Big, tough guy, that Aaron Taylor.
He’s a massive man, and at one time, he played football at its highest level, which included winning a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers.
But reaching the mountaintop didn’t prevent him from visiting the game’s unforgiving valleys.
As a first-round pick of the Packers, he learned quickly of his expendability.
In Taylor’s first week of rookie camp, he tore his patellar tendon, a serious knee injury that came with a significant reaction.
While his Packers colleagues were concerned about Taylor, they weren’t consumed with Taylor, not a hobbled one at least.
“While I was laying there, they just moved the drill five yards over and kept going,’’ Taylor said. “Guy McIntyre, who I grew up watching as a 49ers fan, replaced me and it was just a surreal experience.
“In their eyes, I’m irrelevant now and that put me in a deep, dark depression.’’
Taylor’s story of wrestling with obstacles, unfortunately, isn’t unique. Every player at every level gets kicked in the shins, with the keen ones absorbing the disappointment and moving forward.
Easy to say, difficult to do for the roughly 500,000 students in college sports.
Taylor, who played two seasons with the San Diego Chargers to close out his pro career, is lending a hand to those struggling with self-doubt and self-worth. He recently launched the 30-episode “Mind Flex with Aaron Taylor” podcast. It’s presented by RADical Hope, an organization focusing on mental health in young adults.
These micro-podcasts are about five minutes long, centering on the tools for developing resilience, confidence and connection. Taylor shares his pratfalls and triumphs, introducing techniques for others to improve performance and well-being.
Taylor knows of the stigma when confronting mental health issues, especially on campuses where toughness and tenacity are traits to clutch. The ride isn’t always smooth and when angst arrives, athletes need answers.
“We knew this all existed, but when we launched our podcast there was really nothing like this,’’ said Taylor, 51. “Not only are the student-athletes listening, but they are listening with a parent. That facilitates a conversation between them that might not have happened.’’
Taylor’s perspective is vetted and current.
In addition to being an All-American guard at Notre Dame and playing in two Super Bowls, Taylor is a college football analyst for CBS. He’s as versed with the younger players as much as with the older ones.
Additionally, in raising two teenage prep athletes, Taylor is cognizant of the pressures and demands that land on players.
He mentions how an athlete’s mental game is tested through diminished productivity, being injured or by discovering others shine too.
“Lots of children, including my own, outperform their age group,’’ Taylor said. “They play on all-star and travel teams, then they get to college and the playing field, for the first time, is level. Up until that point, they were the best player. Now they might go from being the star player to being on the bench.’’
If so, careful with those splinters and know that Taylor has your back.
They can listen to Taylor’s podcast, to strengthen them in ways where they don’t have to flex their muscles.
Instead, it’s their mind doing the heavy lifting.
“Some get it and some don’t,” Taylor said. “But often a key to a successful transformation lies in having access to the tools and support that come along.’’
Taylor’s traveled many miles since 1994, when he was prone on his back with his knee protruding the wrong direction.
Now he’s bent on putting young athletes on the right path. The sage Taylor shares his mental tools to cope with sports and academics before it reaches a crisis point.
Contact Jay Paris at [email protected] and follow him @jparis_sports
