Notre Dame Commit Ivan Taylor Is Special On And Off The Field
One of the more impressive players in the Notre Dame 2025 class is Winter Garden (Fla.) West Orange safety Ivan Taylor, who is one of the nation's best players. Taylor certainly has impressive film, but what makes him special is that he's also a top notch young man off the field.
On the field, Taylor is a physical player, having no issue making his impact felt in the run game and mixing it up. There is a switch that turns on the minute he stops on the field.
According to his parents Ike and Danielle Taylor, that balance is what makes Ivan so special. The recruiting process can be hectic, but luckily he has the support system around him to let him enjoy it.
"I think it’s a hectic process but he’s been handling it very well and I think in part, it’s because he is very well grounded," Danielle Taylor told Irish Breakdown. "He has a very strong faith and growing up around Ike as a mentor and the Pittsburgh Steelers, it really helped him through the process.
"Also a huge credit to the Notre Dame coaches,” she continued. "The recruiting staff made Ivan feel very comfortable, which made things a lot better.”
Ike added to the conversation of the support system. Compliments were both laid out to both Ivan and his mother, who he described as the rock of their family.
"You said something about both parents being on the show and that’s just what we do,” Mr. Taylor explained. "We always say teamwork makes the dream work. I mean he’s a special kid. We always talk about him, about our son probably every day.
"We talk about how blessed we are as parents to have him, and how special she is as a mom,” he added. "Just holding the family down and carrying herself as a woman, that’s one. I have to give his mom more props.”
Growing up, Ike also spent some time coaching his son. There was a very early moment when he knew Ivan was special. It was easy to see.
"He’s just different, man,” he stated. "When I found out he was different, he got hit on the sideline. He was playing running back when he was eight years old. I had told Ivan that somebody was going to knock the wind out of him one time, but you just have to suck it up, you have to breathe deep and get back in the game. He was kind of in and out on getting himself back in the game but within four to five plays, he went back in and just took off.
"It was a year later, I took a step back and realized how good he really was,” Ike continued. "We had kids on the team that didn’t come from privilege. They didn’t have the luxury of having an NFL father. They didn’t have the privilege of getting to go to some of the best trainers. They usually have a chip on their shoulder because football is their way to get out. So their mentality can be different. But Ivan’s mentality was just as tough as theirs. Their respect for Ivan, not only as a person but as a teammate as well.”
After it became apparent how good Ivan was, his dad called upon a couple former teammates to come out and make sure he wasn’t biased. One of those teammates included former Steeler great Troy Polumalu. They came out to a game and verified what Ike believed: Ivan was different.
"That dude is a dog,” Taylor explained. "He’s a really good football player. You’re not going to out-physical him. You’re not going to be able to talk trash to him and get away with it, or take him out of his game. You aren’t going to be able to do that stuff. Ivan’s mentality sets him apart.”
Notre Dame isn’t just lucky to get Ivan Taylor the football player, but the person as well. The Florida standout is a special addition to the Irish program. Getting a big time playmaker like him can’t be undersold, especially early on in the process.
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