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Tory Taylor

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Tory Taylor
Taylor in the 2023 Big Ten Football Championship Game
Taylor with the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2023
No. 19 – Chicago Bears
Position:Punter
Personal information
Born: (1997-07-10) 10 July 1997 (age 27)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:223 lb (101 kg)
Career information
High school:Haileybury (Melbourne)
College:Iowa (2020–2023)
NFL draft:2024 / round: 4 / pick: 122
CFL draft:2024G / round: 2 / pick: 15
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
NCAA FBS records
  • Most punting yards in a season: 4,479 (2023)
  • Highest career average punting yards: 46.3[a]
Career NFL statistics as of Week 9, 2024
Punts:37
Punting yards:1,818
Punting average:49.1
Longest punt:68
Inside 20:16
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Tory Taylor (born 10 July 1997) is an Australian professional American football punter for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college American football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, winning the 2023 Ray Guy Award and being named a unanimous All-American prior to being selected by the Bears in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Early life

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Taylor was born in Melbourne, Australia and attended high school at Haileybury. Taylor decided to commit to play college football at the University of Iowa.[1][2]

College career

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In Taylor's first season in 2020, he punted 40 times for 1,765 yards, with 18 punts being down within their opponents' 20 yard line.[3] For his performance on the year, Taylor was named the Big Ten Punter of the Year, along with being named first team All-Big Ten.[4][5] In the 2021 season, Taylor would punt 80 times for 3,688 yards, along with 38 punts being downed within their opponents' 20 yard line.[6] In week one of the 2022 season, Taylor punted ten times for 479 yards with seven punts downed inside the 20, as he helped the Hawkeyes beat South Dakota State. For his performance on the game, Taylor was named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week.[7] In the following week, Taylor would punt six times for 304 yards with two punts being downed within the 20 yard line, but Iowa would lose versus rival Iowa State.[8] Taylor would finish the 2022 season with 82 punts for 3,725 yards, along with 38 punts inside the 20 yard line.[9] For his performance on the season, Taylor was named first team All-Big Ten by the media, and third team All-Big Ten by the coaches.[10] Taylor was also named first team All-American.[11][12]

Instead of declaring for the 2023 NFL draft, Taylor would decide to return for the 2023 season.[13] In week six of the 2023 season, Taylor would punt six times for 284 yards, with two of his punts landing within their opponents' 20 yard line, as he helped the Hawkeyes win their homecoming game beating Purdue 20–14. For his performance, Taylor would be named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week.[14] In the following week, Taylor would punt nine times for 446 yards, while six of his punts would be downed within the 20 yard line, as he helped Iowa beat Wisconsin.[15] For his performance, Taylor would be named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week, in back to back weeks.[16][17] On 1 January 2024, Taylor broke the NCAA record for most punting yards in a season, with 4,479 yards. The feat bested the previous of record of 4,138, set 85 years prior by John Fingel.[18]

Statistics

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Season Punting
GP Punts Avg Lng Yds TB TB% In20 In20% Net
2020 8 40 44.1 61 1,765 1 2.50 18 29.51 42.8
2021 14 80 46.1 69 3,688 13 16.25 39 48.75 42.1
2022 13 82 45.4 70 3,725 11 13.41 38 46.34 41.6
2023 14 93 48.2 67 4,479 7 7.52 32 34.41 43.8
Career[19] 49 295 46.3 70 13,657 32 10.76 127 43.40 42.6

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span
6 ft 3+7⁄8 in
(1.93 m) 		223 lb
(101 kg) 		32+1⁄8 in
(0.82 m) 		9 in
(0.23 m)
All values from NFL Combine[20][21]

Taylor was selected by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round (122nd overall) of the 2024 NFL draft, making him the highest punter selected since 2019.[22] He was also selected by the BC Lions 15th overall in the 2024 CFL global draft.[23] Taylor signed his four-year rookie contract with the Bears on 11 May 2024.[24]

In Week 4 of the 2024 season, Taylor pinned three of his five punts inside the 10-yard line in a 24–18 win over the Los Angeles Rams, earning NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.[25]

Notes and references

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  1. ^ minimum 250 punts
  1. ^ Peterson, Chloe (14 September 2022). "'The people that I play for': Punter Tory Taylor's family visits U.S. to watch Iowa football". The Daily Iowan. Archived from the original on 24 September 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  2. ^ Hlas, Mike (19 October 2023). "It may seem hard to believe, but Tory Taylor has become best Hawkeye punter ever". The Gazette. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Tory Taylor 2020 Game Logs". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  4. ^ Hanson, Austin (17 December 2020). "Freshman Tory Taylor named Big Ten Punter of the Year". The Daily Iowan. Archived from the original on 1 November 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  5. ^ "Tory Taylor Nabs B1G Honor". Sports Illustrated. 13 September 2021. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  6. ^ "Tory Taylor 2021 Game Logs". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  7. ^ "Tory Taylor B1G Special Team Player of Week". Sports Illustrated. 5 September 2022. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  8. ^ Bohnenkamp, John (8 September 2023). "Tory Taylor Looking Forward to Iowa State". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  9. ^ "Tory Taylor 2022 Game Logs". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  10. ^ Helmer, Josh (29 November 2022). "Iowa Hawkeyes' Tory Taylor, Drew Stevens honored as members of All-Big Ten teams". Hawkeyes Wire. USA Today. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  11. ^ "Jack Campbell, Tory Taylor FWAA 1st-Team All-Americans". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  12. ^ Bohnenkamp, John (19 July 2023). "Tory Taylor Fine-Tuning His Game". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 28 November 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  13. ^ Peterson, Chloe (31 December 2022). "Iowa football punter Tory Taylor announces return for fourth season". The Daily Iowan. Archived from the original on 28 November 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  14. ^ "Tory Taylor B1G ST Player of Week". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  15. ^ "Punter Tory Taylor was MVP of game for Iowa in win over Wisconsin". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  16. ^ "Tory Taylor named Big Ten Co-Special Teams Player of the Week". CBS2. Archived from the original on 30 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  17. ^ Jaster, Ryan M. (16 October 2023). "Hawkeyes' Tory Taylor earns back-to-back Big Ten special teams honors". WHO13.com. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  18. ^ Hornstein, Blake (2 January 2024). "Hawkeyes' Tory Taylor breaks NCAA single-season punting record". who13.com. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  19. ^ "Tory Taylor – Iowa Hawkeyes". ESPN. Archived from the original on 3 December 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  20. ^ "Tory Taylor Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  21. ^ "2024 NFL Draft Scout Tory Taylor College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  22. ^ Adame, Anthony (27 April 2024). "Highest Drafted Punters in NFL History After Bears Spend 4th-Rounder On Tory Taylor". GiveMeSport. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  23. ^ Baker, Matt (30 April 2024). "Lions Grab K/P Carl Meyer & P Tory Taylor In Global Draft" (Press release). BC Lions.
  24. ^ Taylor, Ryan (11 May 2024). "Bears sign rookie punter Tory Taylor to a four-year contract". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  25. ^ Gordon, Grant (2 October 2024). "Ravens RB Derrick Henry, Lions QB Jared Goff highlight Players of the Week". NFL.com.
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