Zac Taylor
Encyclopedia
Zac Taylor in an American football
quarterback
. From 2005 to 2006, he was the starting
quarterback for Cornhuskers
football team at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
. He was recruited late in the 2004-2005 off-season by the Huskers, being a described "lucky break" due to the Huskers lack of quarterbacks at the time. He led Nebraska to an 8-4 record during his inaugural year, 2005, as a starter at quarterback. Ironically, Taylor hails from Norman, Oklahoma
, hometown of the rival University of Oklahoma
Sooners
. He signed with the National Football League
's Tampa Bay Buccaneers
as an undrafted free agent in 2007. Taylor was later cut from the team's 85 man roster and has since joined the Canadian Football League
's Winnipeg Blue Bombers
as their 4th quarterback. The Blue Bombers played in the Grey Cup
(the CFL Championship game) on November 25, 2007.
in Norman, Oklahoma
, he looked at few possible college schools. Taylor did not receive much notice from any major colleges, not even from his hometown school the Oklahoma Sooners
, so in 2002 he signed with the Wake Forest
Demon Deacons. This would prove to be an uneventful and tough 2 years, redshirting
his first year, and filling in the backup position the next, completing the only pass he attempted in those 2 years. It was from there that he transferred to Butler Community College
(Kansas) where he passed for nearly 3,000 yards with 29 touchdowns. In his breakout season, Taylor led Butler to the NJCAA championship game, and earned second-team NJCAA All American honors.
, Marshall
and Nebraska. Nebraska had abandoned their long standing running/option offense for an entirely new, West Coast offense
led by newly appointed coach Bill Callahan. The Huskers had a rebuilding season in 2004, going 5-6 and missing a bowl
bid for the first time since 1968. Taylor had a rough start, statistically speaking, in his 2005 year at Nebraska, completing 39 of 89 passes for 399 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions in his first three games. In his fourth game however, Taylor had a breakout day against Iowa State
, throwing for a school record 431 yards on 36 of 55 passing with two touchdowns. He steadily improved throughout the season, ending in a 30-3 win against Colorado
where he threw 392 yards, and a come-from-behind 32-28 win against the Michigan Wolverines
in the Mastercard Alamo Bowl, where he threw a Nebraska bowl record 3 touchdown passes. Taylor broke the school record for passing yards in a season with 2,653 yards on 55.1% of his passes being complete.
In his 2006 opener against Louisiana Tech
, Taylor showed significant improvement over his season-opener the previous year, completing 22 of 33 attempts for 287 yards with 3 touchdowns and one interception. The game after, against Nicholls State
, Taylor once again showed his precision in passing the ball, finishing 19 of 23 for 202 yards and a new career-best in 4 touchdown passes.
Taylor led the Nebraska Cornhuskers to a record of 9-3 with an appearance in the 2006 Big 12 Championship Game, facing off against the Oklahoma Sooners
. Taylor passed for 2789 yards and 24 touchdown passes during the regular season and earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.
head coach
and current Texas A&M
Head Coach Mike Sherman
. Taylor's younger brother Press is currently a quarterback for the Marshall University Thundering Herd. His younger sister, Quincy, attends the University of Oklahoma
and is a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta
sorority.
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...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. From 2005 to 2006, he was the starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
quarterback for Cornhuskers
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
football team at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is a public research university located in the city of Lincoln in the U.S. state of Nebraska...
. He was recruited late in the 2004-2005 off-season by the Huskers, being a described "lucky break" due to the Huskers lack of quarterbacks at the time. He led Nebraska to an 8-4 record during his inaugural year, 2005, as a starter at quarterback. Ironically, Taylor hails from Norman, Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
, hometown of the rival University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
Sooners
Oklahoma Sooners
The University of Oklahoma features 19 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's teams are called the Sooners, a nickname given to the early participants in the land rushes which initially opened the Oklahoma Indian Territory to non-native settlement. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-A,...
. He signed with 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...
's Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
as an undrafted free agent in 2007. Taylor was later cut from the team's 85 man roster and has since joined the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
's Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
as their 4th quarterback. The Blue Bombers played in the Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
(the CFL Championship game) on November 25, 2007.
Early career
After Zac's record-setting career at Norman High SchoolNorman High School
Norman High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school in Norman, Oklahoma with a steady enrollment of 1,945 students. It is accredited by North Central Association, the Oklahoma State Department of Education and the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association...
in Norman, Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
, he looked at few possible college schools. Taylor did not receive much notice from any major colleges, not even from his hometown school the Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma Sooners
The University of Oklahoma features 19 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's teams are called the Sooners, a nickname given to the early participants in the land rushes which initially opened the Oklahoma Indian Territory to non-native settlement. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-A,...
, so in 2002 he signed with the Wake Forest
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
Demon Deacons. This would prove to be an uneventful and tough 2 years, redshirting
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
his first year, and filling in the backup position the next, completing the only pass he attempted in those 2 years. It was from there that he transferred to Butler Community College
Butler Community College
Butler Community College is an accredited 2-year community college located in El Dorado, Kansas, United States. Founded in 1927, it was originally named Butler County Community College, as El Dorado is the Butler County seat, but it was renamed in recent years.- Statistics :Butler is a fairly...
(Kansas) where he passed for nearly 3,000 yards with 29 touchdowns. In his breakout season, Taylor led Butler to the NJCAA championship game, and earned second-team NJCAA All American honors.
College career
After his 2004 season Taylor looked at multiple NCAA Division I schools, including MemphisUniversity of Memphis
The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
, Marshall
Marshall Thundering Herd
The Marshall Thundering Herd are the intercollegiate athletic teams that collectively represent the Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Thundering Herd athletic teams compete in Conference USA, which are members of the NCAA Division I...
and Nebraska. Nebraska had abandoned their long standing running/option offense for an entirely new, West Coast offense
West Coast offense
In American football, "West Coast Offense" refers to two similar but distinct offensive-strategic-systems of play: the "Air Coryell" system; or more commonly the pass play system popularized by Bill Walsh...
led by newly appointed coach Bill Callahan. The Huskers had a rebuilding season in 2004, going 5-6 and missing a bowl
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
bid for the first time since 1968. Taylor had a rough start, statistically speaking, in his 2005 year at Nebraska, completing 39 of 89 passes for 399 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions in his first three games. In his fourth game however, Taylor had a breakout day against Iowa State
Iowa State Cyclones football
The Iowa State Cyclones football team represents Iowa State University in college football. The Cyclones compete in the Big 12 Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. ISU started playing football in 1892, however, it did not become an official sport until 1894...
, throwing for a school record 431 yards on 36 of 55 passing with two touchdowns. He steadily improved throughout the season, ending in a 30-3 win against Colorado
Colorado Buffaloes football
The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,...
where he threw 392 yards, and a come-from-behind 32-28 win against the Michigan Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...
in the Mastercard Alamo Bowl, where he threw a Nebraska bowl record 3 touchdown passes. Taylor broke the school record for passing yards in a season with 2,653 yards on 55.1% of his passes being complete.
In his 2006 opener against Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
, Taylor showed significant improvement over his season-opener the previous year, completing 22 of 33 attempts for 287 yards with 3 touchdowns and one interception. The game after, against Nicholls State
Nicholls State University
Nicholls State University, founded in 1948, is a public university located in Thibodaux, Louisiana, USA. Nicholls is part of the University of Louisiana System of universities. Originally called Francis T. Nicholls Junior College, the institution split from the Louisiana State University System in...
, Taylor once again showed his precision in passing the ball, finishing 19 of 23 for 202 yards and a new career-best in 4 touchdown passes.
Taylor led the Nebraska Cornhuskers to a record of 9-3 with an appearance in the 2006 Big 12 Championship Game, facing off against the Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma Sooners
The University of Oklahoma features 19 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's teams are called the Sooners, a nickname given to the early participants in the land rushes which initially opened the Oklahoma Indian Territory to non-native settlement. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-A,...
. Taylor passed for 2789 yards and 24 touchdown passes during the regular season and earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.
Personal life
Taylor is married to Sarah Sherman, daughter of the former Green Bay PackersGreen Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
and current Texas A&M
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
Head Coach Mike Sherman
Mike Sherman
Michael Francis "Mike" Sherman is the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies football team. Prior to coaching the Aggies, he served as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from the 2000–05 seasons. Sherman led the Packers to five consecutive winning seasons from 2000–04 and three divisional titles...
. Taylor's younger brother Press is currently a quarterback for the Marshall University Thundering Herd. His younger sister, Quincy, attends the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
and is a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Alpha Theta , also known as Theta, is an international fraternity for women founded on January 27, 1870 at DePauw University, formerly Indiana Asbury...
sorority.
2005
| Passing | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game | Team | Comp | Att | Pct | Yds | TD | INT | |||
| Maine | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
15 | 36 | 41.7 | 192 | 0 | 2 | |||
| Wake Forest | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
14 | 33 | 42.4 | 114 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Pittsburgh | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
10 | 20 | 50.0 | 93 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Iowa State | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
36 | 55 | 65.5 | 431 | 2 | 0 | |||
| Texas Tech | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
21 | 35 | 60.0 | 229 | 2 | 2 | |||
| Baylor | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
18 | 32 | 56.3 | 168 | 2 | 0 | |||
| Missouri | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
22 | 43 | 51.2 | 281 | 2 | 2 | |||
| Oklahoma | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
25 | 45 | 55.6 | 249 | 2 | 2 | |||
| Kansas | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
14 | 26 | 53.8 | 117 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Kansas State | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
21 | 31 | 67.7 | 220 | 2 | 0 | |||
| Colorado | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
27 | 43 | 62.8 | 392 | 2 | 0 | |||
| Michigan | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
14 | 31 | 45.2 | 167 | 3 | 2 | |||
| Totals | 237 | 430 | 55.1 | 2653 | ||||||
2006
| Passing | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game | Team | Comp | Att | Pct | Yds | TD | INT | |||
| Louisiana Tech | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
22 | 33 | 66.7 | 287 | 3 | 1 | |||
| Nicholls State | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
19 | 23 | 82.6 | 202 | 4 | 0 | |||
| Southern California | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
8 | 16 | 50.0 | 115 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Troy | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
14 | 17 | 82.4 | 268 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Kansas | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
15 | 33 | 45.5 | 395 | 4 | 0 | |||
| Iowa State | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
17 | 21 | 81.0 | 131 | 1 | 0 | |||
| Kansas State | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
12 | 21 | 57.1 | 149 | 1 | 0 | |||
| Texas | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
15 | 28 | 53.6 | 277 | 2 | 1 | |||
| Oklahoma State | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
21 | 39 | 53.8 | 241 | 2 | 0 | |||
| Missouri | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
13 | 21 | 61.9 | 208 | 2 | 0 | |||
| Texas A&M | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
21 | 35 | 60.0 | 267 | 2 | 1 | |||
| Colorado | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
19 | 28 | 67.9 | 249 | 2 | 0 | |||
| Oklahoma | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
23 | 50 | 46.0 | 282 | 1 | 3 | |||
| Auburn | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
14 | 26 | 53.8 | 126 | 0 | 1 | |||
| Totals | 233 | 391 | 59.6 | 3197 | ||||||