I've had plenty of wonderful things to say about Ike Taylor's play in 2007. He's locked down opposing WRs this year when in single-coverage. He's been his usual reliable tough self in the running game, and he has exhibited his instincts and understanding of LeBeau's nickel and dime packages in zone coverage.
He's also been a ball-hawk, picking off 2 passes, forcing a fumble, and recovering one more this past Sunday against the Browns.
Taylor's strong play in 2007 has been a big reason why our defense in general, and our pass defense in particular, have been so much more consistent this year than last.
So, when several of Ike's reps asked me if I would post this snazzy image they've designed reminding fans to vote Ike to the Pro-Bowl, I was more than happy to oblige. Taylor does deserve any accolades he may receive for his play this year, and if we don't do our part as fans, Taylor may lose out to bigger named stars, who at this point in their careers, are shoe-ins to Honolulu due to reputation and name recognition alone.
Vote for Ike here. Do it.
The link above takes you to the Pro-Bowl ballot. If you're so inclined, take the time to vote for all positions in both conferences. If you're short on time though, you can click directly to the 'Defense' and 'Cornerbacks' sections to simply cast a vote for Taylor.
All the Steelers could use our support, but Taylor doesn't have the name recognition of a Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward, Alan Faneca or even a Fast Willie Parker. That unfamiliarity could unjustly affect his Pro-Bowl chances year after year, so let's help the man out and show him some love from Steelers Nation during a year where he's played a big role in us being the #1 pass and scoring defense in the NFL.
You guys didn't think I'd let them off the hook that easily though did you? Of course not. In exchange, I asked if Ike would be willing to answer some questions from us fans and they said he would be more than happy to. They couldn't promise an exact deadline during the season, which is more than understandable (Super Bowl first, fan acknowledgment later) but you can be sure that I'll check in to remind them, especially once the season is over. It'd be cool if we heard back from him during the season, but at the very worst, we'd have something fresh and interesting to read during the offseason when Mr. Taylor gets back from Hawaii.
*****************
So, use this thread to submit your questions that you'd like to ask Ike. I'll forward a handful of them along and hopefully have his answers sometime in the future.
Go Steelers!
Update [2007-11-13 11:45:22 by SteelerFan]: Let me chime in here to note that you can up to 25 times per day, per email address, so if you love Ike Taylor (and who doesn't?), use your free time to do something for one of the guy's who is helping to make 2007 a special one so far. Let's get Ike to Hawaii to enjoy some much-deserved recognition for his play. Even if you're not a big awards kind of guy, you have to love watching Ike develop, face adversity, then bounce back over the last couple years. It wasn't long ago that cornerback was a big, big problem for the Steelers. Ike's helped get things turned around. Let's get him to the Pro Bowl. --PB--