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"You Get Paid In The End" * Former Santa Monica College head coach, Robert Taylor, passed away this week at the age of 64. For the better part of 30 years, Taylor walked the sidelines as an assistant and head coach for the Corsairs, mentoring the countless young men who crossed his path along the way. Chances are that you haven't heard of Robert Taylor. However, you've probably heard of some of his more well-known players. Cincinnati Bengals' wide receiver, Chad Ochocinco (also known as Chad Johnson) and Carolina Panthers receiver, Steve Smith, were teammates at Santa Monica College from 1997-1998. After struggling with personal and academic problems, both men arrived at the junior college in need of guidance and a second chance. both on and off the field. In these two young and impressionable athletes, Coach Taylor saw something worth taking a chance on. He recognized a unique talent in each: the special type of gift that, with the right attitude, guidance, and opportunity, was capable of taking both men to great heights. In these young men, Taylor saw something similar to what he saw in every young man whom he coached: the potential for a successful life, and, the potential for his own impact to help make that life possible. Now, the job of an inner-city junior college coach is not exactly an easy one, nor is it a financially lucrative one, to say the least. But Robert Taylor never set out for fame, nor did he ever care about fortune. What Taylor cared about was helping young people succeed. As a result, Coach Taylor gave his players more than just a spot on a roster and a seat in the classroom. For many, he gave them a path to college; in some cases, he gave them a path to the NFL. Whatever the case was however, Coach Taylor did his best to give all his young men a path to success in life. While Ochocinco and Smith have gone on to great fame in the NFL, Coach Taylor's legacy extends much further than just these two men. It reaches into the lives of the hundreds of other young men he helped mentor over the years. His career was impressive, but far more impressive however, was the impact he had on those he served. Robert Taylor was more than a football coach; he was a teacher, a mentor, and a father figure to countless young men. *He was a man whose words and whose deeds touched the lives of many.* ~ NFL Films once documented the story of Coach Taylor and several of his more famous players. During the segment, Taylor talked about the importance of serving others and making sacrifices in your own life, in order to help others to become successful in theirs. Taylor talked about the idea of *living and giving*: about how if you did your best to serve others, if you lived the right way, and if you did the right things in life. then eventually you would "get paid in the end" for it. It was a poignant moment, and it was clear the long-time coach realized the magnitude of his life's work. Taylor understood that if he invested himself fully into the young men he coached, and that if he did the best he could to help those men get ahead in life, then it wouldn't matter how much money he made or how much status he received along the way. Taylor knew if he did all the right things, that he would eventually get rewarded for it in the end. "You get paid in the end." were the coach's words. Clearly, Taylor wasn't talking about money or material wealth. He was talking about something far greater: eternal wealth. And so, on the occasion of Robert Taylor's passing on to the "biggest game of all". I would like to offer a grateful thank you to a great coach-and more importantly, to a great man-for the impact that his life and his words have had on so many men, including upon this humble soul. While we may have lost a great one from among the coaching ranks, we can all rest assured that somewhere, high above the football fields of Santa Monica, Coach Taylor is basking in his reward. For an old ball coach. today is finally Pay-day. *Link of the Week:* If anyone who wants to read the story of Steve Smith, Chad Ochocinco, and Coach Taylor. I've included a link to a short article about the subject: http://www.smc.edu/missedinformation/archives/May202004/stories/Taylor.htm
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