Taylor riding high with chip lodged firmly on his shoulder

Isaiah Taylor, a wide receiver from Dulaney, is one of the more intriguing prospects in Maryland. He has a 6-foot, 180-pound frame, runs a 4.47 40-yard dash, can bench close to 300 pounds and has hands like Larry Fitzgerald. But while his physical attributes have caught the attention of college recruiters, it's his football fervor that defines him.

"Isaiah has a lot of talent but he has a huge heart and a real love for the game," said Dulaney assistant coach Deon Hylton. "When he is practicing he puts tremendous effort into it. Football is his heart; it is his passion."

Taylor has been playing football since he was 7 years old. He grew up in New York and played for a Rec team that dominated year in and year out. The coach not only stressed football fundamentals, but he pushed the youngsters hard. Those that couldn't take it dropped out. Taylor? He loved every second of it.

The hard-knock football life was easy for Taylor. At least, it was easier than his home life. Taylor grew up with only vague memories of his father, who died when he was 5 years old. So he lived in a single-parent home with his mother, Wanda Holmes, and his four brothers and two sisters. Every day he'd watch his mother struggle to support all of them.

When Taylor was 8, his family moved out of New York and came to Baltimore. But the financial troubles didn't end. To take his mind off of it, Taylor threw himself into sports.

"Football for me was a way out," Taylor said. "It was a way to give back to my mom, but it also gave me structure and goals. I learned a lot and I gave it everything I had. I play with a chip on my shoulder all the time."

The chip is clearly visible on Friday nights. From his penchant for going over the middle to his demand for the football to his emotional outbursts, Taylor is a football firecracker.

"Sometimes we have to tone him down on game day because he gets so keyed up," Hylton said. "He's so intense about football. He wants to win so bad."

Taylor admits he needs to control his emotions. That being said, he's far from mentally unstable. Thanks to his 10-plus years of football acumen, he's developed the mental prowess only elite receivers possess. While many freshmen high school receivers are still learning how to catch the ball properly, Taylor was already working on precise route running techniques, how to read cornerbacks and making plays after the catch.

"I'm always working on my game, especially my mental toughness," Taylor said. "It gives me an edge."

Against Woodlawn last year Taylor's 40-yard touchdown reception was the lone bright spot in a 53-8 drubbing. He noticed the cornerback, who had been in his face the entire game, was susceptible to double moves. So he told his quarterback he was going to run an out-and-up and take his man deep.

At the snap Taylor faked outside, got the cornerback to over-commit and then cut back in. The Dulaney quarterback put up a bomb and Taylor hauled it in, broke two tackles and went in for a touchdown.

"We didn't have a whole lot of highlights, but that was one of them," Hylton said. "Physically his hands are extremely strong, he runs crisp routes he moves well and he will go get the ball at all costs. He knows the game and he can really exploit a defense."

Even in Dulaney's run-first offense, Taylor demands the ball. It's not that he's being selfish. Taylor, who dominated for so many years in Rec ball, wholeheartedly believes he gives his team the best opportunity to win.

"I will do anything to get the ball because I know I'm an impact player," Taylor said. "It's just being confident and knowing you can make your team better. And when you work all summer to get better, you want to show what you can do."

The problem is it's hard to be an impact player on a team that runs the ball the majority of the time. Last year Taylor caught just 16 passes, and for his career he has just 42 receptions for 524 yards and seven touchdowns. Not horrible numbers, but not what he believes he's capable of.

Worse, his team has won a total of three games in the three seasons since he's been on varsity. Last year Dulaney went 1-9 under new coach Jeff Mann and the year before they left a doughnut hole in the "W" column: 0-10.

"It's a difficult transition to Dulaney because he was so used to winning in the youth leagues, and then he comes here and it's nothing but losses," Hylton said. "It can be frustrating. His passion wants it so bad. The problem is if something goes wrong he can go downhill real quick. That's a major issue we need to fix."

In other words, Taylor has suffered from Randy Moss syndrome - the elite talent who takes plays off from time to time. The Dulaney staff would like to see him improve his blocking, show more on-field focus and become a leader to his teammates. Most of all they wish he'd be more receptive to constructive criticism.

But that's not easy when the team doesn't win and your teammates don't share your vigor.

"You have a whole different feeling, an awful feeling, when you're just not winning," Taylor said. "It's tough to really give 100 percent, I don't care who you are.

"But it's something I do need to work on," Taylor continued. "The best athletes perform even on a losing team. It's something I should have done better and need to do better."

Taylor's honesty is appreciated, but it's put up or shut up time next year. Mann has brought in a glut of talented skill players itching for playing time. Hylton estimates there are about four speedy, physical wide receivers who are vying fro starting spots. The challenge will only help Taylor in the long run, Hylton insists.

"If he takes a rep off, someone is going to step right in and take his job," the coach said. "That keeps him focused and it prepares him for the college level because there will be 10 receivers all hungry for the ball. It makes you a better player and a great receiver."

Hylton, however, may never see how Taylor responds. That's because the receiver is close to spending his final year at a rival program - Hereford. Taylor didn't want to give up on Dulaney, but apparently the losing has worn on him.

"I have one more year and I want to play at a place that's not just a winner, but a program that will better showcase my talents and is more focused on football," Taylor said. "I think at Hereford I have a better chance to realize my goal, my dream of playing big-time college football.

"[Playing at a higher level] will help me with discipline, hard work and it will push me more than I've ever been pushed before," he continued. "It's a challenge I need and crave."