The South squad was aimlessly going through practice Tuesday at the Senior Bowl.  The Washington Redskins coaching staff was barking out orders and really giving it to the players for a lackluster practice 30 minutes into the workout for pro scouts and general managers. 

In a run defense drill, LSU safety Brandon Taylor came up in run support and delivered a huge pop on the running back.  The hit caught the attention of the scouts in attendance, all of them were writing notes after that hit.

"I hadn't been able to get my hands on the ball all day, but I had an opportunity to make an open field tackle and put on a big hit," Taylor said.  It was big alright.  Taylor served notice that he wants to catch the eye of an NFL team. 

Taylor says he is willing to do anything it takes. "Specials teams, cornerback, safety, anything they need…  I will just sacrifice my body for the team and organization," he explained.

The loss in the BCS title game to Alabama still doesn't sit well with Taylor. "I think we just came out flat," he said. 

With so many rumors about a rift between players in the locker room over the starting quarterback situation Taylor said that wasn't true. "That's not what happened, we weren't divided or anything like that, and we just lost the game because we didn't play well."

Taylor is just the kind of guy teams are looking for in the middle rounds of the 2012 draft.

From his days of playing for the Franklinton Demons, to moving on to a successful career at LSU, Brandon Taylor has made his mark. 

Taylor comes from a very gifted family that features other solid football players like brothers Curtis and Jhryn, both whom also played for the Tigers at LSU.  “The Taylors… were all great players and all of them were a pleasure to coach,” said Franklinton High School Football Coach Shane Smith.

Brandon is set to join his older brother Curtis in the NFL this spring.  Curtis is a safety for the Oakland Raiders, and now it’s little brother’s shot at the big time.  Brandon knows that his efforts and performances at this week’s Senior Bowl in Mobile are important to his future status.

Taylor exemplifies what a team player truly is.  Entering his senior season at LSU, he was selected to wear jersey #18.  The #18 is reserved for a member of team who has strived to overcome adversity; a tradition started by former #18, quarterback Matt Mauck.

During the previous season, Brandon suffered broken bones and ligament damage in his foot after his cleat snapped during a play against Alabama.  It was an injury similar to what Mauck had suffered during 2002.  Mauck told the Baton Rouge Advocate that Taylor was more than deserving of the privilege to wear #18.  

“I think he’s a tremendous player and person,” Mauck told the Advocate’s Scott Rabalais. “That’s kind of the whole point behind No. 18. You don’t necessarily have to be a star player, but you have to lead on the field and off. He embodies all of that.”

Taylor’s career was solid from start to finish in Baton Rouge.  In four years with the Tigers, Brandon played in 49 games with 33 starts.  He finished his career with 160 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 15 pass breakups and four interceptions; Brandon also started and played in all of the Tigers fourteen games in 2011.