Is Freddy T. finally on his way to Canton?
Esteemed former Florida Gators and Jacksonville Jaguars running back, Fred Taylor , the NFL's No. 17 all-time leader in rushing yards, was named a 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist on Wednesday evening.
He joins a star-studded list of NFL greats vying to stamp their ticket of enshrinement, a group that will be revealed three days before Super Bowl LVIII.
Before his successful NFL career, Taylor served fruitfully at UF from 1994-97. He proved his worth as an uber-talented bell-cow back with the ability to support the team’s dynamic, multifaceted offense deployed by head coach Steve Spurrier.
As a junior, Taylor helped guide the Gators to the 1996 National Championship contest in the Nokia Sugar Bowl, rushing for 629 yards and five scores as a complement to quarterback Danny Wuerffel’s Heisman Trophy-winning season before a memorable triumph over Florida’s in-state rival Florida State.
Before then, Taylor had already rushed for over 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns as a Gator.
Taylor returned to Gainesville for his senior year in 1997, producing at a career-high level with 1,292 yards — including eight 100-yard rushing performances — and 13 touchdowns on 214 carries to pair with 24 receptions for 238 yards in 11 outings to earn first-team All-America honors from the Walter Camp Football Foundation and an All-SEC bid.
He finished his career at Florida with 3,075 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns, which ranks No. 5 in school history in both categories.
Taylor's impressive final college season earned him vast recognition prior to the 1998 NFL Draft, where he was selected in the first round by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Bursting onto the scene for the newly emerging NFL franchise, Taylor took over as the team’s leading ball carrier in the position’s Golden Age.
He flashed his rare mixture of speed and power en route to 11,695 rushing yards and 66 touchdowns during his 13-year career. He posted seven 1,000-yard seasons during that span.
The Jaguars standout's 4.6-yards-per-carry average ranks behind only Barry Sanders and Jim Brown among players with more career rushing yards.
His immensely successful 11 seasons in Jacksonville came to a close after the 2008 campaign, as former UCLA running back Maurice Jones-Drew officially received the unrivaled reins of the Jags backfield in his fourth season with the team.
Taylor spent two more seasons in the league with the New England Patriots before announcing his retirement with Jax in 2011.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024 will be announced on Feb. 8 during the NFL Honors awards show in Las Vegas. Coverage of the event begins at 9 p.m. ET on the CBS Television Network and NFL Network.
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