Chester Taylor

Chester Lamar Taylor (born September 22, 1979), nicknamed "Che Tay", is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL draft. In 2006, he signed with the Minnesota Vikings and played four seasons before signing with the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the Toledo Rockets.

Early life Taylor was a four-time all-state running back and sprinter at River Rouge High School before attending the University of Toledo. While at Toledo, Taylor set school records for rushing yards and touchdowns. In 2001, he led the Rockets to an impressive victory over in-state rival Cincinnati Bearcats in the Motor City Bowl, giving Toledo their first bowl win since the 1995 Las Vegas Bowl. He was named the MVP of the game with 31 (Motor City Bowl Record) carries for 190 yards (then a Motor City Bowl Record) and a touchdown. In track, Taylor competed in the 100-meter dash and recorded a PR of 11.14 seconds.

Taylor ranked seventh in nation for the 2001 season with 1,492 rushing yards (268 attempts, 5.3 yards-per-carry) and 20 touchdowns. He also hauled in 26 receptions for 242 yards and three touchdowns, with a longest reception of 43 yards.

Taylor was named North Team MVP in the 2002 Hula Bowl.

Professional career

Baltimore Ravens Taylor was taken with the 35th pick in the sixth round (207th overall) of the 2002 NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens. He spent four years backing up Jamal Lewis, seeing minimal yet increasing playing time throughout his tenure with the team. He also developed himself as a receiving threat, making him the Ravens third down back.

Minnesota Vikings Taylor was signed by the Minnesota Vikings to a four-year, $14.1 million contract on March 12, 2006. On October 22, 2006, Taylor set a Vikings franchise record for longest run from scrimmage when he ran for a 95-yard touchdown in the third quarter, which is also an NFL record for the longest run in the 3rd quarter, against the Seattle Seahawks. He also broke 1000 rushing yards for the first time in his NFL career. Taylor and Adrian Peterson were considered one of the NFL's top running back tandems.

Chicago Bears Taylor was signed by the Chicago Bears to a four-year, $12.5 million contract on March 5, 2010. In 2010, Taylor shared carries with running back Matt Forte. His stats fell compared to his times with the Ravens and Vikings and rushed for only 267 yards on 112 carries for a 2.4 yard average.

Taylor was released by Chicago during final cuts on September 3, 2011.

Arizona Cardinals Taylor was claimed via waivers for a one-year contract by the Arizona Cardinals on September 4, 2011.

Career statistics

NFL Legend Led the league Bold Career high

Regular season Year Team Games Rushing Receiving GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD 2002 BAL 15 2 33 122 3.7 17 0 14 129 9.2 20 2 2003 BAL 16 1 63 276 4.4 32 2 20 132 6.6 23 0 2004 BAL 16 4 160 714 4.5 47 2 30 184 6.1 23 0 2005 BAL 15 1 117 487 4.2 52 0 41 292 7.1 20 1 2006 MIN 15 15 303 1,216 4.0 95 6 42 288 6.9 24 0 2007 MIN 14 8 157 844 5.4 84 7 29 281 9.7 50 0 2008 MIN 16 1 101 399 4.0 21 4 45 399 8.9 47 2 2009 MIN 16 0 94 338 3.6 25 1 44 389 8.8 33 1 2010 CHI 16 1 112 267 2.4 24 3 20 139 7.0 18 0 2011 ARI 12 1 20 77 3.9 34 1 14 91 6.5 17 0 151 34 1,160 4,740 4.1 95 26 299 2,324 7.8 50 6

Playoffs Year Team Games Rushing Receiving GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD 2003 BAL 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 2 19 9.5 16 0 2008 MIN 1 0 12 48 4.0 11 0 5 36 7.2 10 0 2009 MIN 2 0 10 51 5.1 14 0 5 34 6.8 11 0 2010 CHI 2 0 14 46 3.3 11 2 1 12 12.0 12 0 6 0 36 145 4.0 14 2 13 101 7.8 16 0

College Year Team GP Rushing Att Yds Avg TD 1998 Toledo 10 103 570 5.5 5 1999 Toledo 11 182 1,176 6.5 12 2000 Toledo 11 250 1,470 5.9 18 2001 Toledo 11 268 1,430 5.3 20 Career 43 803 4,646 5.8 55