Kurtis Taylor knows all about hard work. As a former honorable mention All Big 12 selection while playing defensive end for Iowa State, he came back from a season-ending knee injury in 2006 to record 6.5 sacks in 2007, while being named the comeback player of the year for his team. Now, he has another challenge ahead of him as he tries to break into a new sport.
Fortunately, it is not injury that he will be overcoming in his new journey, although he will encounter more than a few people who would like to hurt him along the way. But he will need more than his football skills to succeed in the world of boxing. His work ethic is clear, as are his willingness to learn and humble attitude, all of which are essential to his ability to succeed in such a violent, and technical sport.
Taylor stopped by the world famous Mayweather Boxing Club this week to check out the gym and see whether or not it might be a good fit for him. He was able to hit pads with such well regarded trainers as Roger Mayweather and Otis Pimpleton, soak up some knowledge from the various pros he spoke with, and most importantly get in some sparring with fellow aspiring fighters to get an idea of where he is at. When we spoke with him, he seemed to be happy with how it all went.
“It’s a blessing to be out here….the Mayweather Boxing Club, it doesn’t get any better than this. I had the pleasure to work with the legendary trainer Roger Mayweather, of working with coach Otis. All the fellas around here, it’s just been a blessing.”
While he weighs his options and considers a move out to Vegas to train in boxing full time, you can bet the rest of the heavyweight division hopes he just stays back home in Iowa and continues with his current job. It may be too early to tell how good he may become, but it is easy to see that he is a freakish athlete that has many of the necessary tools it takes to succeed at the highest level.
His physique, which was built to succeed in football, will obviously need to be adjusted at least somewhat. Big muscles require a lot of oxygen, and he will have to lose some of the bulk if he ever hopes to be able to go a full 12 rounds. However, as a defensive end, many of the things he needed to succeed on the gridiron will also prove very beneficial for boxing. Explosiveness is the most obvious attribute that will carry over.
Only time will tell if Kurtis Taylor becomes the next Mark Gastineau, a football player who tried unsuccessfully to box, or he’s the next Deontay Wilder, a rising star who also pursued boxing at a relatively late age.
Here is what Kurtis had to say when we spoke with him as he wrapped up his week at the gym.
