Miami DL coach Jason Taylor understands development. As someone who grew from a 165-pound wide receiver to a first-ballot Hall of Fame defensive end, he knows that the road to greatness has many steps along the way. He spoke to reporters after spring practice about his unit’s progress.
On the first practice in pads: I thought it was alright. We're working on sustaining effort and finishing practice. We're getting there. We're doing a lot of good things. It's a lot better seeing us in that second year, guys understanding what we're trying to do, how we're trying to do it, the concepts of what we're doing, and being able to think less and play faster.
Truthfully, full pads or shells doesn't mean a thing. I tell the guys all the time: when you go full pads versus shells, all you're doing is putting on tight pants and some knee pads. You should never be on your knees anyway. You should be on your feet. So, for us, it makes no difference. We're physical, whether we're in spiders, shells, or full pads. People get all excited about full pads, but when you play in the trenches and you get your fingertips dirty, it's all full pads for us.
On how Rueben Bain can get better: Everywhere. I congratulate him and then insult him. But he's naturally born with an edge. He appreciates being applauded for his successes, but he's always trying to find something. He's pushing me to hustle to the next drill and the transitions from period to period, so he can start getting more pass rush work and more hand work.
I get to spend a lot of time with a couple of different guys that aren't on special teams (including Jared Harrison-Hunte), and we detail a lot of things in those periods. Then you see them carry it over. He's not resting on anything. He's not that kind of guy, and we won't let it happen. He's a pleasure to coach.
How much better can we get? You make the Pro Bowl one year, you got to do more to get back. It's easier to get to the mountain than it is to stay on the mountain. Because everyone's chasing you. So he understands he's got to work extra hard because he's going to get protections. He's going to get slides. He's going to get attention from the other teams. He's not going to sneak up on anybody.
That goes for him or anybody that has success on any football team. You've got to work harder the following year to stay there and be able to not only stay there, but improve from where you are. That's his challenge. But there’s no pulling out the stick and trying to hit him in the butt. He's self-motivated, and it's our job to continue to press him on details and improvement. He’ll do that, and so will everybody else in that room.
On other second-year players making a jump: All of them [have made a jump] in their own ways. Malik Bryant's been doing a lot of good things. Jayden Wayne, understanding what he needs to do, what it takes to be a pro. I know it sounds crazy, but be a pro in your approach at the college level. We even got guys that are third year, like Ahmad Moten, who's trying every day to find a detailed piece of his craft that he can fix and improve on.
On Malik Bryant working with the DEs: Malik's a jack. He's a jack and he's been spending a lot of time with us pretty much since the beginning. He's doing a good job and trying to learn. The more we can focus on detailing our work and not just showing up to work, [the better].
There’s a big difference between punching the clock versus being there until the job is done and done the right way until you can't mess it up. It's a big difference. Our guys are learning that. To their credit, they're getting there. We're not there yet. We got a long way to go, but at least we're on the right path.
On the impact of transfers Elijah Alston, CJ Clark and Marley Cook: It's good. We've had some success in the Portal. Guys like EA (Alston) coming in who's been in this system before at Marshall. That takes away the learning curve and gives us a chance to work more on details and understanding second-level concepts. He's been good for us.
Obviously, CJ's seen a lot of football. Marley's seen a lot of football. Regardless of level of play, Marley's come in here (from Middle Tennessee) and done a really, really good job. Thomas Gore's done a great job. I know he was here, but he was a transfer from before. CJ's seen a ton of football in the ACC.
[It’s been important] having those experienced guys come in, being familiar with the process of learning, being familiar with the rigors of a Power Five or a high-level football practice. Even though they'll tell you when they get here, it's always just a little different. When it's sunny in the spring, in certain places, it's nice out. When it's sunny in the spring here, it’s going to get you. They're learning that.
It's good to have those veteran guys in the building that know what they're trying to do. They've figured out their why. They have a destination. And they're working every day to get there. The coaching, the mentorship, and the motivation for them is done differently than it is for someone fresh off the airplane.
On Marquise Lightfoot: [We’ve seen] everything we saw on film when we were chasing him up in Chicago. Very, very talented, twitchy, athletic, long. He's just got to learn. He's got to learn to be on his own. He's an early enrollee. He's still 17 years old. He's got to learn all the things about being a young adult, growing up, checking in, doing what you need to do, going to class, coming back for meetings, doing extra things. It's the same process we all went through. He’s got a chance to be really good.
On Akheem Mesidor: Keem's a heck of a ball player. We look forward to getting him back on the grass. Anybody that's watched him play before understands what he brings. He can be all that and then some. He's hungry. He's driven. He's determined. He's a student of the game. That’s the biggest thing. That dude's in here all the time studying the game.
He's one of those players that'll drive you nuts with questions. “Well, coach, what do we do against this formation? What do we do against that formation? What do we do if they come out in the wishbone?” I'm like, who the [heck] is running the wishbone in college? But he's one of those guys. He wants to know everything about the full picture. And that's a good thing to see.
On coaching different players: I enjoy coaching [Bain] and everybody else in that room because they all bring something different. They're all from different backgrounds, different economic backgrounds, different parents, different places. Rueben is from Miami, Ahmad is from my area up in Fort Lauderdale, Double H (Harrison-Hunte) is from New York. We got guys from California. It’s a pleasure to coach them all.
It's developing those relationships, not only through recruiting, but when they get here. There's a reason why I write on my script: “This is somebody else's son.” So I approach it accordingly. Each of these guys, I care about. I love them. But just like (his own son) Isaiah, I put my foot in their butt when I have to and get after it.
On reminding himself that he’s coaching somebody else’s son: We all have frustration. Sometimes we get frustrated, annoyed. We get hot. We have emotions. We're human. Everybody has their own style. I've seen coaches that are very quiet and chill during practice. Some guys get very fiery. Some guys yell and use words we don't teach our young ones. Some guys don't.
I always think when you start getting frustrated and you feel like you're not getting a point across, number one, you need to be introspective. Look at yourself and say, “Well, how can I teach this better?” If I keep telling him and he's not getting it, then it's not his fault. It's our fault. We need to find a different way to get that point across.
Then when all else fails and you start to get frustrated or mad and you want to lash out and blame somebody else or go off on somebody, remember, that's somebody else's son. How would you want your son treated in that situation? I'd want my son kicked in the derriere at times, but I'd also want him hugged and loved and mentored and shown why. Show some patience, but also show that discipline and mentorship, too. So that's the genesis behind it.
On having his son Isaiah Taylor on the team: It's great. Having my family here is great. He's not in my position group. He's got Coach Jackson and G back there coaching the safeties. I jumped his butt a little bit today. Not bad, but he made a mistake, and I happened to be in the area. I'm an equal opportunity coacher. I'll get on everybody if I have to.
On the first practice in pads: I thought it was alright. We're working on sustaining effort and finishing practice. We're getting there. We're doing a lot of good things. It's a lot better seeing us in that second year, guys understanding what we're trying to do, how we're trying to do it, the concepts of what we're doing, and being able to think less and play faster.
Truthfully, full pads or shells doesn't mean a thing. I tell the guys all the time: when you go full pads versus shells, all you're doing is putting on tight pants and some knee pads. You should never be on your knees anyway. You should be on your feet. So, for us, it makes no difference. We're physical, whether we're in spiders, shells, or full pads. People get all excited about full pads, but when you play in the trenches and you get your fingertips dirty, it's all full pads for us.
On how Rueben Bain can get better: Everywhere. I congratulate him and then insult him. But he's naturally born with an edge. He appreciates being applauded for his successes, but he's always trying to find something. He's pushing me to hustle to the next drill and the transitions from period to period, so he can start getting more pass rush work and more hand work.
I get to spend a lot of time with a couple of different guys that aren't on special teams (including Jared Harrison-Hunte), and we detail a lot of things in those periods. Then you see them carry it over. He's not resting on anything. He's not that kind of guy, and we won't let it happen. He's a pleasure to coach.
How much better can we get? You make the Pro Bowl one year, you got to do more to get back. It's easier to get to the mountain than it is to stay on the mountain. Because everyone's chasing you. So he understands he's got to work extra hard because he's going to get protections. He's going to get slides. He's going to get attention from the other teams. He's not going to sneak up on anybody.
That goes for him or anybody that has success on any football team. You've got to work harder the following year to stay there and be able to not only stay there, but improve from where you are. That's his challenge. But there’s no pulling out the stick and trying to hit him in the butt. He's self-motivated, and it's our job to continue to press him on details and improvement. He’ll do that, and so will everybody else in that room.
On other second-year players making a jump: All of them [have made a jump] in their own ways. Malik Bryant's been doing a lot of good things. Jayden Wayne, understanding what he needs to do, what it takes to be a pro. I know it sounds crazy, but be a pro in your approach at the college level. We even got guys that are third year, like Ahmad Moten, who's trying every day to find a detailed piece of his craft that he can fix and improve on.
On Malik Bryant working with the DEs: Malik's a jack. He's a jack and he's been spending a lot of time with us pretty much since the beginning. He's doing a good job and trying to learn. The more we can focus on detailing our work and not just showing up to work, [the better].
There’s a big difference between punching the clock versus being there until the job is done and done the right way until you can't mess it up. It's a big difference. Our guys are learning that. To their credit, they're getting there. We're not there yet. We got a long way to go, but at least we're on the right path.
On the impact of transfers Elijah Alston, CJ Clark and Marley Cook: It's good. We've had some success in the Portal. Guys like EA (Alston) coming in who's been in this system before at Marshall. That takes away the learning curve and gives us a chance to work more on details and understanding second-level concepts. He's been good for us.
Obviously, CJ's seen a lot of football. Marley's seen a lot of football. Regardless of level of play, Marley's come in here (from Middle Tennessee) and done a really, really good job. Thomas Gore's done a great job. I know he was here, but he was a transfer from before. CJ's seen a ton of football in the ACC.
[It’s been important] having those experienced guys come in, being familiar with the process of learning, being familiar with the rigors of a Power Five or a high-level football practice. Even though they'll tell you when they get here, it's always just a little different. When it's sunny in the spring, in certain places, it's nice out. When it's sunny in the spring here, it’s going to get you. They're learning that.
It's good to have those veteran guys in the building that know what they're trying to do. They've figured out their why. They have a destination. And they're working every day to get there. The coaching, the mentorship, and the motivation for them is done differently than it is for someone fresh off the airplane.
On Marquise Lightfoot: [We’ve seen] everything we saw on film when we were chasing him up in Chicago. Very, very talented, twitchy, athletic, long. He's just got to learn. He's got to learn to be on his own. He's an early enrollee. He's still 17 years old. He's got to learn all the things about being a young adult, growing up, checking in, doing what you need to do, going to class, coming back for meetings, doing extra things. It's the same process we all went through. He’s got a chance to be really good.
On Akheem Mesidor: Keem's a heck of a ball player. We look forward to getting him back on the grass. Anybody that's watched him play before understands what he brings. He can be all that and then some. He's hungry. He's driven. He's determined. He's a student of the game. That’s the biggest thing. That dude's in here all the time studying the game.
He's one of those players that'll drive you nuts with questions. “Well, coach, what do we do against this formation? What do we do against that formation? What do we do if they come out in the wishbone?” I'm like, who the [heck] is running the wishbone in college? But he's one of those guys. He wants to know everything about the full picture. And that's a good thing to see.
On coaching different players: I enjoy coaching [Bain] and everybody else in that room because they all bring something different. They're all from different backgrounds, different economic backgrounds, different parents, different places. Rueben is from Miami, Ahmad is from my area up in Fort Lauderdale, Double H (Harrison-Hunte) is from New York. We got guys from California. It’s a pleasure to coach them all.
It's developing those relationships, not only through recruiting, but when they get here. There's a reason why I write on my script: “This is somebody else's son.” So I approach it accordingly. Each of these guys, I care about. I love them. But just like (his own son) Isaiah, I put my foot in their butt when I have to and get after it.
On reminding himself that he’s coaching somebody else’s son: We all have frustration. Sometimes we get frustrated, annoyed. We get hot. We have emotions. We're human. Everybody has their own style. I've seen coaches that are very quiet and chill during practice. Some guys get very fiery. Some guys yell and use words we don't teach our young ones. Some guys don't.
I always think when you start getting frustrated and you feel like you're not getting a point across, number one, you need to be introspective. Look at yourself and say, “Well, how can I teach this better?” If I keep telling him and he's not getting it, then it's not his fault. It's our fault. We need to find a different way to get that point across.
Then when all else fails and you start to get frustrated or mad and you want to lash out and blame somebody else or go off on somebody, remember, that's somebody else's son. How would you want your son treated in that situation? I'd want my son kicked in the derriere at times, but I'd also want him hugged and loved and mentored and shown why. Show some patience, but also show that discipline and mentorship, too. So that's the genesis behind it.
On having his son Isaiah Taylor on the team: It's great. Having my family here is great. He's not in my position group. He's got Coach Jackson and G back there coaching the safeties. I jumped his butt a little bit today. Not bad, but he made a mistake, and I happened to be in the area. I'm an equal opportunity coacher. I'll get on everybody if I have to.
