Tracking the Preaux Career of Ike Taylor

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Mark's Madness: Steelers make history with worst draft pick ever

Wednesday, April 30, 2003
The Steelers made history Sunday. They made their worst draft pick ever.

Not that there's anything wrong with that. I like a good bad draft choice. I derived as much enjoyment from the reigns of error provided by Troy Edwards, Jamain Stephens and Deon Figures as I did from the Super Bowl years. Being indescribably bad is often more intriguing than being incomparably good.

Which brings us to Ike Taylor, the Steelers' fourth-round pick out of Louisiana-Lafayette.

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nominees for AFC Special Teams Player of Week 11 were:

. . . Pittsburgh kick returner Ike Taylor, who returned three kicks for 71 yards (23.7 average), including a long return of 36 yards.

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Deshea Townsend continued to play well, with a game-best three pass break-ups, and rookie Ike Taylor continued to look as if he belongs.

Maybe the Steelers do have some cornerbacks who can cover people.

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CB Ike Taylor, a fourth-round draft pick, became the first rookie to start a game this season for the Steelers. He opened at right cornerback in their base defense. The Steelers started three cornerbacks and removed S Mike Logan because the Browns opened with three wide receivers and one tight end. The Steelers also played a lot of nickel and dime defense, and that put Taylor, No. 1 pick Troy Polamalu and second-year safety Chris Hope on the field at the same time for a lot of plays. Some think those three will be the cornerstone of their secondary of the future, perhaps as early as next year. "It looks like it could be a good secondary one day," Hope said. "We just have to continue to get better, just like we did today. I think our secondary, each and every one of us, made a play today." Hope had three unassisted tackles, and Taylor and Polamalu three tackles total. Polamalu, though, was charged with three penalties, two holding and an offside.

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CB Ike Taylor, a fourth-round pick from Louisiana, became the first rookie to start a game for the Steelers this season. He opened instead of safety Mike Logan because Pittsburgh wanted to use three corners to cover the Browns' three wide receivers.

a link to the info.

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IKE MEETS MEL

Steelers Hall of Fame cornerback Mel Blount visited the team at practice yesterday, and rookie cornerback Ike Taylor made sure he introduced himself.

"I don't remember him," said Taylor, who was 3-years-old when Blount retired in 1983. "But when I got to the Steelers, I learned all about him. If you play for the Steelers in the secondary, you have to know about Mr. Mel Blount."

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Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor strips the ball from Oakland Raiders receiver Jerry Rice, who received a lucky bounce and landed on the ball, ending up with a 16-yard gain in the fourth quarter. Photo by John Beale / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (12/7/03)

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The Steelers have found a potent one-two punch for punt and kickoff returns with Antwaan Randle El and rookie Ike Taylor.

Randle El is averaging 12.2 yards per punt return -- fourth in the AFC -- and Taylor gets 22.8 on kickoffs -- 10th in the conference.

Of Randle El, Cowher said: "No one knows exactly where he is going to end up. It's fun to watch."

Of Taylor, Cowher said: "He just goes. He sees a crease, and he goes."

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By Jerry DiPaola
TRIBUNE-REVIEW

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Rookie Ike Taylor had just one wish on Sunday, aside from a victory. He wanted to shake hands with Raiders wide receiver Jerry Rice.

In the fourth quarter, he probably had his best chance when Taylor tackled Rice after just his second reception of the day.

After the game Taylor had his picture taken with him.

"I said, 'Jerry, I need to see you," said Taylor. "I need to take a picture.' He was like, 'Cool.'"

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Team Awards
Rookie of the Year - 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.

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Secondary seeing some changes

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."

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By Jerry DiPaola
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, December 21, 2003

September 2nd, 2004, 05:32 am #23

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Ike Taylor eyes starting job at CB

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."

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By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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September 7th, 2004, 05:36 am #24

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Steelers Report: Struggling Taylor gets demoted

CB pulled off nickel and dime teams

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."

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By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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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."

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By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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CB pulled off nickel and dime teams

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."

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By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette