The late Sean Taylor, who was tragically shot at his Miami area home on November 26, 2007, has left a lasting legacy in the NFL. Now, a decade later, his daughter, Jackie Taylor is carrying that legacy on the volleyball court at the University of North Carolina.
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Interestingly, in an interview on the Pivot Podcast, the 18-year-old girl, standing at 6’1″, admitted that she feels “short” on the volleyball court where her peers tower well over six feet.
Factoring in her daily experience, Jackie said:
“I don’t feel short when I play. I don’t think, “Oh, I’m short,” when I play. I play like I’m the biggest person there. But when you look at, like, 6’3″, 6 feet, in my position, I am considered short.”
Following this, she compared herself to Golden State Warriors star, Stephen Curry, who in spite of his 6-foot height was once considered undersized despite having keen shooting and a high “basketball IQ.”
As rightfully pointed out by Jackie, Curry is now a superstar–he is a two-time NBA scoring champion, a ten-time NBA All-Star, and a ten-time All-NBA selection already at 36.
“It’s like Steph. He’s not a tall basketball player, but he still excels in his game,” she said, hinting at how she wants to defy the norms in volleyball just like Steph did in the NBA.
Considering the road ahead, Jackie understands her switch from high school to college volleyball will be tough–especially going up against more experienced players.
However, she wants to focus on what she can do to put her best foot forward—like being dynamic and quick on the court—which will be key to her success at UNC. She elaborated that her 6’1 height could be a limitation on the court but it pushes her to work harder.
“I’m short, but it allows me to get from the left side to the right side because, as the middle, you need to be dynamic. Getting off the net quickly is important. Obviously, my block—I’m short, but I can still jump, so that helps as well,”
To pay homage to Sean Taylor, Jackie dons jersey No. 21 at UNC–a number which was worn by the ex-NFL Safety while playing with the Commanders. It was unofficially retired by the team in 2007 following his tragic murder.
Now, Jackie flaunts that same jersey number on the volleyball court and hopes to make her father proud in a sport that Sean never played but where his spirit still inspires her.
