Speeding toward success
Titans rookie Taylor aims to contribute even more
NASHVILLE — Tennessee Titans wide receiver Taywan Taylor’s handle on Twitter is SilentGrind2, a reference to the rookie’s desire to let his actions speak louder than his words.
Right now, Taylor is making plenty of noise on the football field.
The third-round draft pick from Western Kentucky turned in the fastest run by a ball carrier through the first two weeks of the 2017 NFL season, hitting 21.44 mph while speeding past Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback A.J. Bouye before stretching out to catch a 42-yard pass from Marcus Mariota in this past Sunday’s 37-16 win in Florida.
Not bad for someone clocked at 4.50 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine this spring.
“It’s definitely motivating because you hear something like that. I really didn’t have no idea until I heard it from … a couple other people,” Taylor said. “Definitely motivates me to just keep playing fast. That’s what I’ve always prided myself on. Playing fast every snap. I don’t realize how fast I’m going. I just try to go full speed and play fast so I can open it up for other guys.”
Taylor only has three catches for 56 yards and two rushes for 16 yards. But he’s poised for more work alongside starter Rishard Matthews and veteran Eric Decker with wide receiver Corey Davis, the fifth overall pick, sidelined for Sunday’s game against Seattle (1-1) because of a tight hamstring.
Starting running back DeMarco Murray, also dealing with a hamstring injury, didn’t practice Thursday, though the Titans are hopeful he can practice today and play this weekend.
Mariota said having Taylor certainly helps the offense.
“Teams have to know when he’s in the game, they have to know that he’s a viable option and can do those types of things,” Mariota said. “It allows you to do a lot of different things on offense. When you’ve got a guy like that, you’ve got to find ways to get him the ball.”
The Titans (1-1) have been trying to do that, handing off to Taylor on end-arounds and jet sweeps. He’s also been used as a decoy running through the backfield. And the more he does things well in games, Titans coach Mike Mularkey said, “you’re going to find ways to get him the ball more.”
The 5-foot-11, 203 -pounder was the best wide receiver in Western Kentucky history, setting school records with 253 catches for 4,234 yards and 41 touchdowns in his career. He set the single-season records last year with 98 catches, which ranked fifth nationally, for 1,730 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Now the native of Louisville, Ky., is playing a short drive away from home, and he wants to be ready whenever needed for whatever is needed.
“Whatever the situation occurs,” Taylor said, “that’s what I’m going to be prepared for.”
Taylor got lots of work with Davis and Decker out much of the preseason because of injuries. On Thursday, Titans offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie said Taylor just has to keep working as hard as he has all summer and preseason.
“He’s just got to keep coming, keep playing, keep going,” Robiskie said. “It’s not something we sit down and say, ‘We need 10 more plays, 12 more plays when he’s in there.’ Just keep making plays.”
An AP story published in Thursday’s Times Free Press reported erroneously that the Titans’ Delanie Walker is 49 yards shy of becoming the NFL’s seventh active tight end to reach 5,000 career receiving yards. Last week, the Baltimore Ravens’ Benjamin Watson became the seventh to reach that mark.
Correction