I was watching some Youtube....

[OrangeAfroMan]

Came across a Fred Taylor UF video and yeah, he was a beast.  Yeah, he'll be an NFL HOFer.  All that.

But what he did in that '97 season was nuts.  First, let's review what counted as a "down year" for the Gators back then:
10-2 final record
#6 in the final AP poll
wins over #4 Tennessee, #6 Auburn, #1 FSU, and #11 Penn State

Those were the days.  Anyway, the Fun 'n Gun had some bullets missing from the chamber in 1997.  Wuerffel gone.  Two first round WR gone.  The QBs only had one receiving threat, and Jacquez Green had a good year, but compare that to the last 4 years, where there were at least 2 studs catching the ball every season.  

Taylor was basically the whole offense.  You could double team Green and key the run, but Taylor still averaged 6 yards a carry.  He was 230 lbs and FAST.  He finished off runs.  He had the cool reflective visor.  What he did against the #1 rush D (FSU) is still talked about.

He is 5th in Florida history in rushing yards, but no one above him has a better yards-per-carry average.  Not even Emmitt.  I just appreciate him.

[Drew4UTk]

aye those were the good years, except for you pesky gators.  

Jamaal Lewis was a brute his freshman year, and pretty dang good his soph year.  atop of his power, he had game- he was willing to plow whomever stepped in front of him.  He could outrun most on the field, but failed to outrun Walmart security guards, apparently.  I think UGA attempted to recruit that guy... 

anyway, something happened to him his jr year that happens to a lot of players, and it drives me crazy.... 

he slowed down. 

some will argue (and have in the past with me about this) he was learning and developing- learning to wait for his line to setup the lanes, or trying to set up the deception he's intent was to block not run- but it isn't that if you watch closer.  he became more careful as he was protecting his body for the retirement league i'm all but certain.  the magic he had was negated when he didn't lower his shoulders and release the boom- he'd pitter patter around in the backfield and only run with purpose when he saw a clean line.... yes, i realize this is coached- to have patience for the lane- but this was more than that.  

Chubb didn't wait.  Sony Michelle didn't wait.  Fred Taylor would wait, but only long enough for the play to develop (as is coached and properly done)... 

it's my opinion that Lewis's antics brought opportunity to his teammate travis henry, and gave him notice he otherwise may never have gotten... and then henry started doing the same thing later...  i think it was reflective of the culture at tennessee, and that should have been indication of the issues to come- where entitled players looked at the school as a conduit to the retirement league... the mentality changed from "what I can do for you" to "what you can do for me", in this era, and it wasn't long until that undid them as a powerhouse. 

[OrangeAfroMan]

It's funny you say that, because I thought something similar in Taylor's SO and JR seasons.  

Elijah Williams was the starter of a 3-headed rotation at RB.  For his career, he averaged 6.4 ypc.  Great, but I'm sure he spoke with some NFL people and his future was not at RB, but CB.  So, he switched to defense his SR year.

Those same NFL people probably told Taylor RBs have only so many carries and so his playing time slipped away, not running like he was supposed to.

Then it looks like he said, "Screw it, Imma be the man" and took over the workload, ran like hell, and carried the team on his back in 1997.  He got his high draft pick (9th) and the rest is history.  In the 2nd half of the season especially, Fred Taylor was the best player on the field, regardless of who UF was playing.

[OrangeAfroMan]

Oh and if you want some fun RB viewing on youtube, look up Adrian Peterson.  No, not that one, the "other" one, when he was at GA Southern.