Taylor Committed to Making Most of His NFL Opportunity

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Dressed in all black under the warm Florida sun, Kelvin Taylor was alone on Florida Field. Taylor would sprint from one end of the field to the other, take a short break, and then repeat the exercise on a recent weekday afternoon.

The previous night Villanova's Kris Jenkins hit a shot at the buzzer to defeat North Carolina for the national title. Taylor dozed off prior to the dramatic finish.

"Man, can't believe I missed that,'' he said.

Taylor had his reasons. He was tired when he got home from a pair of training sessions and laid down to rest. Sleep tackled him.

The UF running back has spent much of his time in Gainesville since UF's Pro Day on March 22, working out in preparation for the NFL Draft. The draft opens Thursday night and runs through Saturday.

Taylor won't hear his name called in the first round like his father Fred did 18 years ago when Jacksonville selected him with the ninth overall pick, but Taylor is expected to get picked over the weekend when the draft moves into the middle and final rounds.

"Here's a guy that obviously had a great season for us with a very young offensive line, put up really good numbers,'' Gators coach Jim McElwain said. "You had the opportunity to see him catch the ball a little bit, too. For him it's just a matter again of going and proving himself."

29429 — Gators running back Kelvin Taylor capped his college career with a 1,000-yard season in 2015. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA)

Taylor is intent to prove he is ready for the NFL after leaving school a season early. Taylor rushed for a career-high 1,035 yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior. He took over as the primary option in the backfield after sharing time with Matt Jones the previous two seasons.

Fred Taylor, the former UF standout who helped Florida win its first national title in 1996, urged his son to stay focused and show up at camp in shape because every player there is fighting for a job on a daily basis.

Kelvin took the advice to heart, one reason he was doing those sprints in an empty Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

"He told me to trust and embrace the process,'' he said. "I'm just ready to get into camp and start making plays."

Taylor's greatest asset with the ball is his ability to cut quickly and find holes. He also is dependable. Taylor never fumbled at Florida on 486 carries. Unlike his father, who was 6-foot-1 and around 230 pounds, Kelvin is smaller (5-10, 207) and not as powerful at finishing runs.

Still, draft analysts project a future in the NFL for Taylor.

"Quicker-than-fast running back with the vision and footwork to be a creator,'' NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his final evaluation. "Taylor's work ethic and toughness should make fans of running back coaches, but his ceiling may be as a change-of-pace runner in a committee."

In his final ranking of the top 300 prospects available, ESPN.com analyst Todd McShay ranked Taylor the 136th overall.

Taylor admits it would be cool if he somehow landed in Jacksonville, where he spent a large portion of his childhood running around EverBank Field during his father's career.

More importantly, he wants a job. A job as an NFL running back.

"All of this is wonderful,'' Taylor said at Pro Day. "But at the end of the day I feel like I'm a great football player. I didn't do well in the 40 in Indy [at the NFL combine]. I caught the ball poorly. I showed everyone I have great hands [here]. I ran a better 40. I know what I'm capable of doing."

Taylor has put in the work. Now he must wait on opportunity to arrive.

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