The Under Armour All-America Game features some of the best high school football recruits as they descend down to the Sunshine State to showcase their abilities on national television.
One of those players is running back Kelvin Taylor (Glades Day/ Belle Glade, Fla.), who was the first Florida Gator commit to show up at registration. Participating in the Under Armour event is something Taylor has been looking forward to for a long time.
“I’m just very blessed and humbled by this experience. It’s a great feeling to go out there and compete and to play with the best players in the nation,” Taylor said.
Along with competing with other top football recruits, Taylor will have the opportunity to play alongside fellow Gators commits for the first time and he can’t wait to hit the field with them.
“That’s going to be exciting. I can’t wait for that to play with Caleb [Brantley], Vernon [Hargreaves] and Marcel [Harris]. We’re going to do a great job,” Taylor said.
This week essentially concludes the 6-foot-1, 216-pound senior’s high school career and Taylor will be amidst one of the biggest transitions in his life. Taylor believes the key to adjusting to college life will be patience.
“It’s a different feeling,” Taylor said,” but you just have to get accustomed to it. You really can’t rush anything and you just have to enjoy this time right now.”
“I can’t wait to get up [at Florida]. I can’t wait to start working out with the team and start getting in classrooms and get my feel around campus,” he added.
As he transitions into college life, Taylor said his father, former running back Fred Taylor, has been making sure to give him advice on how to adjust and act while in college.
“He just tells me to go in there and work hard. Nothing is going to be given to you and that’s the way it’s supposed to be. I don’t want anything to be given to me,” the younger Taylor said.
“And he always tells me to keep those grades up in the classroom,” Taylor added.
Although he’s ecstatic about finally enrolling into Florida, Taylor is making sure to enjoy this week, especially with all of the free apparel given to the participants.
“I’m like a little kid again with all of these goodies,” Taylor said looking through his Under Armour bag. “I’m about to go in my room and flip it all out on my bed and check it out.”
Taylor has been committed to the Gators since February and he’s been vocal about how much he loves the program, however, he tries to stay away from recruiting other players to the school.
“I really stay out of that part,” Taylor said about recruiting other players to Florida. “If you want to be a Gator, you’re going to be a Gator. You just have to talk it over with your family and friends. If it’s in your heart to be a Gator, you got to come in and be a Gator or you’ll just you’re going to get beat up for the next four years.”
Although he’s ecstatic about finally enrolling into Florida, Taylor is making sure to enjoy this week, especially with all of the free apparel given to the participants.
“I’m like a little kid again with all of these goodies,” Taylor said looking through his Under Armour bag. “I’m about to go in my room and flip it all out on my bed and check it out.”
Taylor will be wearing the No. 21 jersey for the Black Team. The game will be televised on ESPN on Jan. 4 at 5 p.m. EST.