The paparazzi came to Redskins Park yesterday. Cameras clicked, young sons were lifted on their father’s shoulders and the crowd surged towards the ropes.
Jason Taylor’s debut was short -— a thunderstorm sending the crowd away before autographs — but there’s little doubt he’s now the team’s biggest star. It won’t be long before a third Taylor jersey fills the FedEx Field stands. Charley, Sean and now Jason are becoming the Taylor trinity of Redskins gear.
Taylor shoves aside Clinton Portis as the face of the franchise — its biggest name since Deion Sanders passed through in 2000. While football fans already knew him, Taylor gained a second following during his offseason role in “Dancing with the Stars.” Taylor finished second in the weekly series with 22.4 million watching the finale. Suddenly, a team that already owns the market gains a star whose fans didn’t care about the sport before.
It’s like David Beckham playing the real sport of football. My wife couldn’t name one Redskin until yesterday. She’s now interested in the team because of him. There are plenty more just like her.
Maybe the Redskins should hire boxing announcer Michael Buffer for pregame introductions. “Let’s get ready to rumbaaaaaa!”
Already, teammates joked over making the new guy dance. Maybe it was those Dolphins cleats Taylor’s still wearing that made them willing to tango with the new guy.
“If they’re messing with me it means they like me,” Taylor said.
What’s not to like? A gregarious guy sans a big ego who makes the team better has arrived. Taylor isn’t the missing piece to a Super Bowl contender, but he’s a positive step.
Taylor admitted feeling like the new kid. He sat with former teammate Todd Wade like anyonetransferring into a new school looks for a familiar face. There were no initiation rites, no hazing, though. The 11-year veteran joked of not bringing donuts or carrying bags like some rookie.
No. 99 was left in Miami with Taylor choosing 55 because he likes double digits and wore it once in the Senior Bowl. Maybe former Redskins Chris Hanburger doesn’t mind another multi-Pro Bowler wearing his number. Getting used to the jersey color was surprisingly hard for Taylor. The helmet earned a double take.
“It was very different,” Taylor said. “I think it was obvious to guys in the locker room I was uneasy at first. After 11 years of doing something else, this is a new change.”
After an offseason of working the dance floor instead of camps, Taylor stood around watching plays, learning terminology. Football is football, though, especially when rushing the passer is the primary task.
“I’ve played long enough that it’s very familiar,” he said. “It’s like riding a bike. You might lose your balance at first, but you still know how to ride.
“No matter what you do the previous year you have to prove yourself every year, every week. These guys know what I’ve done in the past, but that doesn’t mean anything to them.”
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Contact him at [email protected].
