As soon as Jaiden Taylor tried to get up after a tackle, he noticed something was wrong. Very wrong.
Taylor — now a senior Riverside wide receiver, more commonly known by his nickname “Speedy” — felt a pain in his lower leg after a play against Eastside last season. He tried to walk it off.
That walking quickly turned to limping. That limping even sooner turned to tears.
After three more plays, Taylor couldn’t take the pain anymore. He was helped to the sidelines. Trainers on the Riverside bench informed Taylor that his worst-case scenario had likely just come true.
Taylor had torn his ACL.
“It’s the last thing you ever want to hear,” said Taylor. “Especially with the season I was having up to that point.”
Through four games that year, Taylor was top 10 statewide in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. His ACL injury kept him out for the remainder of the year.
Taylor’s hot start to the season meant he was receiving attention from college coaches, as well. But after his injury, it got quieter for Taylor.
Now, he’s ready to hear the noise again. Taylor is more motivated than ever, too.
“It hurt so bad to miss the remainder of my junior season with how I was playing,” said Taylor. “It was a terrible feeling.”
Taylor never let the silence define him, though. He used the silence as fuel, working that much harder through his recovery process and rehabilitation. Now, with his senior season on the horizon, he’s determined to make this last year count.
“They [doctors] originally told me that this was going to keep me off the field for a year,” said Taylor. “The first thought was that I wouldn’t even be back until the playoffs this season.”
Taylor put his head down, kept the faith, and ground through his recovery process. He’s now estimated to make a return by week two or three of this season.
He credits his trainer, Adekunle Olusanya aka “AK”, for pushing him to his limits to streamline his healing.
“AK put me through hard work, but it was all so I could get back on the field quicker. It paid off in the end,” said Taylor. “If there’s anyone else out there who has an ACL injury and needs to see someone, AK is the guy. He’s amazing.”
Taylor is back on the practice field for Riverside, getting fully reacclimated to the game as he rounds out the last stage of his recovery. But don’t get him wrong. If he was allowed, he’d suit up and play full pads today.
“Man, if I could go out there right now, you already know I would.”
Taylor, who says he feels “overlooked” because of his height (5-foot-7) says he’s itching to get back on the gridiron and give college scouts some more tape. He believes his senior season will be a big one.
Taylor wants to put the whole state, and in his words, “the whole nation” on notice.
“I’m going out there with a chip on my shoulder. I always do,” said Taylor. “That’s because I’m going to show people that I’m really that guy. I’m here to make a statement, here to leave a legacy at Riverside.
“This year, every coach out there is going to know my name is Jaiden ‘Speedy’ Taylor. I will be number one in the nation.”
For more coverage of Greer-area sports, follow @GreerNewsSports on X.
