Jets backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor, a 14-year NFL veteran and former Giant, connects with Post columnist Steve Serby for some training camp Q&A.
Q: What amazes you most about Aaron Rodgers?
A: Obviously he throws and spins. It’s like no one we probably have ever seen at this level. Obviously I’ve known Aaron from afar, had a lot of respect for one another. We’ve crossed paths throughout the 14 years that I’ve played. He’s a true leader. Obviously he’s played this game at a high level for a lot of years. He’s very personable. He cares about the guys, he cares about what we put on the field, he holds everyone accountable. … He’s easy to be around.
Q: Do you sense a hunger in him, after missing last season?
A: A hundred percent. Anytime anyone in this profession misses a year … I don’t think it’s for the outside, but I think he also wants to show this team, this organization, who they brought in was the right person. And we all believe that within the locker room. And I have no doubt in my mind he’s going to continue to keep playing at a high level. Just to see the work that he puts in day in and day out.
Q: Is there anything funny he’s said that has resonated with you?
A: I’ll keep all the specifics to ourselves. We protect each other when it comes to sayings. He’s fun to be around, I’ve had a blast. We talk about it all the time: We don’t think there’s any quarterback room that’s ever had 34 years of experience between two guys. So there’s a lot of stories that we could tell, and there’s a lot of laughter. But at the end of the day, it’s about us going out and bringing our “A” game day in and day out. Obviously a team feeds off morale of the quarterback room, and we continue to keep pushing our game to a higher level.
Q: What qualities does Garrett Wilson have that makes him special?
A: First off, he doesn’t get tired. The kid can run all day. Obviously he has great tracking ability. He tracks the ball just as well as anyone that I’ve been around — whether that’s over the shoulder, being able to change his body in different positions. And he competes at a high level, he doesn’t shy away from competition. Seeing him going against one of the better corners in Sauce Gardner day in and day out, as well just other guys, I think competition brings out the best in him. And he’s very smart. He has a knack for finding zones and being friendly to the quarterback, being on the same page. I was a fan of his before I got here, and being around him day in and day out, obviously we’ve grown to know one another. My foundation weekend this past weekend in Virginia, a little kid came up to me and was talking about him, and I FaceTimed him, and he picked up the phone and had a conversation with the kids. He’s been raised right, and he does the right things on the field. He wants to be the best, and that’s all you can ask for, a guy that’s pushing himself, a guy that’s dedicated to his craft, and you can see it day in and day out.
Q: What makes Breece Hall special?
A: Obviously I’ve been around a number of good backs, but Breece moves very fluid. I’m a big fan of his as well. Looking forward to continue to see him do big things, not only this year but many years to come. He’s a special back, he has the complete package — whether it’s inside zone, outside zone, catching the ball out of the backfield.
Q: Giants coach Brian Daboll said on “Hard Knocks” that he wanted you back with his team. Did you see that?
A: No, I don’t watch “Hard Knocks,” but I have nothing but respect for Coach Daboll, [Giants GM] Joe Schoen — he actually texted me at the start of camp. I wish them the best. Business is business. I appreciated the time that I was there. Made a lot of friends. Kept a lot of friends as well, too.
Q: Describe your mentality on the field.
A: I’m competitive as they get, but I’m very relaxed. I’m confident in who I am, I’m confident in those around me … natural leader. I think obviously that comes with the quarterback position, but I’m a Leo. And I’ve never met a Leo that wasn’t that natural leader. I have a knack of getting the best out of the people around me. I’m also making those guys feel comfortable as well and do their best. I’m not a big talker (chuckle). I kind of just let my play speak for itself.
Q: What drives you?
A: I’m an only child, I’ve probably been internally motivated. I remember watching a lot of the big guys in the sports world before me, the Allen Iversons, the Michael Vicks, the Ronald Currys, the Aaron Brooks, DeAngelo Halls, Joe Smith — there’s a number of guys that I could name that I grew up watching. But for me it was always, “How can I leave my mark being from such a talented area [Hampton] in Virginia?” Obviously early on as a kid you play sports, and I tried all the sports you could play. Whether it be rec league, whether it be high school, college, I think just going out and proving who I am, confirming to myself that I belong in these different arenas and these different places has always been something that drove me. I never really needed anyone else to push me. I’ve always just been self-motivated.
Q: You were the Ravens’ sixth-round pick in 2012 out of Virginia Tech. Did the doubters put a chip on your shoulder?
A: A hundred percent. Obviously when someone tells you that you can’t do something and that you feel that you were slighted in a sense, you definitely feel a way, and you use that as motivation. But I also just think having the opportunity to lace up the cleats each and every day is enough motivation to go out there. I’ve played with a number of people throughout the years before I got to the professional level that were talented or just as talented, but there’s always something that separates. And I think each person has their own story of what separated them, and for me it was the drive and the dedication that I put into my daily process, from a mental aspect as well as from a physical aspect. You never know when that opportunity will come. I had a chaplain tell me — he’s actually the chaplain for the Baltimore Ravens, Johnny Shelton, good friend of mine — but I remember him telling me, “Opportunities will come. When they come, will you notice it? And if you notice it, will you be prepared?” And that really stuck with me because people don’t understand that opportunities come in different ways, and some will get more opportunities than others, but it’s really what you do with those opportunities when they come. I’ve always looked at it like, whatever the opportunity is, if I make the most of it and take advantage of it and show what I could do in that space, God will continue to keep blessing me with other opportunities that continue to keep coming. That’s just how I view life. And that’s just how I go about my business.
Q: From your Instagram: “Adversity will teach you lessons that mountaintops never will.”
A: In the midst of adversity, your true character shows as to who you are as a person. … I’ve had a fair share of adversity, but I don’t look at anything as if I wish I could do it again. I take it all in stride. I don’t regret anything, I truly believe that everything has happened for a reason. It’s made me the person that I am today, the player that I am today, and I appreciate that. Adversity will teach you a lot about yourself. Obviously it’ll teach you a lot about people around you, but it’ll also teach you how far you’ll go to continue to keep pursuing something that you dreamt of and that you’re dedicated to.
Q: “All weapons formed against me gotta jam.”
A: (Laugh) That’s a rap lyric. … I believe in God, and I believe that anything I go through in life, He’s there with me, so regardless of what happens, I’ll always be good.
Q: “Don’t ask if your dreams are crazy … ask if they’re crazy enough.”
A: Yeah … I think you should always dream big. I had a high school teacher tell me to write my dreams on my mirror, something that I could look at day in and day out. I truly believe that everything that we want in life is at our fingertips. No dream is too big. When you’re dedicated to a higher cause anything is achievable.
Q: Describe your fashion style.
A: I would say confident … bold … comfortable.
Q: Do you consider yourself the best dressed man in the NFL?
A: Nah, I don’t dress, per se, for other people. At the end of the day, I dress for myself. I’ve always been, I would say, into style or into fashion. … I also just think I’m a product of where I come from. There’s a lot of creative people, a lot of talent from sports, entertainment, the fashion space, and I think people from Virginia have a good sense of fashion and culture as a whole. And I think growing up and seeing the likes of Allen Iverson, Missy Elliot — when you go back in time there’s always the people who have had their own lane, who left an impression, and for me, I grew up obviously watching a lot of those before me, and I was always inspired. I kind of put a twist on it in my own way. I’m not very outspoken, but I believe there’s other ways to command a room and to show you’re confident, and I think that starts with your appearance. And that could come in different ways. How you walk into a room and command a room, whether it’s from a visual sense or from even down to the way you talk. I think all that plays a part in it. But I think at the end of the day fashion also pulls down with not being afraid to take chances … and truly just being yourself. I’m not portraying to be someone that I’m not, I truly am myself day in and day out.
Q: Three dinner guests.
A: Jay-Z, Barack Obama, Martin Luther King [Jr.].
Q: You were the quarterback when the 2017 Bills ended their 17-year playoff drought.
A: I’ll never forget being on a plane coming back from Miami, landing in Buffalo, New Year’s, the ball had dropped while we were on the plane coming back. It snowed everywhere, but the airport is packed full of people. It was definitely truly a special moment. I’d been around guys like Kyle Williams, who had been in Buffalo their whole career and never even came close to anything like that … embracing him in the Miami locker room. Obviously the job wasn’t finished, but that was definitely an accomplishment. To break a drought, 17 years, that’s something to be proud of.
Q: On the opposite end of the spectrum, your experience in 2020 with the Chargers, when you lost his starting job in Week 2 to Justin Herbert after a pregame injection by the team doctor accidentally punctured a lung.
A: On the way to the hospital not even understanding if I would play again. It’s very unfortunate that it happened, but I also learned a lot for myself that year. I wasn’t able to be around my parents, obviously, with COIVD. That was trying times, but I was able to battle back and get back healthy to be able to put the pads on and get back on the field and compete.
Q: You thought your career might be over?
A: At the time I didn’t know what was next. People don’t puncture lungs on a regular where I’m from.
Q: How frightening was that ambulance ride to the hospital?
A: It was scary. Like I said, obviously that was COVID year, no one in the stands, my parents in Virginia, kind of on the phone with doctors, I don’t really know what’s going on, tough to breathe, half the body is numb … (chuckle) it was scary. But God showed Himself, as he always does in trying times, and was able to calm me down. I was able to put a lot of things into perspective and gave me just a different outlook on life, and sports in general.
Q: What are you most proud of about your career?
A: There’s plenty of things to be proud of, but I’ll never forget getting a call 14 years ago and getting drafted. I mean, obviously I watched people go in front of me that I didn’t think should have been drafted ahead of me, but God always has the perfect timing. And me being able to get drafted to such a classy organization in Baltimore, being able to learn from a ton of veterans there, there’s a lot to be proud of. I look at that year, I look at the year [2012] we won the Super Bowl, to be able to be around such greatness within that locker room, to be able to … go to Buffalo in 2015, compete for a starting job with two other quarterbacks in E.J. Manuel and Matt Cassel, and getting the nod to start, to two years later changing that organization to who you see as the organization now. … But at the end of the day, I don’t think any of it starts without that call from [then Ravens GM] Ozzie Newsome in 2011.
Q: What would be the title of a movie on your life?
A: Good question, put me on the spot. … I would say “The Dedicated One.”
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