Taylor on not punting in HOF game, relationship with Kiran Amegadjie |
LAKE FOREST, I.L. - Rookie punter Tory Taylor made his NFL preseason debut in Chicago’s 21-17 win against the Houston Texans in the Hall of Fame game. However, he did not make his debut punting.
Instead, he was holding the ball during the kickoff for kicker Cairo Santos and had to immediately exit the field. “That was really just a test for the NFL,” Taylor said. “So, hopefully, there’s not too many windy games where I’m needed out there.” Unfortunately for Taylor, he is playing football for the Windy City, and Soldier Field is an outdoor stadium, so he may have to hold the ball a lot during the kickoff this football season as part of the NFL’s experimentation with the new kickoff rule. Taylor would have preferred to have been punting in the Hall of Fame game. However, he understands it was the coaches’ decision to keep him out of the game. Chicago's matchup with Houston in week two of the regular season could have influenced that decision. “It’s one of those things. I love punting. I do it everyday. But, that’s not the smartest thing for myself,” Taylor said. “So, at the end of the day, that was the coach’s call, and I’m happy to go with whatever they say and (no) matter what games I’m playing and I’ll be ready to go. So, I’m excited to kind of get out there and get after it.” During his time in college, Taylor was put in a unique position for a punter. Typically as a punter, your team is winning the less you are on the field. However, during his time with Iowa, the Hawkeyes’ success depended on Taylor being on the field frequently and flipping the field dramatically because their offense struggled so much. During his final three seasons in college, he led the Big 10 in number of punts and also led the NCAA last season with 93. Being part of such a unique team in college helped develop the winning mentality that he is carrying over into the NFL. “It was really one of those things that special teams (and) defense really played a pivotal role in winning games for us at Iowa. So, it was really one of those things that … there’s really only the center, the long snapper, me that have control of the ball,” Taylor said. “So, I was like, ‘If I’m going to be one of the very few players with the ball in my hand, I’m really just going to go out there and try and dominate the game the way I want to.’” As a rookie entering the NFL, he has developed a bond with one of his fellow rookies, offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie. Amegadjie did not come from a Power-Five football program, as he spent all three years of college playing for Yale. While they come from vastly different backgrounds, Taylor is from Australia and has not played much American football, whereas Amegadjie has played football longer, including during his time at Hinsdale Central. Amegadjie has made an impact on Taylor as one of the nicest players he has met. “Kiran’s a great dude. We obviously came in together. Kiran’s just one of those guys you’ll see in the hallway and (he) always goes out of his way to say hello,” Taylor said. “So, Kiran’s one of the nicest guys I’ve really come across in my football career in the last four or five years. So, I think we’re all really lucky to have someone like him, and he’s a hell of a player as well, which certainly helps.” Amegadjie did not play in Chicago’s preseason opener against the Texans. However, he could play in their next preseason game against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, Aug. 10 (Noon / NFL Network). Taylor may also make his punting debut in that game since the Bears will not be playing the Bills in the regular season.
