FSU’s Taylor proud to be No. 1 again
Florida State cornerback Levonta Taylor doesn’t look the part. The junior is generously listed at 5-10 and 181 pounds.
Not that those numbers interest him. The stats he focuses are 0 and 1 — as in no touchdowns he allowed in 2017 and his jersey number.
Taylor temporarily lost his valuable No. 1 when coach Willie Taggart took away all of the single-digit numbers for Florida State players in the spring, summer and start of preseason camp.
But Taylor is proudly wearing No. 1 again.
“He’s a great DB, one of the best in the country,” Taggart said. “Great young man, as well. He brings a lot to our team not only on the football field but off the football field.”
It was confirmation that Taggart recognizes Taylor as a “dude,” the coach’s definition for a player worthy of a single-digit number.
“Back to being a ‘dude,’ ” Taylor said while wearing an oversized “1” on a gold chain. “I’m happy to have my number back. Like he said, ‘If you work hard for your number, you’ll get it back. And if you don’t, you’ll know why.’ ”
He’ll get his chance to validate his coach’s decision when the 19th-ranked Seminoles host No. 20 Virginia Tech on Sept. 3.
Taylor has built a college résumé on hard work, refining his technique for the weekly battles against taller and sometimes stronger receivers. He started all of Florida State’s games last season but made just 18 tackles and two interceptions.
Taylor allowed just 13 receptions, an average of one per game, in 2017 and didn’t allow a touchdown in 379 coverage snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
MEYER APOLOGIZES
Amid withering criticism of his failing to more directly address domestic abuse issues at a news conference earlier this week, suspended Ohio State coach Urban Meyer issued an apology Friday to the ex-wife of a former assistant coach who was suspected of abusing her.
Meyer, who is serving a three-game suspension for his handling of abuse allegations and other misdeeds from former receivers coach Zach Smith, was criticized because he declined to address Courtney Smith during a question-and-answer session with reporters on Wednesday night.
“Let me say here and now what I should have said on Wednesday: I sincerely apologize to Courtney Smith and her children for what they have gone through,” Meyer said in a statement he tweeted and university officials emailed.
“My words and demeanor on Wednesday did not show how seriously I take relationship violence,” the statement said. “This has been a real learning experience for me. I fully intend to use my voice more effectively to be a part of the solution.”
Attorneys for Courtney Smith and Zach Smith did not respond to messages Friday night.
An investigative report released soon after Meyer answered questions about his suspension Wednesday night showed that he tolerated bad behavior for years from assistant coach Zach Smith, including domesticviolence accusations, drug addiction, lies and other acts that directly clash with the values Meyer touts publicly.