If Tyrod Taylor had not been raised to process his emotions and encouraged to have “real conversations,” the time that he was benched by the Bills during a playoff push might have broken him.
“That weighed on my mind early on, and if my headspace wasn’t right at the time then it could’ve been perceived differently,” a reflective Taylor told The Post about that 2017 experience. “I’m a better person for it now — it was something to learn from. I’m thankful for my upbringing because every day you are faced with different challenges. Educating yourself on getting through those emotions is big.”
The Giants’ backup quarterback recently put his money where his mind is and created the Tyrod Taylor Wellness Center. Taylor’s namesake charitable foundation partnered with his native Hampton, Va., and a late anonymous donor to fund the $1.8 million first-phase renovation that transformed a previously discarded rundown area of a neighborhood Boys and Girls Club.
“The city stepping up had a lot to do with Tyrod stepping up,” said Hal Smith, CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Virginia Peninsula. “Tyrod sees a lot of the kids that come to the club are much like him growing up. No matter your economic circumstances, kids need a positive place to go and positive role models, and Tyrod is standing up and being one of them.”
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Giants backup QB Tyrod Taylor has started a Wellness Center.Courtesy of Tyrod Taylor
The Boys and Girls Club location where Taylor, 33, and his cousins once played basketball while both his parents worked after-school hours was on the verge of closing its doors a couple years ago. But the community balked at ideas proposed if the property were sold. Word reached Taylor, who is mindful of a recent uptick in violence in the city.
The number of shooting homicides in Hampton doubled to 14 in the first quarter of 2023 compared with 2022, police told 13News Now.
“That location is walking distance from the house I grew up in, as well as my grandma’s house and the house where I was babysat,” Taylor said. “It was a meet-up spot for kids, and I had so many fun times there. I didn’t want to see it torn down. I wanted to see if there was any opportunity to uplift it.”
Giants backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor cuts the ribbon to open the Wellness Center he started.Photo courtesy of Tyrod Taylor
The end result is a Boys and Girls Club that more than doubled in size to just shy of 20,000-square feet, with the capacity to serve more than 200 children, Smith said. An important component for Taylor was that the space be used for more than playing sports, to reinforce a message he often delivers to children.
“By all means have those dreams of being the next quarterback or point guard or women’s tennis star, but understand that sports is not the only area we measure success,” Taylor said. “I want to be realistic and let them know that is not the only thing that you have to hold on to as far as a dream to elevate yourself. There are a lot of creatives in Hampton Roads.”
Taylor’s 13-year NFL career is symbolic of life’s ups and downs. He has been a Pro Bowler and a starter in the playoffs. He has been benched, traded and the alleged victim of medical malpractice. The Giants are his sixth team.
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“As you continue playing, you understand that not only does your body have to be ready for a season but your mind has to be ready for a season,” Taylor said. “Mental health looks different for everyone, but everyone who’s breathing is dealing with something.
“Having those conversations within the locker room and having sports psychologists, we have the resources for that they don’t have at a young age in my hometown. We’re just trying to create a facility for those conversations and putting in practices in the inner city where a lot of those programs don’t get taught. That’s when you get a chance to learn about yourself.”
Tyrod Taylor Getty Images
The Wellness Center is adding a fully functional commercial kitchen to foster a culinary arts program that will teach everything from healthy food preparation to working in a restaurant. Mental-health coping strategies like practicing yoga are underway, and Taylor joined the first class.
“The more I’ve learned about overall wellness, a lot of it stems from how we take care of ourselves and how we go about our daily practice, whether that’s meditation or yoga or just being mindful of your emotions,” Taylor said. “How we better the next generation is to extend ourselves to teach the youth about our personal experiences.”
Taylor was completing deep passes Thursday during the Giants’ organized team activity practice.
By the next morning, he was on a strategic-planning conference call for implementing new wellness programs.
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“Tyrod is the most humble professional athlete I’ve ever met, and it comes back to the way he was raised,” Smith said. “It’s not just, ‘Give some money, throw my name on it and I might pop in every now and then.’ This is an ongoing partnership.”
Taylor brought his parents and grandmother to the March ribbon-cutting and soaked in the full-circle journey.
“I look forward to changing the lives of hopefully a lot of people, but if not then just one,” Taylor said. “It’s a wild moment for me, but I know it comes with tremendous responsibility.”
Virginia Tech fans have high hopes for the 2024 campaign. All college football fans know, there are few better environments in the country than Lane Stadium. Coach Pry will look to bring the Hokies back to the top of the ACC standings in his 3rd season.
When: Thursday, October 17th, 2024 @ 7:30pm
Where: Blacksburg, VA
Last Season (7-6 overall, 5-3 in ACC)
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Virginia Tech finished above .500 last year for their first time since 2019. They ended the season with a win in the Military Bowl against #23 Tulane, which gave them their first bowl game win since 2016. The Hokies haven’t been relevant in the ACC since that 2016 season. Hopefully, they will build off last year’s momentum and become a contender once again. According to Bill Connelly of ESPN, Virginia Tech is ranked #1 (95%) in returning offensive production percentage and #12 (77%) in their defensive production percentage.
Departing Players
As mentioned above, the Hokies coaching staff did a great job of retaining talent. In this NIL era, that is no small feat. Some key losses from the Hokies roster are Bryce Duke, Dae’quan Wright, and Da’Wain Lofton. On the defensive side of the football, Derrick Canteen, the Hokies number 3 cornerback, will not be returning to Blacksburg. There were also zero Hokies drafted in this years’ NFL Draft.
This Year
Coach Pry and the Hokies will lean on Quarterback Kyron Drones. Drones established himself as one of the best dual-threat Quarterbacks in the country last season throwing for 2,085 yards and 17 touchdowns while rushing for 818 with 5 scores. Drones torched Boston College in 2023 throwing for 218 yards and 2 touchdowns while also adding 135 yards on the ground.
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Drones will have weapons at his disposal. The entire offensive line is returning along with All-ACC Third team running back Bhayshul Tuten. Drones’ top 4 receiving targets, Ali Jennings, Stephen Gosnell, Da’quan Felton, and Jaylin Lane, will also be back in Blacksburg. The Hokies are poised for a solid campaign in 2024, if they can capitalize on the momentum the gained from last season.
Consensus four-star forward Cam Ward cut his recruitment to 10 schools on Sunday and Virginia made the cut. In addition to the Cavaliers, Ward is considering Michigan State, Marquette, Mississippi State, Alabama, Kansas State, Maryland, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, and Florida State.
NEWS: 2025 Top-50 prospect Cam Ward has cut his list to 10 schools, he tells @On3Recruits.
The 6-6 Small Forward has scheduled four official visits: https://t.co/8anHlTm3ta pic.twitter.com/Va1GP3UQot
Per a report from On3’s Joe Tipton, Ward has scheduled official visits to Kansas State (September 13), Maryland (September 21), Michigan State (September 28), and Alabama (October 12). Virginia hosted Ward for an unofficial visit back on June 27th, but the Cavaliers were not included in his initial list of scheduled official visits. Ward also previously took unofficial visits to Georgetown, Maryland, Notre Dame, Florida State, and Marquette.
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Ward is ranked the No. 48 overall prospect in the class of 2025 according to the 247Sports Composite, which also rates him as the No. 15 power forward in the country and the No. 2 player in the state of Maryland.
A 6’7″ wing out of Largo High School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Ward is already having himself an incredible year. After helping to lead Largo to a state championship and becoming the school’s all-time leading scorer in the spring, Ward has continued that momentum on the summer basketball circuit, drawing attention from countless major conference programs and coaches.
Nike EYBL Session IV: 1st Team 🥇
Cam Ward | Team Durant (MD) | 2025
Statistics ➡️ 22.6 PPG, 68.1 FG%, 6.2 RPG, 1.8 APG
Per reporting from UVA basketball recruiting expert Hooz Got Next, Cam Ward is one of Virginia’s top remaining targets in the recruiting class of 2025, in addition to Derek Dixon, Nate Ament, Chance Mallory, Mason Blackwood, Isaiah Denis, JJ Mandaquit, Matthew Able, and Jack McCaffery.
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) is investigating a fatal carjacking incident that occurred this afternoon in Sterling. The victim was a Montgomery County, MD woman.
According to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, “At approximately 11:39 a.m., deputies responded to the 21000 block of Towncenter Plaza for a report of a carjacking. The victim and owner, Melody Waldecker, 54, of Silver Spring, Maryland was struck by the vehicle as the suspect fled the scene and was pronounced dead.
A suspect has been arrested, and there are no ongoing threats to the community. This is an active investigation and additional criminal charges are forthcoming.
Witnesses to the incident who have not already spoken with law enforcement are asked to contact Detective Rodriquez (703) 777-1021.”