Auburn players, fans lining up to join Trooper Taylor's army
ESPN picked the perfect person to mike and film for its “Wired” segment Saturday night from Lake Jordan-Hare.
Trooper Taylor is always wired, even when there’s no microphone or camera in sight.
We should all be that excited about our work.
And as good at it.
During the fourth quarter of Auburn’s electric comeback against West Virginia, with Taylor waving his ever-present towel to exhort the defense and the crowd, ESPN decided it would be a good time to show clips of Trooper on the march before the game.
What did you see Taylor do?
Wave his towel to pump up the student section. Lock arms with rehabbing safety Mike McNeil.
Hug deep snapper Josh Harris. Chatter at recruits. Do one of those flying body bumps with punt returner Anthony Gulley and wideout Quindarius Carr.
What did you hear Taylor say?
To Gulley and Carr: “Let’s go, baby. Let’s go.”
To the recruits: “I’m sitting on ‘G,’ waiting on ‘O.’ You know I’m ready to go.”
To Harris: “This is my new dog, right here. Let’s go get ’em, baby boy.”
To McNeil: “Gimme one, (garble). I’m witcha, baby. I’m witcha.”
It’s hard to tell exactly what Taylor called McNeil. If you heard the “n” word — even the friendly, unthreatening, ends in “a” version of it — Taylor told someone Monday, you heard wrong.
The ESPN game producer, Kim Belton, backed up Taylor. Belton, who happens to be black, told ABC 33/40 in Birmingham that Taylor called McNeil “Neil” for short. Most importantly, the Auburn players hear Taylor loud and clear.
“It’s real fun to have somebody who will celebrate with you,” wideout Darvin Adams said. “At the same time, if you do something wrong, you’ll know it, also. It’s big to have somebody who’s going to be straight up with you.”
No wonder players tend to love him. And play for him.
Has there been a more underwhelming group of position players in the SEC in recent years than Auburn’s wide receivers? Has any group in the league made more progress this season?
The sophomore Adams has more touchdown catches this season than he had total receptions entering this season. His three scoring grabs against West Virginia were the most by an Auburn receiver in 20 years.
Junior Terrell Zachery caught more balls for more yards in the opener than he had in his first two years at Auburn. His 93-yard catch-and-sprint against Louisiana Tech became the longest play from scrimmage in school history.
It seems only a matter of time before highly touted freshmen DeAngelo Benton and Emory Blake join in on the fun.
Speaking of fun, that’s what Auburn football has become again. Taylor has been a big part of the attitude adjustment. Unlike certain long-time members of the previous staff, no one could accuse him of putting in time until he’s vested in the state retirement system.
You can see his smile through a monsoon.
If his baseball cap always points south as he moves north, don’t young men tend to wear their caps backward? Isn’t he trying to relate to young men as he recruits them and tutors them?
ESPN analyst and former Notre Dame coach Bob Davie understands. After they aired the Wired segment with Taylor, Davie said, “You don’t think those recruits don’t love that? Those are recruits standing over there on that sideline listening to that.”
You think Taylor’s nothing more than a cheerleader? You think a grown man has no business bouncing around that way and calling himself Trooper?
Maybe the problem’s not in his behavior. It’s in your mirror
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