Critics Motivated Taylor |
One of the most highly touted members of Clemson’s 2005 signing class was Rendrick Taylor. Taylor quickly turned the heads of fans with his remarkable size at wide receiver. In fact, Taylor’s size was one of his biggest criticism heading into August. He was labeled too big to play receiver, and many believed it was a matter of time before he moved to defense. It was the talk of a move to defense that really motivated Taylor.
“That motivated me because I wanted to take all of the critics and show them that just because a guy is big doesn’t mean he can’t be a skill guy also,” said Taylor. It has been a difficult camp for this year’s freshmen. Coach Bowden has put them to the fire, especially Taylor since the injury to Kelvin Grant. “My freshman camp has been a really humbling experience. I really enjoyed it. I am really glad that is about over. It has been a lot of hard work going out there on the grind. Finally, I got a feel for everything now. I am very comfortable at my position now. Not only has Taylor been tested physically, but wide receivers coach Dabo Swinney has tested Taylor mentally. Taylor has worked at all three spots at receiver. “I feel comfortable with the three positions. I worked really hard at learning them. My improvement is in catching the ball. I am really focused now on routes and fundamentals.” Coach Swinney recruited Taylor last year, and now Taylor is benefitting from the tutelage of his recruiter. “Playing for Coach Swinney is a really great experience. He stays on me all the time, making sure I am doing the right things, so I don’t have to move to defense.” Taylor attended nearly every home game last season as a Clemson commitment. He watched with 80,000 Clemson fans awaiting his chance to see it from the other side. “The top of the Hill is going to be unbelievable. I already told some of the guys when 8 o’clock rolls around and we are standing at the top of the Hill I might just shed a few tears.”
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