Jason Taylor former Woodland Hill star finally returns to hometown

BY Bill Lauris

Jason Taylor to play first game as a pro in Pittsburgh

*   Experts what do they know?    By Magoo

One of the top pass rushers in the game of football will be squaring off with Steeler left tackle Marvel Smith.  Jason Taylor, who played football for only one year in High School, made the most of the opportunity by being named on both the Post Gazette’s and Pittsburgh Tribune’s all WPIAL squad.

Taylor, who was home schooled, played on the Woodland Hill team 1992. He credits his High School Coach George Novak as having a huge impact on his career.

" Coach Novak had a tremendous impact on me as a person and a football player, " Taylor told the Football Digest. "You have to remember that I only played one year of high school football and still went on to play college. He played a big role in that. I think you can just look at the success Woodland Hills has had over the years, and you can see what kind of coach he is. There is a reason why they are always one of the top programs around."

Because of Taylor’s lack of high school experience, he matriculated to Akron and played four years for the Zips. The Miami Dolphins took notice of the future All Pro and made him the 73^rd (3^rd round) overall pick in 1997.  In his first season in the NLF Taylor made 11 starts and made an immediate impact by compiling 50 total tackles (43 solo), five sacks for 37 yards lost, two fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and three passes defended. Nine years later Taylor has been named to the pro Bowl as a starter 4 times. Yet during all that time he never had a chance to play in his hometown of Pittsburgh.

''I'm very excited about it,'' Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor told the Miami Herald. ``It's the first time playing a real game up there. I've been in the league 10 years now, finally get to go. I never got a chance to play a real one in the stadium I grew up watching people play in [Three Rivers Stadium]. Twenty years ago, I never would've dreamed it.''

Since 1997, the Steelers and Dolphins have squared off five times, but oddly enough never in Pittsburgh.

On Thursday night, in front of a huge national audience, Taylor and the Miami Dolphins will be part of the atmosphere that will include a Super Bowl Ring presentation ceremony that marks the NFL season opener.

Last season the Miami Dolphins changed their defensive tactics as they employed both the 4-3 and 3-4 defense that asked the talented Taylor to play stand up outside linebacker while in the 3-4. Brand new to the position, Taylor was unsatisfied with his season in 2005, when he recorded 12 sacks.

''I didn't feel like I had a very good year last year,'' Taylor, 32, told the Herald. ``I struggled a lot with the little nagging injury with the foot and the shoulder. I wasn't real happy with the season. But it was a new thing for me to learn. I feel a lot better going into this year. I'm understanding the concepts of the defense more as opposed to just knowing the assignment. I'm understanding why we're checking this, while we're moving to that. I'm understanding it and being able to anticipate what's coming instead of thinking so much.''

However, Taylor will have his hands full as he will most likely face Marvel Smith. Smith is in his 7^th season with the Steelers and is coming off perhaps his finest season ever. In 2005, Smith was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career.

On Thursday night Heinz Field will be full of plenty of hype before the game, but after the kickoff keep the binoculars on number 77 for the Steelers and 99 for the Dolphins. The last time these two squared off, Smith, in the now famous Hurricane game, held Taylor to 0 sacks and a mere 3 tackles on the night.