It was Nick Saban’s first year as Miami’s coach, and the team got off to a horrible start, which reached a low point at Cleveland with a humiliating 22-0 loss to the Browns. The loss left the Dolphins with a 3-7 record.
Saban gave his seventh losing postgame speech and then asked if anyone had something to add.
“Never quit!” Taylor yelled as he threw stuff around the locker room. “You never [bleeping] quit! I don’t give a damn if we’re up by 22 or down by 22, you play your [butts] off from whistle to whistle and never [bleeping] quit. If you don’t want to be here, ¦if you don’t want to be a part of this team and give all you’ve got each and every play, then we don’t want you here and we don’t need you here.
The Dolphins flew to Oakland the next week and Taylor collected three sacks, including a safety, helping the team to a 33-21 victory.
The Dolphins didn’t lose again that season.
“I don’t know why I said the part about, ‘If I have to I’ll pay your salary myself,’ ” Taylor said. “Matt Roth told me I scared the heck out of him because I might have hit Matt with something accidentally when I was making my point and throwing stuff around.
Taylor was by that stage far from thinking he might just be a practice-squad player. He had realized that wouldn’t be his career path soon after he arrived in Miami.
Taylor will find out Saturday if he will be considered one of the best of all time.