Larry Taylor Training Worn & Signed Blue Connecticut Huskies Football Large Turtleneck

Description

Larry Taylor is a free agent wide receiver and kick returner, most recently playing for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. He originally signed with the Alouettes as a free agent in 2008. He played college football for the Connecticut Huskies (UConn), where he returned punts for touchdowns in each of the Huskies’ first two bowl games—the 2004 Motor City Bowl and the 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl. Taylor has also been a member of the New York Jets.

Taylor grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Raised by his grandmother since he was 2, Taylor was taken under wing by David Lucca and Ross Teider, fathers of football teammates, who helped him to escape from the streets and eventually transfer to Glades Day School for his junior year of high school. At Glades Day, Taylor played running back and rushed for 1,774 yards and 28 touchdowns. He averaged 11 yards per running attempt, and 42.3 yards per kickoff return. In his senior season, Taylor was the Palm Beach County offensive player of the year, Class A (small school) player of the year, and a finalist for the Mr. Football award in Florida.

Taylor’s speed—measured at 4.3 seconds on the 40-yard dash—made him an attractive target for Division I football programs; his diminutive size—5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m) and 157 pounds (71 kg)—caused that interest to abate. Schools such as Tennessee and Mississippi State evaluated Taylor but eventually declined to offer a scholarship. In the end Connecticut, Eastern Michigan, and Middle Tennessee State made scholarship offers. After making his only official visit to Connecticut, Taylor opted to sign with the Huskies.

Taylor played his college football at the University Connecticut, registering 25 catches for 259 yards as a senior. He also had 31 punt returns for 357 yards and two touchdowns and 11 kickoff returns for 205 yards. Taylor has outstanding speed and quickness and is tough to bring down because of his strength and low center of gravity.

In 2008, the native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., led the Alouettes in punt-return yards with 517 and was sixth in the CFL, despite starting the season on Montreal’s practice squad. The 24 year old turned in a breakout performance in 2009 with a league-high 788 yards on 89 punt returns for an 8.9-yard average. Two of his returns went for touchdowns. The five-foot-six, 177-pound Taylor also averaged 20.8 yards on 51 kickoff returns. In addition to being the league’s top special-teams performer, Taylor was an East Division and CFL all-star this past season.

The featured blue Connecticut Football long sleeve turtleneck was worn in training by Larry Taylor as a member of the Huskies. The Huskies legend has signed the front of the shirt in gold. Taylor’s #24 is written in black on the inside laundry tag.