Staff Writer
To see senior Terry Taylor walking around the Virginia Tech campus, anyone not acquainted with college basketball may think he has a future in the WWE.
But Taylor, the 6-foot-8-inch, nearly 300-pound center on the Tech men?s basketball team uses his massive size to pull down rebounds and take powerful shots to the hoop.
?My strength and my size are a big part of my game,? said Taylor, who is leading the team in rebounds. ?Night in and night out, it?s almost a guarantee that I?m going to be much stronger than my opponent.?
This strength was certainly put on display Jan. 21 when Taylor muscled through standout players like Elton Brown and
Travis Watson to help lead Tech to a surprise victory over instate rival University of Virginia.
Although Taylor loves to win, the 73-55 win over the Cavaliers was a bit more
special than usual.
?I really enjoyed the win for Coach Ricky Stokes, who was a player and former coach there,? Taylor said. ?It?s always good to give your old colleagues a good old-fashioned butt whipping at times. They came in the house thinking they were going to do whatever they wanted to do to us. That night, it wasn?t the case.?
Taylor was also delighted by the number of fans at the UVa game, who stormed the court at the end to show their excitement over the victory.
?It was crazy,? Taylor said of the crowd.
?I know it was a big game, and I expected a big crowd. Everyone rushing the court was just suffocating. I just had to get out because I felt like I couldn?t breathe, but I wouldn?t mind having that feeling again.?
Just being where he is today is a great feeling for Taylor, who grew up dealing with a lot of adversity, eventually causing him to drop out of high school.
Although he could have easily given in to the pressures around him, he chose to take the high road by finishing high school, going to junior college and coming to Tech for a well-rounded education.
?It?s a blessing from God,? he said. ?When I look back on everything, it?s just a blessing to be here and to have overcome those things and not let them hold me down. I just put those things in the past now and look on to the future.?
Earlier this season, Taylor was named Big East Player of the week.
He is the first ? and so far the only ? player in Tech history to ever receive this honor, setting a standard for all Hokie basketball players.
?It?s a great standard to set,? Taylor said. ?I?m glad to be the first since I?ve opened the door for many more. The Big East will start looking at Tech more since there?s one now because there will be others.
I don?t think it will be long before Bryant Matthews and Carlos Dixon receive the honor.?
With Tech?s basketball program getting better every season, Taylor is honored to be a member of the team that is defining a level of higher play in Blacksburg.
?It would give me great joy 10 years from now to see Virginia Tech in the top 25,? Taylor said.
?I would be happy to know that I started that and was one of the first few building blocks to it.?