Trent Taylor

BIOGRAPHY

Born on April 30, 1994, Trent Nelson Taylor emerged as an accomplished American professional football player. He was bred in a landscape where American football mania resided at the heart of its inhabitants. Today, Taylor is recognized as the highly skilled wide receiver and punt returner for the robust and dynamic team, the San Francisco 49ers, as a part of the National Football League (NFL). The trail of his professional journey also contains the significant chapters of playing with the Cincinnati Bengals and Chicago Bears NFL teams.

A native of Shreveport, Louisiana, Taylor’s early love for football was nurtured at Evangel Christian Academy where he played for the Eagles, the academy’s football team. Dominating his senior and junior years, Taylor recorded an impressive 107 receptions for 1,650 yards and 20 touchdowns, and 65 catches for 1,075 yards and 18 touchdowns, respectively. These victories led to his commitment to play college football with Louisiana Tech University.

At Louisiana Tech, Taylor cultivated his craft from 2013 to 2016. Here, his career elevated dramatically as he noted 327 receptions for 4,179 yards and 32 touchdowns, in fact, making the highest receptions ever in the history of the school. Closing his collegiate phase with a bang, Taylor was graced with the MVP title in the 2016 Armed Forces Bowl, in which he recorded 12 receptions for 233 yards and a couple of touchdowns.

Taylor’s journey in the NFL began when the San Francisco 49ers selected him in the fifth round (177th overall) of the 2017 NFL draft. His debut match was on September 10, 2017, against the Carolina Panthers where he managed one reception for eight yards, while kicking off his rookie season by recording an impressive 43 receptions for 430 yards, and couple of touchdowns.

Despite a somewhat lower record in the next season, 2018, with 26 receptions for 215 yards and one touchdown, his journey was briefly paused due to an injury. This unfortunate event occurred after suffering from a setback from an offseason foot surgery, consequently placing him on injured reserve in September of 2019.

However, upon his return to the field in 2020, Taylor marked his first game with two passes caught for 7 yards and returned 2 punts for 21 yards, even though the 49ers finally suffered a loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Despite being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the end of the year, Taylor was activated early next year in 2021. In this season, out of 12 games, he started in one and executed his roles on the offense and punt return duties.

On May 17, 2021, Taylor signed with the Cincinnati Bengals where he was waived and re-signed to the practice squad. Although his regular season noted quite a mixed impression, Taylor did achieve a prominent role in the AFC Championship Game in January 2022. Catching a pass from Joe Burrow, his two-point conversion tied the game at 21, leading to a triumphant victory of 27-24, securing the Bengals’ first Super Bowl appearance since Super Bowl XXIII in 1988.

With the beginning of 2022, Taylor re-signed with the Bengals where he was assigned as the team’s primary punt returner and also working as the backup slot receiver for Tyler Boyd, leading to a victorious season return of 33 punts for 340 total yards.

Despite signing a one-year contract with the Bengals on March 27, 2023, Taylor was released during the final roster cuts in August. Following this, Taylor signed with the Chicago Bears where he played 17 games, performing mostly as a punt returner.

Taylor’s professional journey led him full circle when he signed a one-year deal to return to the San Francisco 49ers on April 16, 2024. He was released towards the end of August and re-signed to the practice squad, proving once again his dedication to the team and the sport. Encapsulating Taylor’s career, it’s plain to see his embodiment of resilience, determination, and consistent athleticism.