Jesuit Dallas senior Jake Taylor was named the National Football Foundation Gridiron Club of Dallas Scholar Athlete of the Year in a virtual award banquet presented on Sunday evening. Taylor was one of 71 student-athletes across the expanse of the Metroplex to be named a NFF scholar-athlete, and was selected by the NFF Gridiron Club Board of Directors as the student-athlete that best exemplified scholastic, athletic and community accomplishment.
 
Taylor earned the honor from a group of 71 student-athletes from across all classifications of North Texas high school football. The stellar senior adds the honor to a long list of accolades, a list that included an all-district first team selection this fall after wrapping up a fantastic three-year career on the varsity roster.
 
This fall, Taylor ran for 1,021 yards and 15 touchdowns this season, serving as a major catalyst for a high-powered offense that averaged 44.5 points per game. He hit a personal milestone on Nov. 13, 2020, hitting the 2,000-yard career rushing yardage mark in a win over Nimitz, and rushed for a career-high three touchdowns on two occasions; the team's district opening win over J.J. Pearce (Oct. 23) and the regular season finale against Richardson (Nov. 30).
 
The running back ended his Jesuit career with 2,504 yards, the second-highest career rushing yard total for any Ranger since the 2015 season. He carried the ball 451 times during his career, and ends his Jesuit tenure averaging 5.55 yards per carry. In 2018, Taylor was named the team's Newcomer of the Year after erupting onto the scene for 353 yards and wo touchdowns, then was a two-time all-district selection during his junior campaign. Taylor was named a second team kick returner and honorable mention running back in 2019 after rushing for a team-high 1,135 yards and eight touchdowns.
 
The NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas has grown steadily since its inception in 2008 with well over 150 members. The chapter holds several social events every year that bring together the football community and the highlight event is the annual Scholar-Athlete Banquet held each spring. Former Plano ISD Athletic Director Gerald Brence and 2020 award recipient Clarke Pino from Trinity Christian Academy, Jesuit Dallas football head coach Brandon Hickman were in attendance for the presentation of the award, which is sponsored by Clay Cooley Auto Group.
 
Taylor will retain possession of the trophy until the 2022 NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas Scholar-Athlete Banquet, at which point he will attend to present the award to the next winner of the prestigious honor.