Many athletes dream to make it into a professional league and former Ferris state WR Malik Taylor has made that dream come true.
On July 19, 2019, Taylor signed with the Green Bay Packers. He was waived on Aug. 31 and signed to the practice squad on Sept. 1. He contributed to the Oct. 25 game by making a TD reception in a 35-20 victory over the Texans.
Taylor caught a 1-yard TD pass from Aaron Rodgers in the second quarter to give Green Bay a 21-0 lead. He finished with two receptions for six yards. He’s the first Ferris State product to score an NFL touchdown in over 30 years. On the season, Taylor has three receptions for 26 yards.
“I was excited to see Malik reach the endzone last Sunday,” assistant athletic director of communications Rob Bentley said. “It was also cool seeing a Hall of Famer like Aaron Rodgers so excited for him as well after the play and in the comments I’ve read. He’s definitely deserving of the success he’s had so far this year and I really believe there are bigger and better things still to come for him. He’s made all of Bulldog Nation proud.” Bentley said.
As Taylor pushed through, he made his dream of making it to the NFL. Taylor went undrafted after his final season at Ferris. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent on May 10, 2019, but after a couple of months with the Buccaneers, he was released as a free agent. Almost 5 months later Taylor signed to Green Bay’s practice squad on Sept. 1, 2019, and became a free agent for the Packers.
Looking back to when Taylor played at Ferris, during his junior year Taylor caught 61 passes for 906 yards and six touchdowns as the Bulldogs reached the NCAA Division II Quarterfinals.
Taylor missed most of his senior season due to an injury. He returned late in the year during FSU’s playoff run to the NCAA Division II National Championship game and finished the year with seven catches for 88 yards and score, including an important touchdown in Ferris’ national semifinal win at Minnesota State.
Taylor helped Ferris reach the Division II national semifinals as a junior and the quarterfinals as a senior. He also led the team in receptions both years.
Overall, Taylor’s 2,091 total receiving yards at Ferris ranks seventh in school history and he made 121 total catches in a Bulldog uniform while also ranking as one of the squad’s top return men on special teams.
Many of Taylor’s former Bulldogs teammates are watching his progress.
“I was so happy for him,” Ferris state junior Linebacker Mohamad Amen said. “I played with Malik for two years and after seeing him going through an injury his senior year and never lose focus, turning his dream to reality. I was very excited”
As the season progresses, Taylor looks to continue having an impact on the Green Bay offense. You can watch Malik Taylor and the Packers take on the San Francisco 49ers this Thursday, Nov. 5 in a battle for NFC supremacy.