
As a junior in 2004, he posted 124 tackles, 5 interceptions and 75 deflections, catching 25 passes for 700 yards (640.1 m) with 23 touchdowns and returning 12 punts for 392 yards (358.4 m) with 10 touchdowns while earning Student Sports Junior All-American honors as a defensive back, wide receiver and quarterback. His final year at O'Dea, he collected 166 tackles, 5 interceptions and 5 pass deflections as a safety while catching 36 passes for 765 yards (699.5 m) and 15 touchdowns. As a senior in 2005, he was named All-State First-team and All-Metro League Mountain Division Offensive MVP and Defensive Co-MVP. He also returned 12 punts for 392 yards (358.4 m) and 3 touchdowns. Mays played for the West Team in the 2006 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
U.S. Army All-American Bowl
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a high school football all-star game held in early January in San Antonio, Texas. Currently played in the Alamodome, the game brings 90 of the nation's top high school football players in an East versus West matchup. In addition to the Bowl game, there is the U.S...
game alongside future USC teammates Mitch Mustain
Mitch Mustain
Mitchell Mustain is an American football quarterback who is currently a member of the Georgia Force of the Arena Football League. He played college football at USC. Mustain played his freshman year of college at the University of Arkansas in 2006 before transferring to USC in 2007...
and Stafon Johnson
Stafon Johnson
Stafon Johnson is a professional American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played football at USC.-Early years:...
. He posted three tackles in the game.
On May 21, 2005, Mays participated in the 2005 Palo Alto Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
Training Camp. Listed at 6'3", 218-pounds, Mays ran a 4.59 in the 40 yards (36.6 m) dash, recorded 21 reps of 185-pounds on bench press and posted a 31" vertical jump. Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
listed Mays as the No. 1 overall prospect in the state of Washington in 2006. By age 17, Mays was 6' 3", 228-pounds.
While considering offers from the UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
, Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
and Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
, Mays elected to commit to the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
after being recruited by defensive back coaches Rocky Seto
Rocky Seto
Haruki Rocky Seto, often referred to as Rocky Seto, is an American football coach; he currently serves as Defensive Quality Control for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks.-Early years:...
and Greg Burns. Mays was expected to attend Washington in the footsteps of his father but didn't want to fall under his father's shadow and decided to build his own legacy while citing Pete Carroll's enthusiasm and coaching style as a major factor in his decision, officially committing on August 14, 2005.
2006 Season
Mays got the start at free safety his freshmanFreshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
year after Josh Pinkard
Josh Pinkard
Josh Pinkard is an American football cornerback, currently unsigned, who was most recently with the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League...
went down with a season ending injury in their first game against Arkansas
Arkansas Razorbacks
The Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the names of college sports teams at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The term Arkansas Razorbacks properly applies to any of the sports teams at the university. The Razorbacks take their name from the feral pig of the same name...
. His first college career interception came in week 5 against Washington State
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
. Throughout the year he was a solid safety recording 62 tackles in only 12 starts and an ended the year leading his team in interceptions with 3. In 2006, Mays became the third player in Trojan history to be named the Pac-10’s Co-Freshman of The Year while also earning Second-team All-American, 1st-team Freshman All-American and Defensive Freshman of the Year honors from Sporting News magazine.
Mays surprised a lot of people throughout the nation when it was stated by Pete Carroll that the 6'3", 230-pound freshman was the fastest player on a top-tier team built with some of the speediest players in the nation. Teammate running back Joe McKnight
Joe McKnight
Joe McKnight is an American football running back for the New York Jets of the National Football League . He was selected in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Jets...
stated: "He's faster than me. I wish I had it, whatever he has." According to Carroll, Mays was clocked at an astonishing 4.25 in the 40 yards (36.6 m) dash, .01 seconds slower than the record set at the 2008 NFL Combine
NFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
by Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
running back Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson (running back)
Christopher Duan Johnson is an American football running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League...
. Mays also stated that he models his game after former USC safety and Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
safety Ronnie Lott
Ronnie Lott
Ronald Mandel "Ronnie" Lott is a former American football player who starred as a cornerback, free safety, and strong safety in college football and the NFL. He is most well known for his crushing hits on opposing players...
and the late Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
safety Sean Taylor
Sean Taylor
Sean Michael Maurice Taylor was an American football free safety who played for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Taylor was drafted in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Redskins...
: "He's been my favorite player. I look up to (former USC safety) Ronnie Lott, too. That's what's special being in this program, living up to the safeties here."
Mays switched from No. 29 to No. 2 after his freshman season for former Florida State
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
player Deion Sanders
Deion Sanders
Deion Luwynn Sanders , nicknamed "Prime Time" and "Neon Deion", is a former National Football League cornerback and Major League Baseball outfielder who currently works as an NFL Network analyst...
and former Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
player Charles Woodson
Charles Woodson
Charles C. Woodson is an American football cornerback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He played college football at the University of Michigan for the Michigan Wolverines. In 1997, Woodson led the Wolverines to a national championship...
who both wore the number while playing defensive back in college.
2007 Season
Kevin Ellison (American football)
Kevin Marcus Ellison is a Free Agent American football safety who last played for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft...
, whom he credits as his mentor. His most impressive game of the season came during week 10 against California
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, where he posted tackles (10) and deflected 3 passes which helped hold one of the best offenses in the nation 14 points below its average in the 24–17 win. He also had a career-high 12 tackles in week 8 against the Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
.
Mays finished third on the team with 65 total tackles, 6 pass deflections, 1 forced fumble, and 1 interception in 13 games in 2007. He earned Third-team All-American honors from the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, First-team All-American honors from Sporting News, and All-Pac-10 honorable mention.
After the 2007 season, Mays was listed by ESPN The Magazine
ESPN The Magazine
ESPN The Magazine is a bi-weekly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut in the United States. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998....
in an article titled "Workout Warriors", honoring college football's most physically talented players. According to the article, in the USC spring practices in 2008, Mays posted unbelievable numbers: Measured at 6' 3", 226-pounds with 6% body fat, Mays ran an electronically-timed 4.32 40-yard dash, threw up 225-pounds 23 times during the bench press, and recorded a 41" vertical jump and an 11' 4" standing broad jump. When he arrived at USC, Mays weighed 215-pounds, posted a 35" vertical and 10' standing broad jump. Mays was listed at the No. 2 spot behind Texas defensive end Brian Orakpo
Brian Orakpo
-Washington Redskins:Orakpo was drafted by the Washington Redskins 13th overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. On July 31, he signed a five-year deal worth $20 million, which includes $12.1 million guaranteed...
.
2008 Season
Bronko Nagurski Trophy
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America to be the best defensively in the National Collegiate Athletic Association; the award is presented by the Charlotte...
, awarded to the best defensive player in the nation, and the Lott Trophy
Lott Trophy
The Lott IMPACT Trophy is presented annually to the college football Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. IMPACT is an acronym for: integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community, and tenacity. The award purports to equally recognize the personal character of the winning player as well as...
. Mays stated in a Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
interview on November 10 that he would decide whether or not to forfeit his senior year at USC to enter the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
after the 2008 post season, saying that a big factor in his decision would come from his father and head coach Pete Carroll Mays entered 2008 as one of the nation's top safety prospects in the nation.
The USC defense turned in the second-best defense in the nation and some argued one of the best college has ever seen. Through the air, the USC defense held opposing offenses to only 6 touchdowns while collecting 19 interceptions as the best pass defense in the nation with Mays being a key factor in their success. Though he didn't register an interception throughout his junior season, Mays had a team-leading 8 pass deflections with four of them coming in a week 9 matchup against California
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
who averaged almost 40 points per game to that point. Mays had a spectacular performance in the game delivering several big hits in the game which jarred balls loose from the receiver's hands. What would have been Mays' first interception of the season was called back on a penalty by Kaluka Maiava
Kaluka Maiava
-Personal:Maiava's stepfather, Scott Mahoney, attended and played football for Kamehameha Schools and the University of Colorado as an offensive lineman. His mother, Kathryn, works for an airline, which allowed the family the ability to take free trips to the mainland during Maiava's high school...
. Through regular season play, Mays collected 53 total tackles and 8 pass deflections. The Trojans would go on to face Penn State
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
in the 2009 Rose Bowl
2009 Rose Bowl
The 2009 Rose Bowl, the 95th edition of the annual game, was a college football bowl game played on Thursday, January 1, 2009 at the same-named stadium in Pasadena, California. Because of sponsorship by Citi, the first game in the 2009 edition of the Bowl Championship Series was officially titled...
where the defense shut down one of the most explosive offenses in the country in the 38–24 win. A memorable play in the game by Taylor Mays was a devastating helmet-to-helmet hit on wide receiver Jordan Norwood
Jordan Norwood
Jordan Shea Rashad Norwood is a Filipino-American American football wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was signed by the Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Penn State.Norwood has also been a member of the Philadelphia...
which momentarily knocked Norwood out of the game and incidentally his teammate Kevin Thomas as well.
Malcolm Jenkins
-New Orleans Saints:Jenkins was the first cornerback to be taken by the Saints in the first round since Oregon's Alex Molden went at No. 11 in the 1996 NFL Draft. On August 9, 2009 the Saints agreed to terms with Jenkins on a five-year, $19 million contract....
. He finished 3rd in the running, coming in behind Jenkins and Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
safety Eric Berry
Eric Berry
James Eric Berry , nicknamed "The Fifth Dimension" is an American football safety for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted 5th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee.-High school career:Berry played at Creekside High School in...
. He earned First-team All-American honors from several sources such as Sporting News, Walter Camp Football and the Associated Press as well as Second-Team All-American honors by Rivals.com and All-Pac-10 First-team honors.
On January 13, two days before the deadline for college players to declare for the Draft, Mays announced that he would return to USC for his last year. Mays was regarded as unanimous first-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft but opted to return to continue to develop and to complete his education at Southern California, citing the importance of graduating to himself and his parents as well as giving his last shot at leading USC to the BCS National Championship.
2009 Season
In a Lindy's Football article, Mays stated that he wanted to play a different role in the defensive secondary that would call him to be more involved in the action. "I want to be closer to the action. People who know football know what my role on the defense is, but I'd like to be more involved this season," Mays said. The usual duties of a free safety in Pete Carroll's defense calls for him to be a center fielder preventing plays being made deep downfield, keeping him from doing much else in the box. Carroll said he agreed to tweak Mays' duties for the 2009 season, Mays' last at USC. In his last season with the Trojans, one ending with the roughest record (8–4) of his 4-year tenure at USC, he tallied a career-high 96 total tackles for the season while adding another interception to his career total.In October, he was named a midseason All-American by The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
. The withdrawal of several key players from last year's Trojans team was heavily felt on the defensive side of the ball, with Mays and the secondary surrendering 211.5 passing yards per game, 126 more yards than the defense surrendered in 2008. The lack of playmaking and leadership-by-performance from Mays has led experts to quote his stock for the upcoming NFL draft as one that is heavily slipping, though his pre-draft workouts are expected to impress NFL managers the league over. Mays was named First-team All-Pac 10 for the second year in a row and was named First-team All-America
2009 College Football All-America Team
An All-American team is an honorary sports team for a specific season composed of the best amateur players at each position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply "All-Americans". Although the honorees generally do not...
for the third consecutive season.
2010 NFL Draft
Frequently drawing comparisons to Adrian Wilson for his size and Sean TaylorSean Taylor
Sean Michael Maurice Taylor was an American football free safety who played for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Taylor was drafted in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Redskins...
for his hitting ability, Mays was considered one of the top talents for the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
. Mays was invited to the 2010 Senior Bowl
2010 Senior Bowl
The 2010 Under Armour Senior Bowl was an all-star college football exhibition game featuring players from the 2009 college football season, and prospects for the 2010 Draft of the professional National Football League , as well as for the United Football League's inaugural draft.The game was played...
, a game played by the top college senior NFL prospects. Mays played sparingly in the game, with his interception of Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike
Tony Pike
Anthony Steven "Tony" Pike is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
in the 2nd quarter being his only highlight. According to Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
's Tony Pauline, Mays "looked stiff and mechanical with his defensive back fundamentals and really showed limited skills in pass coverage drills," and is therefore projected to outside linebacker by some teams. However, during an interview with Steve Wyche of NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
, Mays stated that the NFL teams he was interviewed by during the 2010 NFL Combine processes never mentioned him switching positions but that he would be willing do so if need be.
At the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine, Taylor Mays ran the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds officially. Several teams however noted Mays as logging between a 4.31 and 4.35, leading to the belief that Mays actually ran a faster time. There was also a deviance regarding the 40 time for Rutgers CB Devin McCourty
Devin McCourty
-2010 season:McCourty was drafted by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He signed a five-year contract on July 28, 2010. Following a preseason injury to veteran Leigh Bodden, McCourty began his rookie season as a starter at cornerback...
. NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
originally handclocked his unofficial time on his first run as 4.24 seconds.
Mays was drafted in the 2nd round with the 49th-overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2010 NFL Draft. In an interview with the Sacramento Bee′s Matt Barrows following the draft, Mays suggested that he was led by 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...
head coach Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll
Peter Clay Carroll is the head coach and executive Vice-President of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He is a former head coach of the New York Jets, New England Patriots and the University of Southern California Trojans football team.-Early life:Carroll attended Redwood High...
to believe that the Seahawks would select him with the 14th-overall pick, which they instead used to pick another safety, Texas' Earl Thomas
Earl Thomas (defensive back)
Earl Thomas is an American football safety for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seahawks with the 14th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas....
. "I understand it's a business. But with it being a business, he needs to be honest. And that's all I was asking for," Mays said, but reiterated that he was exceedingly happy to be playing for the 49ers, a team close to his home state of Washington and the team his idol, Ronnie Lott
Ronnie Lott
Ronald Mandel "Ronnie" Lott is a former American football player who starred as a cornerback, free safety, and strong safety in college football and the NFL. He is most well known for his crushing hits on opposing players...
, played the very same position on.
San Francisco 49ers
In a post-draft interview, San Francisco 49ers executive Trent BaalkeTrent Baalke
Trent John Baalke is the General Manager of the San Francisco 49ers, having been promoted to this position from Vice President of Player Personnel in January 2011. Prior to his brief tenure in that position, he had been the team's Director of Player Personnel, a position largely responsible for...
insisted that, despite the addition of Taylor Mays, current veteran strong safety Michael Lewis would be the starter for the 2010 season. On July 30, 2010, Mays signed a four-year contract with the 49ers.
After spending the entirety of the first three games on special teams, coach Singletary benched then-starting strong safety Michael Lewis in favor of Reggie Smith
Reggie Smith (American football)
Reginald Smith, Jr. is an American football safety for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the 49ers in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma.-College career:Smith was named the preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the...
and Mays who split time at the spot in the team's Week 4 match-up against the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. While garnering a team-high 11 tackles in the game, Mays' most outstanding play of the game was a special teams touchdown made off of a deflected punt. After the game, Mays was named the indefinite starter at strong safety alongside free safety.
Cincinnati Bengals
On August 22, 2011, Mays was traded to the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
for an undisclosed draft pick.
Honors
On June 26, 2011, he was inducted into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.Personal
The Mays family lives in the MagnoliaMagnolia, Seattle, Washington
Magnolia is the second largest neighborhood of Seattle, Washington by area. It occupies a hilly peninsula northwest of downtown. Magnolia is isolated from the rest of Seattle, connected by road to the rest of the city by only three bridges over the tracks of the BNSF Railway: W. Emerson Place in...
neighborhood of Seattle.