H.S. FOOTBALL: South Side’s Taylor knows his job on the line

South Side High lineman Jordan Taylor knows what his role is within the Hawks’ system on both sides of the ball.

It’s to push, block, keep pushing, keep blocking, don’t let up and then repeat the process on the next play.

Not many people will notice it. Not many people will talk about it. Others will reap the benefits of his work.

“That’s how it’s supposed to be,” Taylor said. “People don’t notice the line unless we miss an assignment and a play gets blown up.

“When we do our jobs, the running back will take the ball 60 yards down the field and score a touchdown and get to enjoy a reaction from the fans. If he does do that, then all we get is a pat on the helmet from the quarterback and the coaches as we come off the field, that’s OK.”

Taylor said playing on the defensive side of the line is a little more fun and the reason he’s still playing football.

“My freshman year, I wasn’t going to play football, but Coach [Brian] Moore talked me into it,” Taylor said. “And my brother [Mason, who now plays baseball at Bethel University] talked with me too, and he told me I’m more built than he is for football with my size and I’m meaner.”

Taylor will get to use that meanness this year a little more.

“This will be my first year start on the defensive line, and I’m looking forward to it,” Taylor said. “You don’t have to think as much, and messing up usually isn’t as bad on defensive line as it is on offense.

“If I mess up on offensive line, that can be real bad because one or two people are getting back there to my quarterback. If I mess up on defensive line, if I’m going full speed then hopefully that mistake doesn’t cost the team as much other than I’ve just run myself out of the play.”

Taylor said playing on the offensive line has its needs for mental and physical capabilities. Because he’s on the smaller side for most linemen, he admits the physical part is a little more difficult for him.

“The physical part of being a lineman is pretty hard if you’re small like me, but the key for me is I need to use my speed better to come off the ball quicker, which is harder if you’re playing center,” Taylor said. “The mental part comes a little easier for me because I can see different angles and things that work, and I try to make that happen.”

Taylor said his first play in a high school game his freshman year was actually nothing but mental.

“We called a freeze play where we tried to get the other team to jump offsides, so the only job I had when I got out there was to not move,” Taylor said. “I didn’t, and I got so many pats on a helmet when I got back to the sideline because I did my job.”

Taylor’s role since that freeze play has since grown as time has gone by. He’s now viewed as one of the leaders on the line and in the senior class with nearly 20 members on a team of about 50. During that time, Taylor has been through South Side’s struggles. His freshman year, the Hawks went 4-7 with a loss in the first round of the playoffs.

Sophomore year was a disappointing 3-7, followed by 1-9 last year.

“That 3-7 year hurt because we thought we had a chance to be better, but that didn’t happen,” Taylor said. “Then last year, [quarterback] Cade [Willingham] gets hurt against Chester County, and everybody seemed to have a look on their face of ‘What do we do now?’

“I’m ready to put all that behind us as a group. It’s been three years since we made it to the playoffs, and I just want this team to make the playoffs. I don’t know if we win state or anything like that. I just want to make the playoffs then take it one game at a time after that and see what happens.”

Brandon Shields, 425-9751

Taylor’s numbers

Height: 5-11

Weight: 205

Bench max: 240

Squat max: 315

40 time: 4.89

GPA: 3.7