By Ed Birch, Special Writer
SBHS senior T.J. Taylor, co-captain and star player from this year’s State Championship South Brunswick Vikings football squad has officially signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Rutgers University’s Scarlet Knight football program.
The Big East powerhouse team from New Brunswick will soon be competing in the Big Ten Conference, considered by many to be the premier conference in all of NCAA Division I football.
The official letter signing took place at the instant the official signing period began, at around 7 a.m. Wednesday morning.
The signing took place at a media gathering at South Brunswick High School. Mr. Taylor signed his letter under the supervision of parents Deborah and Timothy Taylor and Vikings Head Coach Joe Goerge and Principal Peter Varela.
After the signing, the paperwork was immediately faxed to Compliance Officials at the Scarlet Knights headquarters at Rutgers University.
After receiving telephone confirmation from Rutgers administration that the paperwork was indeed acceptable, Mr. Taylor and his head coach addressed the assembled media.
”Today’s events certainly took a lot off my shoulders. I made the decision in June 2012 to take my next level of athletics and education to Rutgers” said Taylor. “This is certainly a dream come true for me and my family. For the longest time, I have attended every home game that Rutgers has played in Piscataway. Coach (Kyle) Flood and his staff presented me with a great academic and athletic future. I know that it will be a great honor to play for a team that I have always watched while growing up and the university is located in the same New Jersey town where my grandparents live..”
Mr. Taylor, a key part of this year’s championship run, played his final high school game on the Rutgers Piscataway field that will soon be his home turf as a Scarlet Knight.
”The greatest part of this honor is the fact that I played my final high school game (the championship game against Manalapan High School) on the same field that I will be competing for my college career.” Mr. Taylor said. “The championship game really gave me a once in a lifetime dream not only to play, but to play at Rutgers.”
Rutgers Assistant Coach (Robert) Smith has informed Taylor that he is being slotted for a defensive safety position with the team.
He also will be considered to play other positions once Head Coach Kyle Flood’s training season gets under way, according to Mr. Taylor.
Vikings Head Coach Joseph Goerge praised Mr. Taylor for his leadership and playing ability as well as his academic success during his high school career.
”TJ played for three different head coaches during his high school career. While the system did not offer him much stability, he certainly used his skills to offer his talents to everyone that he played with” said the second year head coach.
Later on that afternoon, Rutgers Head Coach Kyle Flood addressed the national media to officially announce his 2013 Recruiting Class, which includes Mr. Taylor.
He said that, along with his staff, the team had recruited 22 players from different parts of the country, featuring 11 players from New Jersey.
In describing Mr.Taylor, Coach Flood talked about the highly talented program run by Coach Goerge in South Brunswick.
He said Mr. Taylor possesses “a very long body that we believe is still growing.”
”He could put on over 20 pounds within the next 1 and a half years, and we feel that he runs very well,” Coach Flood said. “He will certainly pick up a lot of speed within the next year.”
In addressing the talents of the new player, Coach Flood said that this decision will prove to be a very special dream come true for T.J.
”He grew up in South Brunswick, right in the shadows of this program. He starred for South Brunswick, he starred on High Point’s field during the high school championship, and he really paints a positive picture for football in New Jersey,” Coach Flood said. “He is a big local talent and has been schooled in an excellent high school program. The students of South Brunswick High School will have four more years of watching one of their own compete in our program, after watching Mohammed Sanu and Jevon Tyree become part of our program.”
Coach Flood said that the hardest part of recruiting is finding the right skilled player and making sure that he is the proper size and academically and athletically skilled to become part of the Scarlet Knights program.
In summarizing the Recruitment Class, Coach Flood stated that “as a Head Coach, I am very pleased with this class, but as a Position Coach, I would feel that there is always room for improvement.”
Tariq Ahmad, Director of Recruiting Operations for Rutgers jokingly suggested that Rutgers should open an office within South Brunswick High School.
On the eve of the signing, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver and Rutgers and Vikings prior standout Mohammed Sanu expressed his support of Mr. Taylor’s decision to attend Rutgers.
”I am very excited that T.J. has made this decision and the Rutgers program will be going on to bigger and better things as they join the Big Ten,” Mr. Sanu, the first SBHS alumnus to go pro, said.

