Nov
Taylor has break out game for Alouettes
Courtesy Montreal Gazette:
Marc Trestman issued a challenge this week to Larry Taylor, the Alouettes’ diminutive kick returner. Perhaps Montreal’s rookie head coach should challenge more of his players before next week’s Grey Cup, considering how Taylor responded.
“I called (Taylor) out during team meetings,” Trestman revealed. “I told him he was going to get his blocks, but he had to make someone miss.”
Taylor made numerous Edmonton players miss, returning a pair of punts 62 and 97 yards for touchdowns in the Als’ East Division final victory. Not only were the plays obviously huge, changing the game’s momentum, but Taylor established a league record in the process with his 203 yards on punt returns.
“We were preaching all week that special teams would be a key part of the game,” said Taylor, a rookie. “That lifts a team and provides energy. You feed off that. You get more hungry and play with more intensity. At home especially, you feed off that. Special teams turned the game around.”
There was nothing complicated about either one of Taylor’s long returns. On both, he basically ran up the middle, eluding an initial wave of tacklers. Taylor Inglis was the closest Eskimo on the first. On the second, Kenny Onatolu appeared to have initial penetration. But Taylor took advantage of good blocking combined with his natural ability.
“Returns never play out the way you draw them up,” Taylor said. “I give credit to my teammates. I just feel like I made some big plays when something was needed.”
Only 5-foot-6 and 177 pounds, Taylor has always dazzled on the field. As a high school senior in southern Florida, he scored five touchdowns in a game five different ways – on a punt, kickoff, interception, rushing and receiving. He was the only player in the history of Glades Day School in Fort Lauderdale to rush for over 100 yards in every regular-season game.
He continued his feats at the University of Connecticut, departing as the Big East’s all-time leader in punt-return yardage. He’s one of only four Huskies to return both a kickoff and punt for touchdowns; one of only two to accomplish this in the same season.
Taylor never has allowed size to trump his aspirations. “It’s not about size,” he said. “It’s what inside. It’s one of the things you can’t explain. I’ve been blessed by God to put me in this position.”
Trestman, who rarely shows emotion, called the plays magnificent. étienne Boulay was slightly more demonstrative.
