Ike Taylor has the rookie edge with Steeler fans.
<blockquote><p align=justify><b>Team Awards
Rookie of the Year</b> - There's a lot of sentiment for CB Ike Taylor, their fourth-round draft choice, over S Troy Polamalu, their first-rounder. Polamalu plays in the nickel and dime defenses and has made little impact, although he's improved lately. Taylor averages 22.8 yards as their primary kickoff returner and also has been inserted into their passing packages. Taylor also has one start.
<center><p><a href="http://story.theinsiders.com/a.z?s=25&p=2&c=211788">The source of the story</a>
Ike Taylor doing something right
<blockquote><p align=justify><b>Secondary seeing some changes</b>
Asking a Steelers coach or player to speculate about next season gets you either a polite refusal from the player or an angry glare from coach Bill Cowher...
. . .
Cowher has left open the possibility for change by working four younger players into the secondary. They are: No. 1 draft choice and team rookie of the year Troy Polamalu, rookie No. 4 pick Ike Taylor, second-year free safety Chris Hope and cornerback Deshea Townsend, 28, who is starting on a regular basis for the first time in his six-year career. Polamalu is 22 years old, Taylor and Hope are 23, and each player has participated in almost every passing-down snap over the past six weeks.
Cowher was lukewarm with specific praise for those players -- "They have been playing fine," he said -- but, in his response, he noted that the Steelers have allowed a total of only one touchdown in three of the past four games. Somebody, somewhere is doing something right.
. . .
Taylor is getting more experience than he expected after playing cornerback for only one season at Louisiana-Lafayette. He went to college as a running back, but he prefers defense.
"Big plays, hit people, spotlight, you and the receiver one on one," he said.
Cornerback is a tougher position, but Taylor welcomes the challenge.
"As a cornerback you have to be disciplined," he said. "There really is no room for error. A running back, you hit the wrong hole and you are just going to get hit. As a cornerback, if you mess up, the whole world knows."
<center><p><a href="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/sports/s_170940.html">The source of the story</a>
By Jerry DiPaola
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, December 21, 2003 <!--
Ike Taylor eyes starting job at CB
<blockquote><p align=justify>Ike Taylor has Deshea Townsend's job for a day. He would like to keep it longer than that.
A groin injury to Townsend will put the starting right cornerback on the bench for the exhibition finale at 6:30 p.m. today against Carolina at Heinz Field. Taylor will replace him and hopes to make it hard for the coaching staff to keep him out of the lineup when the regular season opens Sept. 12, although Townsend's job does not seem to be at issue.
"I'm a cornerback, I don't want to sit on the bench," said Taylor, a fourth-round draft choice last year.
"Everybody's out here competing, and I don't like to sit on no bench. But you have to get the coach's confidence and stuff. Hopefully, I can get to that point and I'll be out there 16 games, whatever, 20 games, including the playoffs."
Taylor made good, steady progress last season and wound up on the dime defense and started one game when they opened in that defense. He plays in the nickel and dime defenses this year, but wants to move up.
"You only get so many opportunities, so, when you do get them, you have to hold onto them and run with them. That's what I'm trying to do.
"Once I get this opportunity, I have to run with it. I can't look back. No looking back, because there's only a slim chance. Just takes advantage of it, make some plays, show the coaches you can go out there and make plays."
<center><p><a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04246/372184.stm">The rest of the story</a>
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers Report: Struggling Taylor gets demoted
<blockquote><p align=justify><b> CB pulled off nickel and dime teams </b>
Cornerback Ike Taylor wasn't happy when he received word of his demotion yesterday, and he stayed after practice to work on his footwork with coach Darren Perry.
Taylor was dropped from the Steelers' nickel and dime defenses.
"Coach made a couple of changes," Taylor said. "It's a coach's decision. All I have to do is keep my head up and bounce back."
Taylor, a fourth-round draft choice last year, worked his way onto the dime defense during the season. He played with the first units of the nickel and dime defenses -- when the Steelers use five and six backs -- during the preseason. He also started in place of injured Deshea Townsend at right cornerback in the first and last exhibition games.
Against Carolina Thursday night, Taylor led the team with nine tackles, partly because he gave up several receptions before he made the tackle, including a 57-yarder from Rod Rutherford to Eugene Baker that set up the Panthers' winning field goal.
That game likely prompted coach Bill Cowher to replace him this week.
"It could be," Taylor said. "I'm not saying it was. That was a good pass. I can't drop my head. I have to keep playing. Just bounce back, that's all I can do."
<center><p><a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04251/374712.stm">The rest of the story</a>
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette <!--
Ike Taylor Syling & Profiling
<blockquote><p align=justify>Pittsburgh Steeler Ike Taylor says he might not be the most elegantly dressed man in town, but spectators who watch him at the team's annual charity fashion show should be impressed.
"I'm a sweats guy, with sneakers and a T-shirt," says the cornerback, who plans to wear a stylish suit at the show. "Hopefully, I can surprise some people."
Taylor, 24, is one of at least 25 players -- including wide receivers Hines Ward and Antwaan Randle El, and linebacker Joey Porter -- who will model outfits in Steelers Style 2004. The fashion show will feature Steelers -- sometimes with wives, children and girlfriends -- and 12 professional female models wearing outfits on the runway that fall into four categories: contemporary sportswear, cocktail, bundle-up and funky.
Although the professional models will wear outfits from several Pittsburgh boutiques, most of the Steelers will wear outfits from their own closets, says Gabrielle Leahy, co-coordinator of the show.
<center><p><a href="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/style/fashion/s_266958.html">The rest of the story</a>
By Kellie B. Gormly
TRIBUNE-REVIEW <!--
"It's more their style; they're comfortable in their own looks," Leahy says. "Being in their own element and wearing something they feel hot in would make it more fun."
The players also plan to walk in their natural football-player strut, says Taylor, who dismisses the idea of learning the special catwalk.
Steelers Style 2004 will split proceeds between the Bloomfield-based Burger King Cancer Caring Center and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute in Oakland.
The 33-year fashion show tradition has benefited the Cancer Caring Center for more than 15 years, says Rebecca Whitlinger, executive director.
"We're thrilled that the Steelers include us in what is a major event of the year," Whitlinger says. "To have the Steelers model clothes -- we think that's a unique concept, and it's always drawn a lot of people. We're lucky -- it's just another example of the Steelers' community-oriented events."
This year's fashion show takes place during the 25th-anniversary celebration of the Steelers' fourth Super Bowl championship, which the team won in 1979. The fashion show kicks off the weekend of festivities and will be followed by Taste of the Steelers on the evening of Nov. 6. The evening will include football-themed food from Big Burrito restaurants such as Mad Mex, and an auction for items including Steelers sports memorabilia and tickets for travel to all away games in 2005. The 25th-anniversary observance will continue through Nov. 7, when the Steelers play the Philadelphia Eagles.
Steelers Style 2004, which includes music and dancers, features clothes from merchants including Venetia's City Boutique, Downtown; Maxalto and e.b. Pepper, Shadyside; and Pittsburgh Jeans Company on the South Side. In previous years, national department stores had provided the outfits for the fashion show.
"This year, we said, 'Let's do something different and use small boutiques that make up Pittsburgh,'" says Leahy, who calls the fashion show a collaboration of many types of art.
Taylor, who actually is a closet fashion fan, says participating in the show is friendly competition for the guys.
"It's still competitive -- everyone wants to go out there and look their very best," says Taylor, a North Shore resident who says he has thought about doing some modeling outside of football. "Hopefully, this will open up some doors."
Kellie B. Gormly can be reached at kgormly@tribweb.com or (412) 320-7824. --><center><table border=6><td><img src="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/photos/2004-10-28/1029esteel-a.jpg"></td></table><p>
<center><table border=6><td><img src="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/photos/2004-10-28/1029efashion-a.jpg"></td></table><p>
UL's Ike Taylor makes strong 'impact' with Steelers
<blockquote><p align=justify>PITTSBURGH - Nobody talked to David Allen after the last game. It's unlikely reporters even knew Allen, the new punt returner for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
But he was the guy over in the corner with the train tracks etched upon his body. He's the guy Ike Taylor jacked up.
In the middle of the third quarter, with the Pittsburgh Steelers leading 14-10, Chris Gardocki punted to Allen. Mere nanoseconds after Allen fielded the punt, he fielded Taylor - full-on.
Taylor looked around after the blast. He could've been looking for Allen's head.
"I was looking for flags," Taylor said. "You know, when I hit him, I blacked out for a split second. I was coming full speed. My eyes got big when his eyes got big so I knew the ball was about to drop. I didn't know exactly when, but once I saw his eyes I just hit him."
Did Taylor time it perfectly? Or did he just get lucky?
"A little bit of both," he said with a laugh. "I saw it come down and I wasn't stopping. That's what I told myself, that I won't stop. Sunday night football? Basically, football to me is like playing a role in a play on a big stage. The stage was national television. Plus, I got jacked up in the Dallas game."
ESPN's "Jacked Up" feature, done on Monday nights, counts down the top hits of the previous day. After Taylor was flattened by a Dallas kick coverer, he was the butt of hit No. 5 that particular weekend. Taylor's hit on Allen last Sunday night also checked in at No. 5.
"I should've been at least No. 2," Taylor said.
Actually, Taylor's just glad someone noticed. The coaching staff certainly noticed. They also noticed the hit he made on Troy Edwards on a third-and-4 play. Taylor hit Edwards to jar the ball loose. Out came the Jaguars' field-goal kicker, who promptly missed. Taylor saved three points, at least, in the Steelers' 17-16 win, and took another step out of the doghouse.
"I wasn't in the doghouse," Taylor corrected. "It was just a situation I was put in."
Good thing Taylor isn't relying on semantics to get back on the playing field.
He was a surprising rookie last season who came on at the end of the year and forced the Steelers to believe they'd found a big, fast, physical cornerback in the fourth round of that year's draft.
<center><p><a href="http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13530058&BRD=2280&PAG=461&dept_id=468632&rfi=6">The rest of the story</a>
The Herald Standard
By Jim Wexell, <!--
Taylor worked hard in the off-season, but perhaps the size of his head grew more than his muscles. He fell down the depth chart almost as quickly as he'd gone up. By the season opener, Taylor was inactive, buried on the bench behind the starters, and also back-up defensive backs Willie Williams Mike Logan, Ainsley Battles, rookie Ricardo Colclough and even special-teams ace Chidi Iwuoma. When Battles was put on injured reserve for the second game, Russell Stuvaints was re-signed and took his place.
Taylor bided his time and was active, and played, the third week and again the fourth week. He was inactive for a third time in Week 5 but has since played in seven consecutive games. He's a nickel and dime back as well as a kickoff returner and coverage man.
Judging by his performance last Sunday night, Taylor has no plans of regressing.
"The thing, to Ike's credit, is he responded," said defensive backs coach Darren Perry. "He didn't go in the tank. He kept working hard every day. As soon as it happened, his first reaction was to work harder. He stayed after practice, did some of the little things. He took it in a positive way, and that's what you have to do as a professional is take constructive criticism, use it to your advantage and have that be your driving force, and he did that, which is a credit to him."
In Taylor's first game out of the proverbial doghouse, he logged 17 defensive snaps against the Dallas Cowboys. The following week against the New England Patriots he made a spectacular interception.
"That was a highlight," said Taylor. "To me, that might've been the best interception so far this year. But that's over with."
Actually, it was a new beginning. But what exactly put Taylor in the doghouse in the first place?
"To be honest, I really don't know," he said. "I could say I kind of disappointed coach in the way that he wanted more out of me during the preseason. That's the vibe I got. So I just told myself the next time I get on the field, do more than I've been doing."
It's been the key. But ...
"He still knows he's not there yet," said Perry. "So he still understands if he doesn't do what he's supposed to do, if he doesn't keep working on the little things, he could very easily be back. I think that's what's driving him now. Like Joe Paterno once told me, 'Run scared.' And that might be him right now."
-->
Ike Taylor offseason update
<blockquote><p align=justify>Third-year corner Ike Taylor drew the starting assignment this week in place of Deshea Townsend, and Taylor also responded with a great week - and a quiet one - of work.
A cocky Taylor was scolded publicly by Cowher last training camp, but Taylor could become an interesting player in the competition of what's become a deep crop of cornerbacks.
"The competition will be good in training camp," said LeBeau.
"We feel good about what we have. We think we can get better and that's our goal." <a href="http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=14569251&BRD=2280&PAG=461&dept_id=468632&rfi=6">LINK</a>
