With his father as his inspiration, 22-year-old Juwan Taylor, is defying all odds by breaking down barriers. Being born and raised in West Jackson, Mississippi, distractions are everywhere. It’s so easy to do the wrong thing and so hard to do the right thing. Nevertheless, Taylor did the right thing. He stated, “I just wanted better for myself. With my dad sacrificing so much for me to play football and go to school, it was a must that I take advantage of the opportunity given to me and do the right thing with it.”
Being the eldest of 4 siblings, he found an outlet through football as he excelled at Provine High School and then carried his greatness to the collegiate level at Northeast Community College in Booneville, Mississippi. Transitioning from high school football to college football was simplistic for Taylor and it showed in numerous accolades as he became a member of the All-Decade Football Team and was recognized as a member of the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC) All-State 1st Team twice.
As his time began to expire at Northeast, he contemplated his next move thoroughly. Without a doubt, he knew Alcorn State University (ASU) was the place for him because of its “winning program and family-oriented atmosphere.” As a transfer player, he had no problem coming in and making a statement as an integral part of the 2019 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Championship team.
Because football is such a vital piece of Taylor’s life, accepting the fact that the season was postponed was hard for him to accept. He thought it was unfair for SWAC players to have to sit out while other players in other conferences played. Taylor figured the SWAC should just take those same precautions but his position changed after watching some of his teammates battle Covid-19. He stated, “I am taking this time to prepare myself and train. Though there will be less games, the games we do have will bring more exposure plus we are one of the few conferences that decided to play in the Spring, so for that I am grateful.”