For 49ers receiver, time for business
Taylor focuses on raising game after down year
Trent Taylor’s parents live in Nashville.
And two of the wide receiver’s teammates and best friends, 49ers tight end George Kittle and quarterback C.J. Beathard, trained in Nashville in the weeks before training camp.
So guess where Taylor worked out this summer? Wrong. Taylor, determined to rebound from a frustrating second NFL season, stayed in Santa Clara to train — free from distractions at the team facility, which is located about a mile from where he lives.
“I just liked the fact that I was isolated out here, by myself. No family. No friends,” Taylor said. “All I had to focus on was work. That’s all I wanted to focus on. So I enjoyed it. My parents were worried about me that I was getting a little lonely out here.”
Taylor’s decision appears to be paying off in the early stages of training camp.
During the first six practices, the slot receiver has flashed the quickness he displayed during his 43catch, 430yard rookie season in 2017. Last year, after undergoing offseason back surgery, Taylor had just 26 catches for 215 yards.
“Just to struggle like that and to not be moving the way I know I can move, it was really tough,” Taylor said. “I kept that in the back of my head all through the offseason. And I put in all the work that I possibly could.”
Taylor’s decision meant saying no to his buddies. Kittle said the lack of a hot and cold tub for recovery was a reason Taylor didn’t join them in Nashville.
There are no hot and cold tubs in Music City?
“Not at our training facility,” Kittle said, smiling. (Trent’s) “pretty high maintenance.”
And Taylor’s decision also meant passing up family time. Were his parents offended? Taylor’s dad, Greg, laughed during a phone interview Friday.
“Nah, shoot, I told my boys when they were 16, ‘It’s time for y’all to go,’ ” Greg said. “‘I want my (wife) back, and y’all are wearing her out.’ ”
However, Greg Taylor quickly turned serious when discussing his son’s offseason improvement plan.
“In life, if you’re pursuing something worthwhile and you get hit with adversity, it’s going to ask you a question: ‘How bad do you want this?’ ” Greg said. “So I’m proud of him that he seized the moment, he owned it and went to do something about it.”
Taylor didn’t play in agony last year. But his rehab sidelined him through the offseason and into the early stages of training camp.
When he returned, the 5foot8, 180pounder lacked his trademark explosiveness. And he never fully recaptured it in a season in which he had more than two catches in just four of 14 games.
“It was just not having the time to build the strength back in my legs that I need to last through an NFL season,” Taylor said. “Whenever a guy my size doesn’t have an offseason to train and get ready for an NFL season it’s tough to do it. I’m not (Falcons AllPro wide receiver) Julio Jones who can just walk out there and make stuff happen. So the offseason is crucial for me.”
On Friday, Taylor had another strong practice, at one point catching three passes in an 11play span.
He had a deep overthemiddle grab in traffic on a perfect pass from Jimmy Garoppolo that safety Jaquiski Tartt just missed deflecting. Taylor also ran aggressively upfield after catching a short pass, bounced off two defenders and briefly went helmettohelmet with cornerback Emmanuel Moseley after they collided at the end of the play.
Taylor’s impressive stretch inspired pats on the pads from assistants Wes Welker, Mike LaFleur and Mike McDaniel, along with Kittle, who has presumably gotten over the summer snub.
“Yeah, George was a little offended that I didn’t go hang out with him in Nashville,” Taylor said. “But it’s a business. Friendship can wait until later.”