Make the Flight

The adage of enjoying the journey is often easier when you can anticipate at least a little bit of its possibilities.

For redshirt senior linebacker Darrell Taylor, the start of his post-scholastic football journey depended on his decision to do something he had never done before – something no one in his immediate family had even done.

Take a flight on an airplane.

"The first time I've ever been out of Virginia, I was so scared to get on that plane," Taylor recalled. "I had to fly from Richmond to Dallas then to LA. When I got to Dallas I had like five minutes to get to my next flight. I was so scared. I found some dude that was running to the same flight. We were running down the hall full speed and I fell one time and dropped my bags. But we ended up making it."

While more experienced travelers can laugh at the seemingly haphazard introduction to the joys of travel, for Taylor making that flight and reaching his destination – Santa Ana, Calif., for the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl – meant something deeper.

"It was crazy because it's something my mom never wanted to do," Taylor said of his late mother Peggy Tyler, who died in May of 2013 from breast cancer, his sophomore year in high school.

Tyler was a standout basketball player and track and field athlete at Hopewell High School in the late 80s and according to Taylor, had a chance to tryout for a national team, but it required her to take a flight. She was too scared to go and Taylor said he always thinks of the difference that decision could have made.

"My mom had a chance to leave," said Taylor, who wants to dedicate time to supporting breast cancer awareness in the future. "She was really good at basketball. She didn't fly and never went anywhere and didn't get her chance to get out there. Maybe if she did, I wouldn't be here or something. But I got the opportunity that she had, so I wasn't going to waste it. I was just going to try and see.

"It was a good opportunity to help me grow, meet some new people and go somewhere I've never been before."

Taylor also played basketball like his mother, but as she struggled with different stints of incarceration, Taylor moved in with his aunt who signed him up for sports year around. In fact, he initially chose basketball in high school over football.

"I didn't think I was that good at football and stopped playing my sophomore year," Taylor said. "The difference between football and basketball was I couldn't be mad and physical on the court. We were really good at basketball, but I went back to football my junior year and that's when offers started coming in."

And then, after registering 11.0 sacks and 19.0 TFL his senior year, the coveted then-defensive end chose Tennessee.

"The people stood out to me and the tradition around here," said Taylor, who uses the rare downtime he has to go to the Smokey Mountains to reflect on life. "I really absorbed it and tried to follow in the footsteps of the guys that came before me. I remember my freshman year when Curt Maggitt was here and that was probably one of the best leaders that I've seen in my life. I looked up to him. I still do.

"And, I love Neyland Stadium," he added emphatically. "I don't think I can play in any place better than Neyland Stadium."

Since the Hopewell, Va., native has come to Knoxville, not only has he gotten accustomed to hopping on flights, but he's impressed on the gridiron, being named the team's MVP a season ago after leading the Vols with 8.0 sacks, the second most in the SEC, and 11.0 tackles for loss.

He also found himself mentioned on several prestigious preseason lists to open the 2019 season, including the Butkus Award Preseason Watch List (best linebacker) and both the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Preseason Award Watch List and Chuck Bednarik Award Preseason Watch List (best defensive player).

"I just wanted to make sure I did all the right things," Taylor said, reflectively. "I made sure I stayed on track, kept my grades straight, stayed in the weight room and film room and learned from the coaches.

"It's been a real good journey here."

But, the journey for Taylor is not over just yet. There are more games to be played and more flights to take.

And, Peggy Tyler's youngest child assuredly won't miss one.

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