Jamar Taylor considered quitting football

Talk about a strange season for the Miami Dolphins in 2013. From injuries, winning and losing streaks, suspensions, bullying, and players quitting, nothing seemed to go right for the South Florida franchise. This week, cornerback Jamar Taylor admitted, he considered making the season even more weird for Miami, nearly quitting football a few months after the team made him a second round pick.

Taylor came to Miami expecting to have a big season. While he likely would not have been the starting cornerback opposite Brent Grimes in Week 1, he should have been set to see plenty of playing time and be challenging for one of the top spots by the end of the year. Things did not work out that way for the former Boise State star.

Instead, Taylor suffered through injuries, including a sports hernia and a torn muscle in his groin. He missed seven complete games, and was limited in his playing time in the other nine. He could never get back to 100-percent before the next obstacle jumped up in front of him. For fans, it was frustrating. For Taylor, it was demoralizing.

Taylor, who spent most of the offseason back in Boise, working out on his college campus and spending time with his girlfriend, a member of Boise State's track team, spoke this week with the Idaho Statesman's Chadd Cripe. He explained last year's disappointment, “It was to the point last year I thought I was done playing football,” Taylor said. “I didn’t want to play anymore. I was out of it. Thank God for my girlfriend, my family, my pastors and God — because I made it through and kept working. I’m really looking forward to this year. I’m going to turn a lot of heads.”

“Coming back, not being myself," Taylor continued about his recovery process. "Being slower, not as quick, not as agile — watching on Sunday, knowing you want to play, knowing you’re better than some guys and there’s nothing you can do about it."

Taylor is expected to compete for a starting position with free agenct signing Cortland Finnegan this year. The Dolphins will be relying heavily on Taylor and fellow 2013 draft pick Will Davis. Now that he is healthy and ready to get back to football, Taylor is happy that his family kept his head into football last year as he questioned his own ability. This season should be a big one for Taylor, and show the Dolphins, and the fans, the talent that earned him a second round pick.