Who is the best find for the Indianapolis Colts’ since Andrew Luck? Many fans would say, Darius Leonard, Quenton Nelson, or even Marlon Mack. But someone who had a huge impact straightaway was Jonathan Taylor. Some wonder why was there even a chat about him leaving the Colts in 2022.

The Colts RB has enjoyed some notable seasons early on for a newbie! Getting his first Pro Bowl selections in the second year itself? Check. Leading the league in rushing touchdowns with 18 in the same year? Check. This guy now has a $42 million contract with his current team, inked for 3 years. He’s earning $14 million on average per year. But Taylor didn’t get it easy, especially with a complex parenthood.

Who is Jonathan Taylor’s mom?

Jonathan’s mother is Elizabeth Taylor, who worked as a medical technology staff member at a local hospital in Salem. Elizabeth got married to Jonathan James in the 90s. Yep, the running back and his father share the same name. He was born to the couple in the January of 99. But he had to spend most of his childhood with his mother. As the couple went their separate ways after a young Jonathan was born.

Elizabeth got custody of the child and young Jonathan spent most of his childhood with siblings from his mother’s side. Along with those four siblings, he lived with his mother in Salem, New Jersey. He made a name for himself at local school football. The RB shattered records, rushing for 4,642 yards and scoring 51 touchdowns. This all happened while Taylor grew up basking in his mother’s love, which she openly addressed. Especially when Taylor was drafted into the NFL, she was quite emotional and happy, evident in the moment that was shared by the NFL player on his Instagram.

Who is the Colt RB’s Dad?

Talking about his Dad, that’s where his sporting genes come from. Jonathan James was a professional basketball player back then. Although he didn’t make it to the NBA, he played basketball for the Gators from 1982 to 1986. Taylor has never commented about how he dealt with his parents’ separation, maybe the post-divorce equation between the two was the reason.

Even after the separation, the relationship was cordial between James and Elizabeth. This helped the young Jonathan, as his father was the one who saw the game sense in his son. Even now James is seen attending his son’s games. It’s so wholesome to see the parents even after their separation, still giving all for their child.

Where did Jonathan Taylor grow up?

After spending his formative years in Salem, his mother got him admitted to Salem High School. There, he was honored with the Jim Henry Award as the high school area player of the year for New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. His senior year was also quite good, with 2,815 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns. Taylor was initially at Rutgers University but later switched to the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2016. At Wisconsin, Taylor continued to excel, becoming the first player in history to rush for more than 6,000 yards in any three years. This performance got him his NFL draft in 2o20. From that time on, he never looked back.

He was selected to the Pro Bowl in both 2021 and 2024. In just his second year, he was named to First-Team All-Pro. But hold on, he has an NFL record for the most consecutive games with at least 100 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. Talking about his 2024 season, he rushed for 1,431 yards, which put him 4th in the entire NFL. He also scored 11 rushing touchdowns, tying him for 11th place in the league. To top it off, he averaged 4.7 yards per carry. Those are some pretty solid stats for the star running back. But Taylor will feel half-done because of the injuries this season as the Colts couldn’t manage to go all the way.