Tyrod talks about his new shirt ...
You got Sean Glennon’s reaction to earning the starting job, so now it’s time for Tyrod Taylor’s side of the story. Along with a little analysis from QB coach Mike O’Cain at the end.
One thing I should point out here: It’s not completely fair to say Glennon WON the job from Taylor. Both players were capable of starting this season and, I think, if Taylor had decided not to redshirt, both quarterbacks would’ve played again this season.
Why do I think that? Because I’ve seen them both play and there’s not much separation. You’ve seen it, too, if you’ve watched them. The coaches have said as much.
But I also think both would’ve played because of what you’ll read below. Tyrod and his dad, Rodney, both seem certain that if he’d chosen to play this season, Taylor would’ve been on the field a fair amount.
The elder Taylor preferred to stay (mostly) out of this situation, but he did want me to pass the following statement on to Hokie Nation …
RODNEY TAYLOR, TYROD’S FATHER
ON HIS SON TAKING A REDSHIRT SEASON THIS FALL: “It was a Taylor family decision. If he didn’t start, he would redshirt. We decided that as a family after spring ball. He was preparing to start, and he did everything he was supposed to do. In a perfect world, Tech’s coaches wanted both to play. They would’ve played whoever was hot. You could’ve seen one start one game and the other start the next game. But from where we sit, that part is old for us. Sean is a fifth-year guy. His clock is now. Tyrod is mature enough to see that. Last year, he did something for the team. He took the shirt off for the team. Doing this now, though, no question it’ll only make him better.”
QB TYROD TAYLOR
ON THE DECISION TO REDSHIRT: “It was hard at first, but at the same time it was for the best.”
ON ALWAYS WANTING TO REDSHIRT: “Yes. I was thinking last year, along with the coaching staff. But things changed. I got a chance to play early, didn’t turn that down. I’m taking my redshirt year now.”
ON HOW MUCH HE TALKED TO HIS FATHER ABOUT THE DECISION: “Me, my dad and my mom talked a long time about this. He backed me just like my mother, 100 percent.”
ON WHETHER, IF HE HAD DECIDED NOT TO REDSHIRT, HE THINKS HE AND GLENNON WOULD’VE ROTATED AGAIN: “Yes, sir.”
ON WHETHER HE DIDN’T WANT TO SHARE SNAPS AGAIN: “Both quarterbacks, me and Sean, wanted one quarterback on the field. Things didn’t turn out the way I’d like it. He got a chance to go out and makes some plays, so he should do good back there this year.”
ON WHAT HE WANTS TO LEARN AND IMPROVE ON DURING THE REDSHIRT YEAR: “Everything in my game. I’ve improved a lot since Day 1. I think I just need to continue to improve on making reads and getting the ball out faster.”
ON WHETHER ALL THE YOUNG TALENT IN THE PROGRAM WAS A FACTOR IN REDSHIRTING THIS YEAR: “Yes, I know they’re going to come back with a lot more experience next year and the team’s going to be better. That gives me a chance to go out there and show my talent.”
ON WHAT HE SAID WHEN O’CAIN SAID HE’D REDSHIRT: “I’d already thought about it. I still had to think about it then, but I went on with it. We talked in the meeting. My dad was in the meeting, too. We discussed it and talked about the pros and cons about it and went with the redshirt.”
ON HIS MINDSET EARLY IN THE SEASON, IN CASE GLENNON GOES DOWN: “The same way I approached preseason camp: just go out there and stay sharp, stay ready. You never know what can happen. My number could get called at any time. The reps I get, whether it’s two reps, three reps, 15 reps, just go out there and make the best of those reps.”
ON WHETHER THERE’S A CUT-OFF POINT, WHERE HE WOULD NOT WANT TO PLAY EVEN IF GLENNON GOT HURT: “Coach (O’Cain) talked about that in the meeting and we said no later than game four or five, because after that you’d just be playing half a season, basically.”
ON PLANNING, WITH THIS REDSHIRT YEAR, TO STAY FOR HIS THREE YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY TO FOLLOW: “Yes, I plan on staying. I don’t look into the future. I plan on staying here and taking each year as it goes.”
QB COACH MIKE O’CAIN
ON WHETHER TAYLOR’S REDSHIRT WAS MORE A COACHING DECISION OR A TAYLOR DECISION: “I think it was a combination. We felt like if it’s something we can get done – it’s still not written in stone, but something we’re going to try very hard to get done – and he was good with it … we felt like it could work.”
ON WHETHER TAYLOR WOULD’VE SHARED TIME WITH GLENNON IF HE HAD DECIDED NOT TO REDSHIRT: “It’s hard to answer that. It’s hypothetical. I really don’t know how to answer it.”
ON THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE TWO QBs: “Oh, it was very close. But you’ve got one that’s a senior, been here five years. You’ve got one that you can redshirt, that for the good of the program down the road, it’s the best for him, the best for the program. Because they were so close, you feel good about Sean. It makes the decision much easier.”
ON HOW LONG HE THINKS UNTIL CORY HOLT IS A VIABLE REPLACEMENT IF GLENNON GOES DOWN: “It’s hard to say. But I tell you, I’ve been pleased with the way he’s practiced. He hasn’t gotten a lot of reps. When he’s gone in there, he’s done a good job. He did a good job today. We just have to see, because he’s never really played in a game. That’s another hard question to answer. I believe he’d surprise some people. I really do. I feel pretty good about him. He from about this time last year until August without throwing any passes. He was a receiver. And he’s come back and really has done a tremendous job, in my opinion, having not done it for a year.”
ON THE CUT-OFF FOR TAYLOR, WHERE HE WOULDN’T TAKE OVER IF GLENNON GOT HURT: “Again, that’s something we just have to kind of wait and see how the season is, how the team is, record-wise. That’s a hard question to answer right now. Just trying to answer hypothetically: four games. That’s kind of a time that if something would happen … probably two or three games, something like that. If the injury looked long-term. If you’re talking about a week or half a game … it’s hard to answer. But until you cross that bridge, you don’t really need to answer it.”
ON HOW LONG THE CONVERSATION WAS WITH TAYLOR AND HIS FATHER SATURDAY ABOUT REDSHIRTING: “Not long. I think all along, from the very beginning, I think Tyrod has felt from the very first time I ever talked with him, the best thing for him would be to redshirt. That would’ve been nice to be done last year, but we couldn’t afford to do it at that point in time. So I really believe he feels like it’s in his best interest to do that. I believe it’s the best thing, again, if we make it work.”
ON THINGS TAYLOR CAN IMPROVE ON: “You’ve got to remember, he’s young. Reads, quicker decision-making, just general knowledge. Just a myriad of things, just like every quarterback. Probably the biggest thing he needs is reps, over and over and over and over again. He’s pretty good where he is right now. That’s why, if this thing works, I’m so excited. Because I know where he is, and I know how much improvement he can make, so I see a very bright future down the road.”
