Fordham University senior linebacker Marcus Taylor not only closed out his collegiate career by being named the 2006 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, but also had the honor of appearing amongSports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd” section in the magazine’s Dec. 11 issue.
Taylor, a 6-1, 244-pound linebacker, became the third Ram to earn Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year honors, joining Mark Blazejewski and Aaron Dougherty, who received the award in 1992 an 1993, respectively.
On the year, Taylor led the Rams with 116 total tackles, 53 solo, including a team-high 12 tackles for a loss. He also recorded four quarterback sacks in 2006 and intercepted a team-best three passes while breaking up four others. Taylor forced four fumbles this fall and he recovered four fumbles, one of which he returned 43 yards for a touchdown against Patriot League champions, Lafayette.
Taylor, who was named Second Team All-Patriot League in 2005, leads the league in both forced fumbles and fumbles recovered, while ranking second in total tackles, tied for fifth in sacks and sixth in tackles for a loss. Nationally, he is ranked 11th in the NCAA I-AA in total tackles and 49th in tackles for a loss.
Over his four-year Fordham career, Taylor recorded 282 total tackles, 150 solo, including 19.5 tackles for a loss and seven sacks, in 44 career games. He also has six career interceptions and seven forced fumbles along with five fumble recoveries.
