ORLANDO, Fla. -- Blaise Taylor won't say if he feels he should have been named to an All-Sun Belt Conference team for defense instead of, or in addition to, special teams.
But his father will.
"I think his play warranted it," said Trooper Taylor, who is Arkansas State's cornerbacks coach as well as Blaise's father.
The younger Taylor is just as happy letting his play do the talking.
"As long as we win, that other stuff won't matter," he said.
Refusing to admit to any slight, Blaise Taylor will try to cap a solid season in two areas -- on defense and special teams -- in a similar way in today's Cure Bowl against Central Florida. When it's over, his role for ASU will become a bit different. He'll go from being a dependable contributor to one of ASU's most experienced defenders, having to lead on a group that will lose seven starters for next season, including fellow cornerback Chris Humes and safeties Money Hunter and Chris Brown.
Trooper Taylor said that means being a bit more like, well, him in some areas.
"He doesn't say a lot like his dad does," said Taylor, one of the more outspoken members of ASU's coaching staff. "Obviously, when he does talk, they pay attention. But I think that's where he's got to develop better skills."
His play did plenty of talking this season.
Blaise Taylor has returned punts since he's been on campus, but he played more cornerback this year than he has at any point in his career. The volume of play yielded results. He intercepted 3 passes, broke up 9 others and his 12 passes defended were the second-most in the Sun Belt.
"I told him that's a good thing and a bad thing," Trooper Taylor said. "That means they're throwing at you. But he loves that."
That's how Blaise Taylor said he thinks he developed so well this season. With Chris Humes on one side of the field, opposing teams saw Taylor on the other side with his generously listed height of 5-9. So he became an easy target for the opposition.
"I've kind of answered to that basically my whole life," he said of his height. "Teams are going to target me. But that just gives me more opportunities to make plays. I feel like I'm getting better and better with every game I play."
Trooper Taylor said he doesn't grade his son's film in an effort to avoid any bias. Another coach will do so first and then he'll will look them over. They've all been satisfactory.
"I think in three years he's missed one assignment," he said.
Throughout this season, Trooper said he has seen his son helping out with other defensive backs, too. When Rocky Hayes departed after last season, Taylor was the only experienced corner remaining. So they moved Humes from safety to corner. Junior Nehemiah Wagner relieved in spots, and most of the time he did so with Blaise Taylor's aid.
"A lot of times I'll stand back and watch him help," Trooper Taylor said. "He'll take Nehemiah Wagner and say ,'When they cut here, they'll slant. When they do this, they'll do that.' It's almost like having another coach."
It helps that he had a good year on the field himself, too. It showed mostly in a victory over Georgia State, when he intercepted a pass to stop a drive and then returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter.
Taylor said doing both requires better conditioning, but he doesn't want to give up either responsibility. He'll add defensive leader to his plate next season as well, considering he's one of just four starters with remaining eligibility.
Like his father, he said he knows it's a role he can't shy away from.
"Everybody is going to be gone," he said. "Coming into the spring and over the summer, I've got to help a lot of guys catch up. Just help guys get better as well as myself. Work toward having a better year."
Sports on 12/17/2016