Marty Gordon
NRVsports@ourvalley.org
A former Virginia Tech and current NFL quarterback took time Friday to visit with a Blacksburg elementary school.
Tyrod Taylor was quizzed by third, fourth and fifth graders at Gilbert Linkous Elementary School on topics ranging from his favorite food to his new football team, the Cleveland Browns.
He also encouraged the students to make good choices and succeed in the classroom. He told the students he had fond memories of his time in Blacksburg.
Taylor was the signal caller at Virginia Tech from 2008-2011 and was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the NFL draft. In 2015, the Buffalo Bills signed him as a free agent where he mostly started, before being traded to the Browns in March.
In high school, Taylor passed for 5,144 yards and 44 touchdowns, while rushing for 2,546 yards and 56 touchdowns. As a freshman at Virginia Tech, he shared time with Sean Glennon before taking over the starting position in 2007.
He told the students that his college coach, Frank Beamer, and his high school coach in Hampton were great mentors for him. But it was his parents, he cited, for getting him to where he is today.
“I saw them sacrifice daily to make my life better. They were my role models,” he said.
The students asked Taylor what he wanted to be growing up. He wanted to be a football player, but there were times when he originally thought of being a dentist or even a lawyer.
“Pursue your dreams, no matter what they are,” he said.
As a young football player, Taylor didn’t start out as a quarterback, instead playing offensive line. It’s through that experience he really learned to play all aspects of the game.
His advice to younger players was to learn their craft, and to try many positions to see what they’re good at. It was through those early years in professional football, he said, he learned the hardest part of being a competitor—you can’t win them all.
“That hurt, but you got to move on and learn from it,” he said.
Taylor’s numbers last season were 263-420 for 2,799 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Bills. He also rushed for 427 yards. His best season was 2015 when he passed for 3,200 yards and rushed for 588.
The Browns have made it clear he is the team’s starting quarterback, but Cleveland is also considering drafting a QB in the upcoming draft. The team has also signed former Arizona Cardinal backup Drew Stanton.
He already seems to be settling in at the helm of his new team, even admitting he had dinner Thursday night with the Browns’ new ( and highly paid) receiver, Jarvis Landry.
Browns general manager John Dorsey said at the time of the trade that first and foremost, Taylor is “a great kid, a great leader and smart as a whip.”
“I talked to the former head coach of Virginia Tech, Frank Beamer, and he has nothing but high praise for Tyrod Taylor. He has the physical abilities to extend the play. He’s got more than enough arm talent and he doesn’t turn the ball over. When you play that quarterback position at a high level like he does, I think that will do nothing but help us moving forward,” he said.
Browns’ Coach Hue Jackson echoed similar statements.
“We view Tyrod as a perfect fit to lead our team. He possesses the qualities we want of a starting quarterback. He’s smart, a leader, and an efficient passer that doesn’t turn the ball over. He’s a winner and has been very productive as a starting quarterback in this league. The expectation is for Tyrod to come in and be our quarterback, get himself acclimated to our offense and help us get to winning as quickly as possible,” Jackson said.
Taylor called the Browns a new opportunity and is excited about being there. He reports to training camp next month and was in Blacksburg as to watch Saturday’s spring game.
Taylor had one more piece of advice for the Gilbert Linkous students.
“Keep up your grades while playing your sport.”
