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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”