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What they're saying about Fred Taylor's Hall of Fame chances

On3 imageby:Keith Niebuhr02/06/24

On3Keith

Florida Gators
2 Nov 1996: Florida Gators head coach Steve Spurrier gives instructions to running back Fred Taylor during a game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Jacksonville Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. Florida won the game, 47-7.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024 will be unveiled publicly Thursday — and Florida Gators running back great Fred Taylor is one of 15 modern-Era finalists. That means he’s now just one step away from achieving football immortality.

Taylor, who helped lead the Gators to the 1996 national title, went No. 9 overall in the 1998 NFL Draft to the Jacksonville Jaguars. During a 13-year pro career, he rushed for 11,695 yards and 66 touchdowns — and had 290 receptions for 2,384 yards and eight touchdowns. He was second-team All-Pro in 2007 when he rushed for 1,202 yards.

All told, Taylor had seven 1,000-yards seasons. He is No. 17 on the NFL’s career rushing list and his 4.6-yards-per carry average is behind only legends Barry Sanders and Jim Brown among NFL players who had more career rushing yards.

But will he clear this one last hurdle? It’s not a sure thing.

Here’s what they’re saying about Taylor and his Hall of Fame chances …

-“The former Jacksonville Jaguars running back might not have a long list of Pro Bowls or All-Pros, or a championship, but he is 17th on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with 11,695 yards and players he played against are stumping for him to join football’s best.

Taylor, who played 11 of his 13 seasons in Jacksonville, owns Jaguars’ career records in rushing yards (11,271), attempts (2,428), consecutive 100-yard games (nine in 2000) and most rushing yards in a game (234).

But are his stats and praise from opponents enough to overcome one Pro Bowl appearance as an alternate and never appearing on an All-Pro or All-Decade team? When ESPN talked to the people Taylor played against, the answer was yes. When it came to Hall of Fame voters, however, the answer was … maybe not.” — Michael DiRocco, ESPN

-“I think he was a combination of size and speed. He could do anything that you asked him to do from a running back standpoint. And that to me is always a separator. He could go inside, go outside, he could run away from you, can run through you.” — Kurt Warner, Hall of Fame quarterback

-“Since his playing days, the 1998 No. 9 pick out of Florida has become a prominent face in sports media, first as a co-host of the show I AM ATHLETE and now as both a co-owner and co-host of The Pivot, sharing his wisdom both on and off the field.

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After years of playing in a small market, there’s a chance that Taylor’s success as an interviewer in front of the camera could finally garner the attention of voters and provide the push needed to get him the gold jacket he earned as one of the most dominant rushers ever to play the sport. 

Perhaps this is finally the year that ‘Freaky Freddie T’ gets into the Hall.” — Men’s Journal

-“Taylor has only one Pro Bowl on his resume, never made an All-Decade team or played in a Super Bowl. Seventy-five percent of those enshrined were All-Decade members and 64 percent won championships, according to HOF voter and stats guru Rick Gosselin, a Dallas-based NFL writer. 

Still, that doesn’t mean Taylor won’t gain entry. What he does have going for him is being 17th on the all-time rushing list with 11,695 yards, a robust 4.6-yard average per carry and the only back in history besides Barry Sanders and Adrian Peterson to have at least 2,500 carries and a 4.5-yard average. 

Of the 16 backs with more rushing yards than Taylor, 14 are in the Hall of Fame and the other two, Peterson and Frank Gore, will likely be enshrined when they become eligible.” — Gene Frenette, Florida Times-Union

-“Who are the backs that aren’t in [the Hall of Fame] that deserve consideration? Fred Taylor is in this group, [and] he has the most rushing yards of that group. But others have MVPs, rushing titles, Super Bowl rings and they all have more touchdowns. When I look at Fred Taylor, I say, ‘Yes, he deserves to be discussed,’ but so does Corey Dillon, Ricky Watters, Eddie George, Shaun Alexander and Priest Holmes.” Rick Gosselin, veteran Dallas NFL reporter and Dallas voting rep, in an ESPN interview

-“” think Freddy’s got a great argument, but I don’t know what separates him from other guys from his era. I’m not a big fan of All-Decade teams, but Jamal Lewis is on the [2000s] All-Decade team, won a rushing title, gained 2,000 yards, broke the all-time single-game record [295 yards in 2003]. Shaun Alexander’s got an MVP and a rushing title. … What about Corey Dillon? Corey broke a 40-year-old single-game rushing record, has the rookie rushing record, and holds the Bengals’ all-time rushing record for a career.” — Geoff Hobson, Cincinnati representative on the Hall selection committee, in an ESPN interview

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