Vincent Taylor – May 5, 2017
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Friday, May 5, 2017
Defensive Tackle Vincent Taylor
(What do you hope to accomplish during these three days?) – “Really, just to come in here (and) get familiar with the new system. Last night, I was going over the playbook and talking with my parents, letting them know that it’s new. It’s new, but once I get familiar with everything, I think I’ll be pretty comfortable with it.”
(The experience of walking into an NFL facility. Can you talk about that and what it meant to you? Was it a lot better than walking into Oklahoma State the first time?) – “This level of play is way different from college. Me coming from high school to college, I was first amazed walking into a college locker room than I was high school. And that’s kind of how it is right now walking into an NFL locker room rather than walking into a college locker room. It’s different; it’s strictly business. I’m just looking forward to coming in here and learning.”
(Your experiences with Head Coach Adam Gase so far – what sticks out about him to you?) – “Just the way he is as a coach. Me being here for two days, he’s very straightforward with us. I like the two rules that he has. It’s pretty simple, an easy thing to follow. Just do the right thing and be on time, and I think you’ll be pretty fine.”
(Tell me about going to San Antonio. You and I went to the same high school. I went like 40 years earlier than you. [laughter] I lived in Valley Ford. My parents are still there.) – “Do you still know the school song?” (laughter) I don’t really want to sing it, but I know it.”
(Tell me about moving after Hurricane Katrina and being uprooted. I know a whole bunch of people did. Was it a traumatic experience? Tell me about that.) – “It was a nightmare for me being a 10-year old boy seeing dead bodies, seeing everything that I had, get lost. At (that) time, me and my family, we’d just bought new furniture. My mom worked at the DoubleTree Hotel, so me, my dad and my brother, we always heard of a hurricane coming to New Orleans, but we never took it seriously. When Katrina came, we thought we’d ride it out, and we wound up getting a bad end of it. Being stuck in New Orleans without no food and power and now I’m here today, so it’s just a blessing every day I wake up and go to sleep and pray and thank God for where I’m at today, because me going through all that at a young age, it was hard for me.”
(You seem to have vivid memories of it even though you were 10 years old, correct?) – “Right.”
(Do you still think about that to this day and that’s why you’re so grateful?) – “I’m very grateful. One thing most people don’t know (is) I got the Louisiana map tatted on me with the date that Hurricane Katrina hit. It’s something that’s always going to be with me every day.”
(I spoke to Oklahoma State Defensive Line Coach Joe Bob Clements. I don’t know anybody else named Joe Bob. He said you have really strong hands. Tell me about that. How big are they? How do you use them? What do you try to do with your hands?) – “At the Combine, they measured my hands at 10½ (inches). (I) blocked five field goals (and) my hands played a huge part in that. I think my hands are pretty big. I’m coming in here and looking forward to finding ways to get them stronger.”
(Five blocked field goals?) – “Yes, sir.”
(Did you jump or did you just put your hand up?) – “Both. Some of them … Looking at film, (on) one of them I jumped and two of them I was able to get my hand on them. So, it turned out for the best.”
(Do you know anyone who has bigger hands?) – “I’m pretty sure me. I haven’t met (Ndamukong) Suh yet, but I’m pretty sure his hands would be probably bigger than mine (laughter).”
(Both you and DT Davon Godchaux talked about wanting to pattern yourselves in games after DT Ndamukong Suh. Have you gotten to talk about play like Suh, but you’re not Suh yet?) – “I haven’t. One thing I can say is I could never try to be like him. I can only be the best Vincent Taylor that I can be. But I’ll try to get some things from him and learn from him to try to make my game better.”
(When was DT Ndamukong Suh first on your radar?) – “I would probably say really when he was at Nebraska. When I was transferring from high school into the college level, looking at how he was training and how he went back to Nebraska for his senior year and what he was doing to get ready for the Combine, that’s when I went on YouTube and looked him up, and that’s when he became one of my favorite players.”
(You mentioned the blocked field goals. What’s your vertical? What’s that like?) – “At the Combine, they got me for 28½ (inches), so that’s my vertical.”
(Did they talk about playing you at receiver at all?) – “I’m hoping they can play me anywhere. Really, I’m just trying to find a way to contribute to the team any way I can.”
(DE Charles Harris talked earlier about how he’s going to try to be like a little brother around DE Cam Wake and shadow him around. Are you looking at trying to do that with DT Ndamukong Suh – be a sponge and learn what you can?) – “I am. Like I mentioned, I’m looking forward to trying to take some things from his game to add to my game. Not just from Suh, but also from Jordan (Phillips). Him coming from the Big 12, I’m familiar with who he is. I’m looking to learn from both of those guys.”
(Did you play some offense in high school?) – “In high school my freshman year, on freshman team you have to play both sides of the ball. So, I did play a little offense.”
(What did you play?) – “Offensive tackle. That’s it.”
