Jaxson De Ville
Well-known member
- Mar 19, 2019
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Former Jaguars running back Fred Taylor is willing to admit, if he was playing now, he’d be ready to go to training camp.
But now that he’s in his mid 40s, he knows things are more complicated.
Taylor told Gene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union that a “young Freddie would want to play, no matter what,” but that might not be the case now.
“I don’t know, I think for me it would be a no with a condensed training camp,” Taylor said. “Now you’re saying we’re going to minimize contact just to get to Sunday.
“It’s one big cluster-f—. I don’t see where it makes a lot of sense. I’m glad I don’t have to make that decision.”
Taylor’s self-awareness about his own feelings is interesting, because there will doubtless be plenty of young players who have no qualms whatsoever about returning to work.
“If I were 24 or 25 and single, no kids living at home, then I’d definitely want to play,” Taylor said. “Considering my background, I don’t even know how serious I would have taken the whole pandemic and the virus at that age. A lot of times, as athletes, we have a sense of invulnerability. We don’t always think things can happen to us.
“Looking at guys with families, they have to take that into consideration. Just look at this nonsense talk about schools opening up with the virus going through the roof in Florida. I don’t get it.”
Like many people, Taylor scratched his head about last week’s decision to ban jersey swaps after games, but as the league and the players union try to come up with protocols for reopening safely, they’re checking off a long list of items. Including many that a young Freddie might not have considered important.