Football
Calvin Taylor Jr. - Football - University of Kentucky Athletics 91

CalvinTaylor Jr.

  • position Defensive End
  • height 6-9
  • Weight 300
  • class Junior
  • Hometown Augusta, Ga.
  • High school Augusta Christian
Career
  • 2019 All-SEC defensive tackle
  • Played in 40 career games with 22 consecutive starts
  • Totaled 85 tackles, 16.5 TFL, 10.5 sacks, five pass breakups, three quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in his career
  • His 8.5 sacks in 2019, rank seventh in single-season school history
  • Part of a senior class who won 32 games over the last four seasons, the most wins for UK in a four-year span since 1949-52, when Paul “Bear” Bryant coached the Cats
  • Helped UK advance to four consecutive bowl appearances and back-to-back bowl wins for the first time since the 2007 Music City Bowl and 2009 Liberty Bowl
  • Graduated in May of 2019 with a degree in agricultural economics
2019 – Senior
  • All-SEC Third Team (Phil Steele and Athlon)
  • Starting defensive tackle in all 13 games
  • Had an impressive senior season with 36 tackles, 9.5 TFL (tied for second on the team), a team-high 8.5 sacks, four PBUs, a team-high three forced fumbles and two quarterback hurries
  • Ranked 10th nationally and tied for first in the SEC in forced fumbles with three
  • Tied for second in the SEC in sacks (8.5) and 19th in TFL (9.5)
  • His 8.5 sacks in 2019, rank seventh in single-season school history
  • Totaled three tackles, including a career-high two quarterback sacks, in the win over Missouri … In the second quarter, his third-down sack also caused a fumble; although Missouri recovered the fumble, it forced a punt and UK drove for a touchdown … Later in the second quarter, his five-yard sack preceded a Missouri turnover that the Wildcats converted to another touchdown
  • Came up big on the final possession of the Arkansas game … Had a QB sack on third down, then tipped Arkansas’ fourth-down pass on the Razorbacks’ final offensive play … Ended the game with a career-high two PBU
  • Had a career-high seven tackles, including a quarterback sack and a forced fumble vs. South Carolina
2018 – Junior
  • Saw action all 13 games, starting the last nine games at defensive end
  • Had a season-high four tackles vs. Penn State, Middle Tennessee and Georgia
  • Had two tackles and PBU in the win over South Carolina
  • Had two tackles and a sack in the win over No. 14 Mississippi State
2017 – Sophomore
  • Played in 11 games, earning his first career start vs. Northwestern in the Music City Bowl
  • Totaled 22 tackles, 1.0 TFL and 1 QBH
  • Recorded three tackles and a sack vs. Northwestern
  • Charted a career-high six tackles at Mississippi State
  • Had a QB hurry in the win over Missouri
  • Recorded a career-high four tackles in the win over Southern Miss
2016 – r-Freshman
  • Saw action in four games
2015 – Freshman
  • Redshirt season
High School
  • Three-year starter at Augusta (Ga.) Christian HS
  • Played defensive end and left tackle on offense
  • Named to the All-Central Savannah River Area team as a senior 
  • Senior year defensive stats featured 46 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two quarterback sacks and one fumble recovery
  • Helped his team to a state championship his sophomore season
  • Coached by Keith Walton
  • Four-year letterman in basketball
  • Team won state championship his junior year
  • All-state and all-region in basketball
  • Member of the Spanish Club and Quiz Bowl team
Personal
  • Born in Orangeburg, S.C.
  • Son of Deborah Nickens and Calvin Taylor Sr.
Calvin Says
  • His favorite homecooked meal is anything his mom cooks
  • Other than playing in the NFL, his dream job is to own a sports complex
  • His favorite thing about football is how it gives you a chance to step outside your comfort zone
  • The best advice he’s ever received is “surround yourself with positive people”
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