Five things to know about Bengals receiver Trent Taylor, former Evangel Christian Academy star

Mikey DiLullo, Shreveport Times
·2 min read
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Wide receiver Trent Taylor was activated from the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad on Saturday ahead of Super Bowl LVI on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.

Here's five things to know about the former Louisiana Tech standout:

Born in Cookeville, played high school football in Shreveport

Taylor, 27, was born in Cookeville, Tennessee, and his family moved to Corbin, Kentucky, when he was two.

Taylor's family moved to Louisiana after he finished second grade.

Taylor attended Evangel Christian Academy in Shreveport. He had two 1,000-yard seasons for the Eagles, the first coming as a junior where he caught 65 passes for 1,075 yards and 18 touchdowns, and the second in his senior season with 107 catches for 1,650 yards and 20 touchdowns.

FILE - Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Trent Taylor makes a catch and takes it in for a two-point conversion to tie the game against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second half of the NFL AFC Championship football game, Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022 in Kansas City, Mo. Taylor missed the Super Bowl in Miami with San Francisco with a foot injury that cost him the entire 2019 season. Now the wide receiver has a rare second chance with Cincinnati. (AP Photos/Reed Hoffmann, File)

Played at Louisiana Tech

The 5-foot-8, 178-pound Taylor played four seasons for nearby Louisiana Tech in Ruston.

He had a breakout season as a junior in 2015, recording 1,282 receiving yards and nine touchdowns and was named first team All-Conference USA.

He'd improve as a senior with 1,803 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns and repeated as first team in the conference.

More Trent Taylor: Video: Trent Taylor on bittersweet trip to Super Bowl

Before Cincinnati

Taylor was selected in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers.

His best season in San Francisco came as a rookie when he caught 43 passes for 430 yards and two touchdowns, finishing fourth on the 49ers in receiving yards.

In 2020 he had just 10 catches for 86 yards in 12 games played.

Joining the Bengals

Taylor signed with the Bengals in May 2021 and did not make the roster out of training camp.

He was elevated from the practice squad prior to the Week 15 game against the Denver Broncos, but would primarily play on special teams.

He had two catches for 41 yards, all in the final game of the regular season.

His biggest play of the season and maybe of his career came in the AFC Championship against the Kansas City Chiefs, scoring a two-point conversion to tie the game in the third quarter. The Bengals won in overtime.

Super Bowl experience

Taylor was with the 49ers that made it to Super Bowl in 2019. However, due to an foot injury, he was placed on injured reserve and did not play in the loss to the Chiefs.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Bengals receiver Trent Taylor was high school star in Shreveport, later La Tech