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Local legend Jonathan Taylor earns Salem County Hall of Fame honor
Jonathan Taylor, the legendary football and track star at Salem High School, will be inducted into the Salem County Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday, July 20.
The ceremony honoring Taylor, who became an All-American running back at the University of Wisconsin and an All-Pro with the National Football League’s Indianapolis Colts, will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Davidow Hall at Salem Community College (SCC), 460 Hollywood Ave., Carneys Point, N.J. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.
This is a free event. Due to limited seating in the theatre, the Field House will be open for overflow seating, where guests will watch the ceremony via livestream at www.salemcc.edu/hof.
Due to contractual obligations, Taylor will not sign autographs.
The ceremony will also recognize Salem High School’s 2021 football championship team, coached by Montrey Wright. That team won the Rams’ first New Jersey South-Central Group 1 championship.
During the ceremony, SCC President Mike Gorman will pay tribute to three other Salem High School football legends: Lydell Mitchell, Jay Venuto and A.B. Brown. Mitchell is expected to attend.
The ceremony is made possible through the generosity of the SCC Foundation and sponsors New Jersey American Water, Mannington Mills and Stand Up for Salem.
At Salem High School, Taylor finished his career with 4,642 rushing yards and 51 touchdowns. As a senior, he was named First Team All-State and South Jersey Times’ Offensive Player of the Year after setting a New Jersey single-season record with 2,510 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns. As a junior, he earned First Team All-Conference honors after he rushed for 1,383 yards and 15 touchdowns. The 2017 graduate was selected as a two-time team MVP and team captain.
In high school track, Taylor won back-to-back New Jersey Meet of Champions titles in 100 meters as a junior and senior. He was named the South Jersey Times’ Boys Track Athlete of the Year as a junior and senior.
At Wisconsin, the 5-10, 226-pound running back appeared in 41 games (40 starts from 2017-19) and totaled 926 carries for 6,174 yards and 50 touchdowns. He added 42 receptions for 407 yards and five touchdowns.
In both the 2018 and 2019 seasons, Taylor received the Doak Walker Award (recognizing the top running back in college football) and was named a unanimous All-American. He was also named First Team All-Big Ten and Big Ten Running Back of the Year. He is the seventh player in FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) history to rush for 6,000 yards and the first to accomplish the feat in just three seasons. His 6,174 career rushing yards rank No. 6 all-time among FBS players and is No. 2 all-time among the Big Ten. He is the third player in FBS history with multiple 2,000-yard rushing seasons and the only player in FBS history to rush for at least 1,900 yards in three consecutive seasons.
He earned the distinction of being the seventh player in Football Bowl Subdivision history to accumulate 6,000 rushing yards. However, Taylor achieved the feat in only three seasons, the first person to do so in that timeframe.
Following Taylor’s junior season at Wisconsin, the Colts selected him in the second round (41st overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft.
After his first season with the Colts in 2020, the Pro Football Writers of America named Taylor to its All-Rookie Team after he rushed for 1,169 yards in 232 attempts and caught 36 passes for 299 yards.
In 2021, Taylor led the NFL in rushing with 1,811 yards in 332 attempts and rushing touchdowns with 18. He also caught 40 passes for 360 yards. Following the 2021 season, he was named first-time All Pro and received the Bert Bell Award, presented annually by the Maxwell Football Club to the best player in the NFL.
For more information about the ceremony, call 856.351.2644 or email csmith@salemcc.edu.
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