VALDOSTA – Wild Adventures welcomed legendary Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor on Saturday to kick off a push for National Football League Hall of Fame consideration and to provide sage advice for Valdosta’s young championship players.
The event, where Taylor was flanked by Jaguars mascot Jaxson de Ville and cheerleaders from THE ROAR, was sparked by an unlikely source: a tweet.
I earned respect on the field. Numbers better than majority of RBs in history. Still don’t understand why the writers don’t respect it
— Fred Taylor (@FredTaylorMade) July 11, 2017
“Originally, we had this lined up for an appearance to come here for back to school, a football bash appearance,” Taylor said. “But then (Wild Adventures General Manager Molly Dees) decided, after seeing my Twitter account and the Hall of Fame tweet, to do a special weekend were they would charge guests 28 dollars in honor of my jersey number for a Hall of Fame rally and push.”
Fans took advantage of the discounted admission and lined up to meet the All-Pro running back who played 13 seasons in the NFL and was an All-American and three-time SEC Champion as a University of Florida Gator.
“It’s just a privilege to be here overall simply because the turnout, the response, the fact that people love football,” Taylor said. “People love adventure, and they are out here from everywhere, and it’s a win-win.”
Before Taylor’s autograph session with fans, he met with football players from the reigning state champion Valdosta High School Wildcats.
Taylor spoke frankly with the student athletes about the important roles attitude and education play in achieving success.
“Football is a job, but you’ve got to get an education first,” Taylor said. “It’s all about the academics, and they aren’t going to let you in that door without a proper education. If I can give you any advice now, make sure you focus and get the grades.”
The private question and answer session also provided the young players an opportunity to learn how to improve on the field.
“Running back is a position where you react. You react with cuts that are very instinctive, and if you are going to take a lot of time being hesitant and cut, second guessing yourself, then you might as well tell the guy, ‘I’m going to lay down here, and y’all can pile on for a tackle,'” Taylor said.
The Hall of Fame rally continues Sunday with $28 admission and performances from local high school marching bands.
For Taylor, he hopes the event is the beginning of a trip to Canton, Ohio, home of the NFL Hall of Fame.
“Did I send that tweet to force anyone’s hand to make it happen next week or next year, or even five years? No. I just want to be in the conversation,” Taylor said. “As long as I’m in the conversation, then there’s a shot.”
