Jason Taylor Named Honorary Chairman
Miami Dolphins veteran defensive standout Jason Taylor will serve as Honorary Chairman for the NFL Global Junior Championship XI during the build up to Super Bowl XLI.
Junior teams from Canada, France, Japan, Mexico, Panama and the United States will contest a shootout-style jamboree tournament on Wednesday, January 31 to determine who will play in the Championship Game on Saturday, February 3 at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Among his duties as Honorary Chairman, Taylor will perform the coin toss at the Championship Game on February 3, attend a practice of the Team USA Football roster of Broward and Dade County high school student athletes and speak at the event’s welcome banquet.
“I am excited to support an international youth event that shows how the appeal of our game is spreading far and wide,” said Taylor. “I saw when I visited military bases in Germany that the sport is very popular overseas and to welcome teams from three continents is incredible. When I was a high school football player dreaming of what might lay ahead I could never have imagined lining up against players from other countries. This will be a unique experience for everyone.”
The four-time Pro Bowler follows in illustrious footsteps as Honorary Chairman of the NFL Global Junior Championship, which is in its eleventh year. Former Dolphins lineman Dwight Stephenson, Super Bowl quarterback Jake Delhomme, Pro Bowlers LeRoy Butler and La’Roi Glover, NFL coach Dan Reeves and Dallas Cowboys president Tex Schramm have all held the position in previous years. Former banquet speakers include Nick Saban and Mike Alstott.
Taylor was a third-round draft pick (73rd overall) of the Dolphins in 1997. He was selected to the AFC Pro Bowl squad, the fourth such honor of his career. He entered the 2006 season having played and started in 98 straight games, a streak which now totals 103 and dates back to 1999. He has missed a total of only four regular season games in his career, with three of those coming in his rookie season of 1997.
Since 2000, Taylor has amassed 76 sacks, including double-digit totals on four occasions. His sack total over this six-year span is second most in the NFL, trailing only the Giants’ Michael Strahan. His 95.5 career sacks ranks third among active NFL players.
Jason Taylor was a four-year letterman (1993-96) and three-year starter at Akron and during his collegiate career, collected 279 tackles, 41 stops for loss, 21 sacks, seven fumble recoveries, eight forced fumbles and three interceptions. He was a first-team All-Mid-American Conference choice as a senior, when he started at left defensive end.
Married to Katina, couple resides in Davie, Fla., with their two sons, Isaiah Paul and Mason Paul and daughter, Zoe Grace. In July of 2004, he established the Jason Taylor Foundation, which in 2005 contributed more than $200,000 to 27 different organizations dedicated to helping children.