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Chat Reel: Fred Taylor
Jags running back picks Titans to win a close one
Posted: Friday January 28, 2000 05:00 PM
Jaguars running back Fred Taylor joined CNNSI.com users for a special pre-Super Bowl chat on Friday, Jan. 28. A transcript of the chat follows.
CNNSI.com host: Hello everyone. Welcome to today's chat with Jacksonville RB Fred Taylor. Hi Fred. We're glad you could join us today.
Fred Taylor: Thanks.
From Kyle: Is there any game in the pros for you that compares to the Florida-Florida St. rivalry in college?
Fred Taylor: Yeah. I compare the game versus Tennessee (this last game), the atmosphere felt the same as the Florida-Florida St. rivalry. It was a great game.
From Karsten: I hate to bring up a sore spot but could you please explain the Jaguars' second-half collapse in last Sunday's game (i.e., what was the key play or situation against the Titans?).
Fred Taylor: I think we were mentally tired. Some guys started missing assignments, and that made it hard to run the ball. When you get down by 12 points, you have to resort to passing. They kept blitzing the entire second half. It was tough to generate offense.
From Jagman: When you were at UF you watched Mark Brunell lead the Jaguars to the 1996 AFC championship game and saw his talents then as comparied to now. With Mark as he is today, do you think he can take Jagaurs to the Super Bowl or ever win a big game again?
Fred Taylor: Yeah, Mark is a great QB. He continues to work hard, regardless of whether he has bad games or good games. He'll always be that kind of player. He's a good leader and he can lead us to the promised land. Maybe next year.
From K. Koby: Fred what is the RB situation in Jacksonville. Is James Stewart going to be a free agent next season?
Fred Taylor: I'm not sure. James is a great back. He deserves to get paid as if he's a great back, and that may cause him to get traded and move on to another team.
From Guest: What running backs, if any, have you molded yourself after?
Fred Taylor: I love Marshall Faulk. I love his running style. He's a smaller version of myself. I also love Eddie George. He's a great back too. I'm not saying that just because both of those guys are in the Super Bowl, but Eddie has the size and tools that a smaller back has. I also love Walter Payton. He's the greatest.
From Guest: Fred, what do you like better, making someone miss a tackle or scoring a touchdown?
Fred Taylor: I like doing both. In order to score a touchdown, sometimes for those 50 or 60 yard runs, you've got to make them miss. So I like both.
From Owen: Hey Fred, do you think you were used enough in the passing game this year?
Fred Taylor: Well, I didn't play much, so it would be hard to say. I wasn't well-conditioned when I returned from my hamstring injury, so it's hard to focus the passing game on myself. I did whatever the coach wanted. I think I'll be used more in the passing game next year. It'll create mismatches for our receivers against any defense.
From Guest: What was it about the Titans that made it so tough for you guys to take them on this year?
Fred Taylor: Well, they have a pretty solid team. They have a very patient offense that loves to move the ball down the field real slow and eat up a lot of clock. Their defense is really solid, too. I think each time we played them, they wanted it more. And they ended up winning.
From Guest: How will the cold weather this week in Atlanta affect the two teams?
Fred Taylor: I don't think it will, considering the stadium is a dome stadium. The weather won't be a factor. I think it's an advantage for St. Louis, considering they just left this kind of weather. Tennessee has been in 60- or 70-degree weather, and I think it'll be a disadvantage for those guys.
From Guest: Do you like their idea of having defensive linemen rotate in and out of the game?
Fred Taylor: I think that's a great strategy. It keeps the guys fresh and it allows each player to put forward that much effort. Then, in the fourth quarter, they're still like "full speed ahead" while the offensive linemen are slow and tired.
From Guest: When you played Tennessee, were you more concerned about Steve McNair as a passer or a runner?
Fred Taylor: Both. Steve is also a great athlete. He has two dimensions, unlike many quarterbacks. He can run the ball, which is special in the NFL. It causes the defense to go into a panic mode, I guess. We prepared for him to do both, and that he did. We prepared to tackle him around his legs and not try to hit him up high, with him being so strong.
From K. Koby: Fred, St. Louis and Tennesse were the biggest suprises that I can remember. Do you think talent in the league has been spread around too much because of free agencey?
Fred Taylor: No, times have to change. The same teams can't make it every year. I think the way free agency has come, it's a good thing. Now you have to really go out and practice hard throughout the week and not have one team have superior advantage to the other. I think it's the end of the dynasty era. I think one team will probably only repeat -- not like Dallas or San Fran back in the day. No more threepeats, then skip a year, then do it again. I don't think we'll see that anymore.
From Guest: Although you never played against him this season, what are your impressions of Kurt Warner, and do you feel that he can be a consistent performer in the future?
Fred Taylor: I think Kurt has displayed all of his talents this year. He struggled early in his career, playing in the arena league. To come out here and to do what he's done... that's great.
From Guest: Fred, who is the toughest team you've faced to run the ball against, and why?
Fred Taylor: I would say the Baltimore Ravens. They have a pretty solid defensive line. They're great athletes and they can run. And it's all ready by Ray Lewis. I think he's the best linebacker in the NFL today.
From Guest: What improvements are you guys making next year?
Fred Taylor: It's too early to say, because the season just ended for us. The coaches still need to go back and look at tape and evaluate each player. To figure out who they want to bring in, as far as the draft is concerned. They'll check out the free-agent market to see what players are available.
From Guest: What are your off-season training techniques?
Fred Taylor: A whole lot of stretching. A lot of lifting weights. Double-time on the running. Staying in shape.
From Guest: You said you were a big Walter Payton fan. What did you think of Walter Payton?
Fred Taylor: I think Walter was the greatest back to ever play the game, and always will be. He never ran out of bounds. He only missed one game. That says enough right there. The physical endurance, playing 16 games a year. You've got to have a great big heart to ever do something like that.
From Guest: Two former teammates, Kevin Carter and Jevon Kearse are squaring off against each other. Who are you pulling for, and what do you think about the seasons they've had?
Fred Taylor: Actually, I would like both guys to have great games. If I had to decide who I was pulling for, probably Tennessee, because of the things they've done to our team this year. I really think they have destiny on their side, considering they've played so many close games, so I choose Tennessee.
From K. Koby: Fred, more and more great players, especially running backs, are being picked in the later rounds. Do you think it says a lot about how much talent is actually out there in the college game?
Fred Taylor: The draft is all timing. Certain teams may need a running back in the first round and certain teams may not need them in the first round. It's all timing ... not necessarily a talent factor.
From Guest: Fred, I've heard great things about Tony Boselli protecting Mark Brunell, but how valuable is he to you, the running back?
Fred Taylor: Tony is the leader of the offensive line, and he supplies all the intensity. He keeps the other guys going. Besides his talents, that makes Tony special. He never gives up, he's always fighting. I love running behind him.
From K. Koby: Fred, how difficult and frustrating was it for you to deal with a hamstring injury the entire year?
Fred Taylor: It was very difficult and frustrating at the beginning, because of the expectations I had going into the season, and me wanting to show everyone that I'm one of the top backs in the NFL. It's hard to stand on the sidelines and miss that valuable time. But after I went back out and reinjured it, it was easier because my teammates were telling me to wait for the playoffs and not reaggravate it. I did all the necessary things ... getting up at six in the morning, going into treatment. It all worked out in the end.
CNNSI.com host: Two more questions...
From Guest: Do you guys think that Jevon Kearse will dominate and intimidate Fred Miller as bad as he did last game? What is your take on Kearse?
Fred Taylor: Well, I think Jevon will have a great game. Miller already had six false starts the first time they met. He's better now that he's had more experience playing defensive end. I think they'll even have a better game this time around. You can't really take him on ... you've got to buckle down and get ready for a roller coaster ride.
From Guest: Who is your pick in the Super Bowl and why?
Fred Taylor: Tennessee. I think they'll have to depend on their defense to win this one, because of the explosiveness of St. Louis' offense. Defense wins championships and I think it'll be defensive effort that wins Tennessee the crown. I think it'll be a fairly close game. Maybe a six-point margin.
CNNSI.com host: Thanks for joining us today, Fred.
Fred Taylor: O.K. Thanks.
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