Legendary USC safety Taylor Mays on 2026 College Football Hall of Fame ballot
On Monday, the College Football Hall of Fame announced its ballot for the class of 2026. Included on this year's ballot is legendary USC safety Taylor Mays.
A blue-chip recruit from the state of Washington, Mays played for Pete Carroll's Trojans from 2006 through 2009. He had one of the most decorated careers of any player in college football history, being named a first-team All-American an astonishing three times (and was a second-team All-American as a freshman in 2006).
Known for his hard-hitting abilities, Mays was one of the driving forces behind the Trojans' elite defenses of the latter half of the Carroll era. During his time at USC, Mays won three Pac-10 titles and three Rose Bowls.
Mays was picked in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft, and would go on to play six seasons in the league. Since the conclusion of his playing career, Mays has gotten into coaching, spending the past three seasons on Lincoln Riley's staff at USC as a defensive analyst. In January, he was named the safeties coach at Washington.
One of the greatest Jewish football players of all-time, Mays was inducted into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2011. 14 years later, he is looking to add another hall of fame to his resume.
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