Jawaan Taylor learns CPR, makes clear he wants to remain with Jaguars

MELBOURNE — Jawaan Taylor wants nothing more than to remain a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The 6-foot-5, 312-pound offensive lineman is a free agent, coming off a career year that also saw the Jaguars win their first playoff game in five years.

Taylor, who has started all 66 regular season games — and two playoff games — during his four-year career made it clear Tuesday afternoon: he wants to return to Duuuval.

“Most definitely,” Taylor said when asked if he wants to re-sign with the Jaguars. “That’s the team that took the chance on me in the draft, and I’ve been there playing for four seasons now and I’m close to home, I’m two hours away from home, so being able to come back and play for Duval will be a lot of fun, so hopefully that will work out for me.”

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The two-hour drive Taylor speaks of is directly south on I-95 to the city of Cocoa along Florida’s Space Coast.

Taylor was back home with his family Tuesday, and one stop he made was at Brevard County Fire Station No. 47.

There, he got a lesson in CPR, including doing chest compressions, as he looks to bring awareness to cardiac arrest.

You’d think the reason behind this would be Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who suffered a cardiac arrest on the field Jan. 2, and while that was part of it, it has to do with something much more personal. Taylor’s dad Robert died in January 2022 from cardiac arrest.

“We just wanted to have this event to show the fire department’s new technology and how they’re saving cardiac arrest patient lives,” Taylor said in front of about a dozen members of Brevard County Fire Rescue.

Asked if he wants to be an ambassador for people learning CPR and how to save lives, he said: “I definitely want to get into it. Saving lives is big. For people to be able to come home to their families at night and be safe is all that matters.”

Even though he’s disappointed the Jaguars didn’t make it to the Super Bowl, he has a reason to root for the Eagles, and it’s not only because their opponent, the Kansas City Chiefs, are the team that eliminated the Jaguars.

It’s because his cousin and teammate at both Cocoa High School and the University of Florida, CJ Gardner-Johnson, will be playing in the Super Bowl next week as a member of the Eagles.

It marks the third year in a row a Cocoa High player is in the Super Bowl.

Jamel Dean won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers in 2020 and Javian Hawkins won a Super Bowl with the Rams in 2021.

Taylor has a goal of being the next Cocoa High player to make a Super Bowl next year.

“I’m hoping to be the fourth,” he said. “Hopefully I can stick around in Jacksonville and be able to compete for a championship. Seeing all the guys who made it so far, hopefully Chauncey gets him a ring, hopefully my time is coming soon, and I can get one and bring one back to Brevard County soon.”

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Free agent Jawaan Taylor hopes to remain with Jacksonville Jaguars