Tory Taylor
![]() Taylor with the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2023 | |
No. 19 – Chicago Bears | |
---|---|
Position: | Punter |
Personal information | |
Born: | Melbourne, Australia | 10 July 1997
Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
Weight: | 223 lb (101 kg) |
Career information | |
High school: | Haileybury (Melbourne) |
College: | Iowa (2020–2023) |
NFL draft: | 2024 / Round: 4 / Pick: 122 |
CFL Draft: | 2024G / Round: 2 / Pick: 15 |
Career history | |
| |
Roster status: | Active |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Player stats at PFR |
Tory Taylor (born July 10, 1997) is an Australian professional American football punter for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, winning the 2023 Ray Guy Award and being named a unanimous All-American prior to being selected by the Bears in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft.
Early life and high school
[edit]Taylor was born in Melbourne, Australia and attended high school at Haileybury. Taylor decided to commit to play college football at the University of Iowa.[1][2]
College career
[edit]In Taylor's first season in 2020, he punted 40 times for 1,765 yards, with 18 punts being down within their opponents' 20 yard line.[3] For his performance on the year, Taylor was named the Big Ten Punter of the Year, along with being named first team All-Big Ten.[4][5] In the 2021 season, Taylor would punt 80 times for 3,688 yards, along with 38 punts being downed within their opponents' 20 yard line.[6] In week one of the 2022 season, Taylor punted ten times for 479 yards with seven punts downed inside the 20, as he helped the Hawkeyes beat South Dakota State. For his performance on the game, Taylor was named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week.[7] In the following week, Taylor would punt six times for 304 yards with two punts being downed within the 20 yard line, but Iowa would lose versus rival Iowa State.[8] Taylor would finish the 2022 season with 82 punts for 3,725 yards, along with 38 punts inside the 20 yard line.[9] For his performance on the season, Taylor was named first team All-Big Ten by the media, and third team All-Big Ten by the coaches.[10] Taylor was also named first team All-American.[11][12]
Instead of declaring for the 2023 NFL draft, Taylor would decide to return for the 2023 season.[13] In week six of the 2023 season, Taylor would punt six times for 284 yards, with two of his punts landing within their opponents' 20 yard line, as he helped the Hawkeyes win their homecoming game beating Purdue 20-14. For his performance, Taylor would be named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week.[14] In the following week, Taylor would punt nine times for 446 yards, while six of his punts would be downed within the 20 yard line, as he helped Iowa beat Wisconsin.[15] For his performance, Taylor would be named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week, in back to back weeks.[16][17] On January 1, 2024, Taylor broke the NCAA record for most punting yards in a season, with 4,479 yards. The feat bested the previous of record of 4,138, set 85 years prior by John Fingel.[18]
Statistics
[edit]Season | Punting | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | Punts | Avg | Lng | Yds | TB | TB% | In20 | In20% | Net | |
2020 | 8 | 40 | 44.1 | 61 | 1,765 | 1 | 2.50 | 18 | 29.51 | 42.8 |
2021 | 14 | 80 | 46.1 | 69 | 3,688 | 13 | 16.25 | 39 | 48.75 | 42.1 |
2022 | 13 | 82 | 45.4 | 70 | 3,725 | 11 | 13.41 | 38 | 46.34 | 41.6 |
2023 | 14 | 93 | 48.2 | 67 | 4,479 | 7 | 7.52 | 32 | 34.41 | 43.8 |
Career[19] | 49 | 295 | 46.3 | 70 | 13,657 | 32 | 10.76 | 127 | 43.40 | 42.6 |
Professional career
[edit]Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 ft 3+7⁄8 in (1.93 m) | 223 lb (101 kg) | 32+1⁄8 in (0.82 m) | 9 in (0.23 m) | |||||||||
All values from NFL Combine[20][21] |
Taylor was selected by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round (122nd overall) of the 2024 NFL draft, making him the highest punter selected since 2019.[22] He was also selected by the BC Lions 15th overall in the 2024 CFL global draft.[23] Taylor signed his four-year rookie contract with the Bears on May 11, 2024.[24]
Notes and references
[edit]- ^ minimum 250 punts
- ^ Peterson, Chloe (September 14, 2022). "'The people that I play for': Punter Tory Taylor's family visits U.S. to watch Iowa football". The Daily Iowan. Archived from the original on September 24, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
- ^ Hlas, Mike (October 19, 2023). "It may seem hard to believe, but Tory Taylor has become best Hawkeye punter ever". The Gazette. Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
- ^ "Tory Taylor 2020 Game Logs". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
- ^ Hanson, Austin (December 17, 2020). "Freshman Tory Taylor named Big Ten Punter of the Year". The Daily Iowan. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
- ^ "Tory Taylor Nabs B1G Honor". Sports Illustrated. September 13, 2021. Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
- ^ "Tory Taylor 2021 Game Logs". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
- ^ "Tory Taylor B1G Special Team Player of Week". Sports Illustrated. September 5, 2022. Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
- ^ Bohnenkamp, John (September 8, 2023). "Tory Taylor Looking Forward to Iowa State". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
- ^ "Tory Taylor 2022 Game Logs". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
- ^ Helmer, Josh (November 29, 2022). "Iowa Hawkeyes' Tory Taylor, Drew Stevens honored as members of All-Big Ten teams". Hawkeyes Wire. USA Today. Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
- ^ "Jack Campbell, Tory Taylor FWAA 1st-Team All-Americans". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
- ^ Bohnenkamp, John (July 19, 2023). "Tory Taylor Fine-Tuning His Game". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on November 28, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
- ^ Peterson, Chloe (December 31, 2022). "Iowa football punter Tory Taylor announces return for fourth season". The Daily Iowan. Archived from the original on November 28, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
- ^ "Tory Taylor B1G ST Player of Week". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on October 14, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
- ^ "Punter Tory Taylor was MVP of game for Iowa in win over Wisconsin". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on December 28, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
- ^ "Tory Taylor named Big Ten Co-Special Teams Player of the Week". CBS2. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
- ^ Jaster, Ryan M. (October 16, 2023). "Hawkeyes' Tory Taylor earns back-to-back Big Ten special teams honors". WHO13.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
- ^ Hornstein, Blake (January 2, 2024). "Hawkeyes' Tory Taylor breaks NCAA single-season punting record". who13.com. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ "Tory Taylor - Iowa Hawkeyes". ESPN. Archived from the original on December 3, 2023. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
- ^ "Tory Taylor Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ "2024 NFL Draft Scout Tory Taylor College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ Adame, Anthony (April 27, 2024). "Highest Drafted Punters in NFL History After Bears Spend 4th-Rounder On Tory Taylor". GiveMeSport. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ Baker, Matt (April 30, 2024). "Lions Grab K/P Carl Meyer & P Tory Taylor In Global Draft" (Press release). BC Lions.
- ^ Taylor, Ryan (May 11, 2024). "Bears sign rookie punter Tory Taylor to a four-year contract". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved May 12, 2024.