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Wealthy Cimini
Professional Soccer Corridor of Famer Jason Taylor, tissue in hand, dabbed tears from his eyes Friday night time. He was overcome with emotion minutes after his son, former LSU tight finish Mason Taylor, was drafted within the second spherical by the New York Jets, the group he performed for in 2010.
“The solar has set on my profession and I am executed, so it is superior to have the ability to sit again and watch him,” Taylor stated on a Zoom name with New York reporters. “To observe him stroll by way of the identical facility and use the locker room and take that very same path that I took — you are making an attempt to make me cry. I am not going to do it.”
He did anyway. He paused a couple of seconds, choked up. Then one thing wonderful occurred.
Lightening the temper, Taylor stated, “I’ve to say it: J-E-T-S! Jets, Jets, Jets!”
To understand that, one should perceive the sophisticated relationship between Taylor and the Jets. As a longtime Miami Dolphins legend, he was reviled by Jets followers. Few, if any, opponents enraged Jets followers greater than Taylor.
After which he signed with the Jets in 2010, a season that ended with a loss within the AFC championship sport, their final playoff look. He loved his season in New York, the place the followers got here to understand him.
And now the hate-turned-love relationship between the Taylor household and the Jets is all love once more.
“My household’s actually supporting, my dad’s an enormous supporter, so, I imply, I hate to say it, however I believe he’ll love the Jets,” Mason, smiling, stated on a Zoom name.
Mason was chosen with the forty second choose, giving the Jets one other potential starter on offense. Within the first spherical, they selected sort out Armand Membou with the No. 7 choose.
Jets coach Aaron Glenn stated he is assured that Mason has the suitable “bloodlines,” as he put it.
“I simply belief that Jason, in his DNA, put what he gathered into his son, and it exhibits up on tape,” Glenn stated.
Mason, LSU’s all-time chief in receptions (129) and receiving yards (1,308) by a good finish, stated he was shocked the Jets chosen him, contemplating there wasn’t a lot contact with the group all through the predraft course of. Jason Taylor admitted there was fleeting hope that the Dolphins would choose his son with the thirty seventh choose after buying and selling up.
Mason was 6 when his dad performed for the Jets. They lived in Manhattan, and Mason has vivid reminiscences of their time within the huge metropolis.
“It was simply me, my brother and my sister, operating round with my mother in Central Park, tackling one another,” he stated. “We went to the park perhaps each single day to maintain us entertained as children. However operating round there and operating round New York, it was enjoyable. It was a blast. It is undoubtedly loopy and eye-opening, understanding that I will be there now older. It is simply an incredible expertise and I am so excited for this.”
Jason stated his sons, Mason and Isaiah, pulled up photographs on their telephones of them carrying inexperienced hair and No. 99 jerseys (their dad’s quantity) at MetLife Stadium after they had been children.
“I’ve obtained quite a lot of actually, actually fond reminiscences,” Jason stated. “Pay attention, my best group success was in New York. … Part of my coronary heart has at all times been in New York, the best metropolis on the planet. I adore it and I am glad he has an opportunity to go play there now. It will be wonderful.”
Reminded that the Jets have not been to the playoffs since he left, Jason was greatly surprised.
“I did not know that. Is that proper?” he stated. “Let’s change that.”
There might be quite a lot of emotion throughout Jets-Dolphins video games. In spite of everything, Mason’s uncle is Zach Thomas, a former Dolphins legend and a Professional Soccer Corridor of Famer. Thomas attended Mason’s draft social gathering Friday night time in South Florida. He, too, was emotional, based on Jason.
“I am positive he is inside crying someplace,” Jason stated. “Clearly, we’re all so proud.”
