The Chicago Bears have a unique talent who kicks the ball away on fourth downs. Bears Punter Tory Taylor found his way to Chicago, Illinois from his home in Melbourne, Australia. The Bears drafted Taylor out of the University of Iowa in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft, with the 122nd overall pick. The pick drew some criticism from Bears fans and pundits for the team using a high pick on a punter.
‘Booter McGavin ‘Is Born
This isn’t his nickname yet, but it will catch on. Those who have seen Adam Sandler’s “Happy Gilmore” and are excited about the upcoming release of Happy Gilmore II will understand. Tory Taylor started his college career at Iowa as a 23-year-old freshman – quite a bit older than most of his teammates, even some seniors. Taylor was recruited from an Australian rules football program to be the punter for the Hawkeyes. Taylor played four seasons, breaking the all-time NCAA record for punting yards in a career with 4,479. He shattered the previous record of 4,138 which stood for 85 years.
Through six games this season, Taylor is averaging 48.4 yards per punt, which is only good enough to rank him 16th in the NFL. By almost every metric a punter can be evaluated with, Tory Taylor ranks right in the middle of the pack through six games. Being a statistically average punter could be concerning for the Chicago Bears, who used a fourth-round draft pick on him, however, Taylor recently broke a Chicago Bears franchise record for average punt yards in a game that stood for 39 years. Taylor averaged 61.5 yards per punt versus the Jaguars in week 6, the previous record was 57.5.
In training camp, he was referred to as pro golfer Scottie Scheffler, because of his ability to place the ball anywhere on the field. Taylor has become well known for his punts which pin opponents inside their 15-yard line, flipping the field for the defense. Taylor’s skills include using different spins on the ball to make it go out of bounds or stick where it lands, such as with a “coffin corner” punt. Taylor’s accuracy with his kicks earned him a high draft pick, but he is also consistent. He can boom the football with a big leg if he needs to.
Punters Are People Too
Tory Taylor is ambidextrous and can punt with either his right or left leg. He also has a twin brother. His favorite food is steak and he likes to put ketchup on it. Though he admittedly prefers anonymity, Taylor gained public recognition early in his NFL career by appearing in episode three of “Hard Knocks “Training Camp With The Chicago Bears” on HBO. He showed his humble nature as a camera crew rode along with him on his first trip to Soldier Field for a preseason game, where he talked about the breath work he does to help him stay calm on the field.
Entering his first NFL season at the ripe old age of 27 is not normal. Many men who play in the NFL retire by the time they are Taylor’s age, with the average length of an NFL career being 3.3 years and the average retirement age being 27.6 years. But, that didn’t stop the Chicago Bears from investing significant draft capital for a punter. Kickers have the longest careers of any position in the NFL, largely due to the lower rate of physicality, however, if Taylor ever needs to make a tackle for the Chicago Bears, his 6-foot-4 223 lb frame can handle it. Having a good punter is a huge weapon that casual football fans don’t recognize.
Final Thoughts
Taylor has improved as the season has gone on, averaging 52.5 yards per punt in the last three games after a rough beginning to the year. He also plays a crucial role as the holder of field goals and PATs for Kicker Cairo Santos. In the Chicago Bears’ last game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, Bears’ long snapper Scott Daly was injured and could not return to the game. Chicago Bears’ TE Cole Kmet filled in as long snapper, so Tory Taylor had the added responsibility of catching snaps from a player he is not accustomed to, demonstrating his athleticism by helping the Bears convert 5-of-5 extra points.
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