AND THEN THERE WAS FOOTBALL...
ROUTE interviews Duquesne rising senior, wide-out and power forward, Kellon Taylor and his mother, Martez Taylor
[ROUTE] Making a D1 roster for one sport is impressive. Playing football and basketball at that level is rare. How do you do it?
[Kellon] It’s not as hard as most people think. Obviously, playing two sports at this level is challenging. But as a high school student, I was recruited for both sports individually at first. However, I wanted to play both football and basketball in college.
And now playing both sports in college is similar to playing one sport: When you finished playing one sport you jump into another sport. Just as if you were only committed to one sport, when the season is over, you would transition into training. The most difficult and tasking thing is the travel. Especially because there are so many basketball games, the travel can wear on you.
[ROUTE] How did you end up choosing Duquesne? Was the option of playing both sports a consideration?
[Kellon] Honestly, I wasn’t familiar with Duquesne. I spelled it wrong on my commitment letter. A friend who had committed to Duquesne earlier introduced me to the school. I had a lot of interest from many schools for either sport, but I was interested in playing both basketball and football at the next level. Duquesne began recruiting me early in the process for football, but the coach understood that I wanted to play both sports so eventually the basketball coach joined in the process and I chose them over University of Hawaii.
[ROUTE] What influenced your decision to focus on football in your final year at Duquesne?
[Kellon] My future. I think I have a great future in football. I know that I can play at the highest level in that sport and football is the route to go. It was also a rational decision. A 6’5” football player is a rare prospect as a wide receiver. A 6’5” power forward in basketball is not that rare. So, in order to play at the highest-level next season, I decided to focus on football and prep for my final year.
I trusted his intellect and maturity to make the right decision. And he did.
[ROUTE] Ms. Taylor, what was your role in the recruiting process?
[Martez Taylor] My role was to sit back and support him. I was more of a bodyguard. There were so many people in Kellon’s ear. He had so much family and friends telling him where to go and what to do. I wanted him to walk through the process without all of those influences and make a decision that was best for him.
Kellon had interest and was recruited by many schools – Virginia Tech, Temple, Boston College, Hawaii, Georgia, etc. I remember us going to games at Virginia Tech and Georgia. The facilities and resources were great, but he wasn’t impressed with the experience. He told me that he didn’t see himself in a 90,000-person stadium. He was not enthused at all. “I can be a big fish in a small pond” is what he told me. “If I’m good enough, they will see me wherever I go.”
I trusted his intellect and maturity to make the right decision. And he did.
[ROUTE] What are some important things to consider when choosing a school and a football program?
[Kellon] The coaching staff is very important. Are their schemes built for you? Will they build around you? Does the team need you? Will they utilize you? When Boston College began recruiting me, I learned that they ran the ball 50 times a game. They didn’t have much of a passing offense at the time.
Also, I chose a school that was relatively closer to home. My family and support network are very important to me. I wanted my mom to attend as many of my games as possible. It is one of the reasons I didn’t go to Hawaii.
[Martez Taylor] As a parent, you want your son to feel comfortable. I spoke to the coaching staff a lot. I asked questions like “what’s important to you other than football?”. If they only replied “football”, that was a turnoff for me. What did the coaches do during the recruiting process? What interest did they show outside of football? Did they really try to get to know your kid?
Kellon’s head coach is very engaged in his family. He coaches his son in basketball. His wife and kids are at all games. I think Kellon made a great choice in this coaching staff. One time I was watching the South Dakota game online when Kellon got hurt. I immediately texted the team trainer (who wasn’t at the game). The trainer immediately contacted someone on staff who was at the game and they got back to me immediately. I’ll never forget that.
The student athlete is under so much pressure that some parents don’t get it. Parents need to be their peace.
[ROUTE] What’s your single recommendation for prospects and parents going through the recruiting process?
[Kellon] Follow your beliefs, values and passions. You will know what is right for you.
[Martez Taylor] Listen to your kids; let them talk to you. Don’t try to influence or tell them what to do. Focus on communication with your child. The student athlete is under so much pressure that some parents don’t get it. Parents need to be their peace. Lay back and be a support. I tell my sons “I’m not your project manager anymore, I’m your adviser. If you want my advice, I’ll give it, but the decision is yours”.