Notre Dame football: Former star Aaron Taylor enters College Football HOF
By Brad Weiss
Notre Dame football saw one of its best offensive linemen of all time enter the College Football HOF, as Aaron Taylor’s induction was announced Monday.
During his time as a member of the Notre Dame football program, offensive lineman Aaron Taylor established himself as the gold standard along the offensive line. A dominant figure at tackle for four seasons, Taylor became a leader for the Irish, carving out a career that ended with him being the No. 16 overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft.
On Monday, Taylor etched his name in the history of college football, as he was one of 11 players inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He becomes the 48th player in Irish history, and the first since Raghib Ismail to earn the honor.
During his career in South Bend, Taylor led the Irish to a 40-8-1, which included a Cotton Bowl victory in his final game with the Irish.
A two-time All-American with the Irish
Taylor is one of three players inducted that were two-time first-team All-Americans, as he was joined by Texas DT Kenneth Sims and ASU safety David Fulcher. He was an absolute mauler during his time with the Irish, and in 1993, his second of two All-American seasons, he won the Lombardi Award, which is given to the best collegiate lineman.
Also, Taylor is the founder of the Joe Moore Award, which is given to the most outstanding offensive line in college football. The Notre Dame football team was a finalist for this award this season, led by All-Americans Aaron Banks and Liam Eichenberg.
His brush with a Lombardi did not end in college, as he also won a Lombardi Trophy in the NFL as a member of the Green Bay Packers. While knee injuries robbed him of having the kind of impact he had at the collegiate level, it still does not diminish the fact that he was a first-round talent, and was a starter on a Super Bowl-winning team.
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Some would argue that Taylor is the best offensive lineman the Irish program has produced, which is incredible praise considering the amount of talent Notre Dame has produced upfront along the offensive line. We wish Taylor congratulations for this incredible honor, and look forward to his enshrinement