Bulldog Pride
From becoming a weekly social media staple, to playing a key role on the court, it’s been a senior year to savor for Bryant’s Taylor McHugh
From tweeting about his beloved Washington Capitals during last year’s Stanley Cup Finals – we’re talking about all the full-fledged fandom that Taylor McHugh could possibly squeeze into the 280-character Twitter limit – a concept was born.
A senior guard on the Bryant University men’s basketball team, McHugh revels in being known as a staunch supporter of every Bulldog program. He’s also well versed in a lot of subjects related to sports and isn’t shy when it comes to disclosing a hot take or two.
As McHugh fired off one tweet after another during the Capitals’ march to the Cup, Bryant Assistant Director of Athletic Communications Miles McQuiggan felt McHugh would be a top-flight can- didate to bring a whole new meaning to school spirit.
The green light was given to “Taylor’s Three-Point Play”, a weekly Twitter segment that’s hosted by McHugh and is geared towards providing coverage to all Bryant teams, even those that aren’t necessarily on the radar.
To McHugh, the one-minute clip that features three talking points, hence the number three, represents the best of two of his favorite worlds: social media and Bryant athletics.
“Tay shows love to everyone,” McHugh said with a beaming smile one day recently in the Chace Athletic Center on the Bryant campus.
He’s not lying. How many Division I basketball players do you know who are willing to spike a volleyball, flick a ball with a field hockey stick, swing a tennis racquet, send a soccer ball into orbit, or stand on the edge of the pool while the camera is rolling? Judging by the videos that have been posted under the Twitter handle @BryantAthletics, it’s clear that McHugh has enjoyed the chance to narrate and inform the masses about what to keep an eye on.
“It’s scripted but there’s also free reign to make it as interesting as I can,” McHugh said.
“It was about taking pride in being a student-athlete,” McQuiggan said while sitting not too far from McHugh.
To achieve said pride, one must establish a connection with those outside of the basketball cocoon. For McHugh, it’s easy to extol the virtues of what’s happening with his fellow Bulldog sportsmen and sportswomen because he’s friendly with so many of them.
You would probably be shocked
“I just knew I had to be the best version of myself. That’s what I tried to do.” — Taylor McHugh, Bryant senior guard
to learn that McHugh is a regular attendee of Bryant women’s lacrosse games. If the baseball team is home and it’s not freezing, McHugh will be there. He’s been to so many Bryant sporting events that he lost count a long time ago.
Regardless of the sport, college athletes generally operate on the same schedule. They’ll take the same early-morning classes, then bump into each other later that day in the training room or weight room. An outgoing sort, McHugh can’t help himself when it comes to connecting with those who like him are representing Bryant on the athletic front.
“Bryant is a small school that prides itself on family. The athletes, we’re always around each other, hence you’re looking to build bonds with different people,” McHugh said. “I like to think I have a big personality on campus.”
In a sense, McHugh feels it would be hypocritical if he asked the Bryant lacrosse and soccer players to come to the Chace for his games and didn’t return the favor by checking out theirs.
“If you support them, they’ll support you. I can’t sit here and say that I want people to come to our games and create a great student section and not show that love too,” McHugh said.
McHugh this winter would have proba- bly been an even greater asset to the Bryant sports information department. For the better, his role under first-year basketball head coach Jared Grasso became even greater than even what he originally anticipated back in the summer.
Entering Saturday’s regular-season finale at St. Francis Brooklyn, McHugh has made 17 starts (he started nine during his first three years) and is averaging a career-best 23 minutes per outing.
Coming off a junior season that saw injuries limit him to 17 games, McHugh stood at an interesting crossroads as he went into his final year at Bryant. The aforementioned injury limited his ability during the summer months to show Grasso and the new coaching staff what he could offer.
“With a new coach, everyone was starting at zero. For me, it was a chance to start over,” McHugh said.
“The year could have gone one way or the other. I buy-in and leave a lasting mark as a leader or say ‘This guy didn’t recruit me. Forget it.’”
When school resumed in the fall, McHugh started to feel like his old self. A native of Centreville, Va., McHugh was originally ticketed to be the backup point guard to junior Ikenna Ndugba. If he saw the floor for more than 15 minutes a night, McHugh would have considered himself very fortunate.
When Ndugba’s shoulder woes spilled into January and eventually resulted in Bryant shutting him down for the season, McHugh assumed even greater responsibilities. From late December until mid-February, he started 16 consecutive games.
“I just knew I had to be the best version of myself. That’s what I tried to do,” McHugh said.
The injury that robbed him of playing time last season allowed McHugh to become an even better leader. There were times that Tim O’Shea, the former Bryant head coach who recruited McHugh to Smithfield, would ask for his perspective on certain matters. Through that dialogue, McHugh developed a better understanding of how to connect on a deeper level with his teammates.
It’s also benefited McHugh that he’s done an admirable job as a player who’s gone from potentially fighting for minutes to becoming a regular staple of Grasso’s rotation.
“I feel it’s a lot easier to lead the guys now. I’ve been in their shoes and remind them about giving everything they’ve got during practice. Your opportunity could be tomorrow or the next day,” McHugh said.
Last weekend, McHugh was honored as the lone four-year Bulldog in conjunction with the annual Senior Day festivities. He was part of a 2015 recruiting class that included Marcel Pettway and Nizre Zouzoua; both left Bryant after their sophomore seasons.
“It’s a little bittersweet. If I said I wanted it to be this way, I would be lying,” McHugh said, noting that he’s still good friends with Pettway and Zouzoua.
When Grasso told McHugh of the chance he had to author a legacy that would enable him to end his Bryant tenure on the highest possible note, it truly registered.
The Bulldogs will be competing in the NEC Tournament that gets underway later this week, a major step in the right direction after winning just three games a year ago. Beyond that, McHugh is looking forward to seeing his Bryant teammates take the next step as he transitions to becoming an alum.
“I feel like if we win now and reach goals or if it happens next year … I feel like it’s my job to jump-start what coach Grasso is doing,” McHugh said. “My legacy will be watching what happens in the future. That will be the joy for me.”
Speaking of the future, McHugh is set to graduate with a finance degree. In keeping with the weekly video segment he does for the Bryant Sports Network, he would like to remain involved in sports media in some capacity.
He also plans to speak with Grasso about possibly entering the coaching ranks.
Recently, McHugh started a podcast that’s devoted to sports and pop culture. For someone who’s become known as Bryant’s version of “Everyman”, McHugh clearly knows how to get his message across.
Or in his own words, show the love.
“My legacy will be watching what happens in the future. That will be the joy for me.”
— Taylor McHugh, Bryant senior guard