Former Pittsburgh Steelers' cornerback Ike Taylor played an integral role on a pair of teams that brought the franchise Lombardi Trophies, but he almost wasn't a Steeler. Taylor recently said another team called on draft day in 2003 and told him they would draft him before Pittsburgh swooped in. While he never got Pro Bowl or All-Pro love, Taylor blossomed into a dependable cornerback under the guidance of Defensive Coordinator Dick LeBeau.
Taylor managed to break away from his job as a scout for the Steelers to join Mark Bergin on a recent episode of the Bleav in Steelers podcast to preview the team's 2024 draft process. Before getting into the nitty-gritty of the upcoming 2024 selection days, Bergin asked Taylor about his road to the NFL.
"Washington was the first team that called," Taylor said. "They said 'we're about to draft you.'"
Washington only had three picks in the 2003 NFL Draft. The team selected wide receiver Taylor Jacobs in the second round, guard Derrick Dockery in the third round, and quarterback Gibran Hamdan in the seventh round. Taylor didn't divulge what round the team had told him they would draft him, but he would've been on the board when the team had a pick in the third round. It's certainly possible that Washington was trying to make a trade to get a pick in the fourth round to take Taylor, but Pittsburgh had other plans.
"The next phone call came from the 412 and Coach Cowher and Kevin Colbert asked 'How would you feel about being a Steeler?'" he said. "I said [well] there goes Washington."
Pittsburgh took Taylor with the 125th overall pick in the fourth round. He played in 29 of 32 games in his first two seasons in the league, but only made two starts. In 2005, he became a full-time starter for the first time, starting in 15 of 16 games, as the team rallied to pick up the fifth Super Bowl trophy in franchise history. Taylor started all four playoff games and had two interceptions, and five passes defended in the postseason.
Taylor held onto his starting cornerback job from 2005 until his final season in the city, when he moved to free safety for five games. In 174 career games, he collected 14 interceptions and 134 passes defended. His 518 solo tackles made during that span are good for ninth all-time in team history.
Steelers' Taylor Didn't Stress Too Much About The Night Before Draft Night
Coming out of the University of Lousiana Lafayette, Taylor wasn't sure when to expect his name to be called. After playing running back for his first season, he asked to be moved to cornerback. Despite an elite athletic profile and an impressive season as a defensive back, Taylor wondered if his tape in one year at the position would be enough to be drafted.
Instead of stressing about his potential new home somewhere in professional football, Taylor was playing video games.
"I was playing Madden," Taylor told Bergin when asked about his night before the draft. "I thought I was going to be a free agent, to be honest with you."
It took some time for him to completely develop, but once he arrived he was a cornerback that Pittsburgh's coaching staff could trust to take away other teams' top receiving targets. Taylor is incredibly grateful for how things turned out. He said he became like a member of the Rooney family and was even the only non-family member to be a pallbearer at Dan Rooney's funeral.
His special relationship with the team's longtime leader even led to a nice payday when he was having a tough time getting a raise.Pittsburgh is still reaping the benefits of taking a chance on Taylor in the fourth round. He joined the organization as an area scout in 2023.
Have you heard that Washington was interested in Taylor before?
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