bMOREHEAD, Ky. -- Football season is right around the corner for Morehead State, as the 2023 Eagle football team takes the field at Jayne Stadium on Aug. 31 vs. West Virginia State. However, one former standout Eagle just wrapped up his first season at the professional level. Vaughn Taylor Jr., who played at Morehead State under Head Coach Rob Tenyer for four seasons (2018-2021), had a fine season for the USFL's Pittsburgh Maulers this past Spring/Summer.
A native of Washington D.C., Taylor dominated opposing offenses during his time as an Eagle. He is the program's all-time leader in tackles-for-loss with 60. In 2019, he won three PFL Defensive Player of the Week awards en route to the first of three First Team All-PFL selections. In 2021, Taylor posted 10 sacks & 23 TFLs on his way to a PFL Defensive Player of the Year honor and four All-America selections while being named a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award. In addition to his work on the field, Taylor was named First Team Academic All-PFL for his work in the classroom.
"The USFL gave me a great opportunity to showcase my skills and prove that student-athletes from smaller schools are able to compete at a high level," said Taylor. "I was fortunate enough to start eight games in my first year after being out of football for a year. I credit that to my focus on preparation so that when the opportunity came, I was able to help my team."
After taking the 2022 season off, Taylor burst onto the professional football scene for a Pittsburgh Maulers team that went from worst to first in 2023, thanks in part to the USFL's second ranked defense, which allowed just 17.2 points per game. In the team's first victory of the season, Taylor notched his first professional sack and a pass defense. As the Maulers pushed towards the playoffs, Taylor dominated during the final two games of the regular season with eight total tackles, seven of them being solo, three TFLs and a sack.
Taylor finished the regular season with 14 total tackles (11 solo), five TFLs, 2.5 sacks, a pass defense and a fumble recovery. In the USFL playoffs, Taylor totaled three tackles, one being solo, a tackle-for-loss, and a pass defense, as the Maulers came up just short, falling to Birmingham in the USFL Championship Game.
Taylor and the Pittsburgh Maulers return to action in April 2024.
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