How Jackson State football coach TC Taylor mentors top Mississippi high school team's coach
There is one person who calls Jackson State football coach T.C. Taylor by his nickname “Top Cat.”
Meet Chris Jones, Starkville's football coach, whose team is ranked No. 1 in the Mississippi Super 25 high school football poll.
Taylor has mentored Jones from the time they were teammates at JSU to today. Taylor used to wake Jones in the mornings as a freshman and took him to the weight room to lift together. They are close as brothers and ran routes together in practices and games.
Starkville hosts No. 4 Louisville on Friday at 7 p.m. Starkville returns two Dandy Dozen players with quarterback Trey Petty and four-star receiver Braylon Burnside.
Jones was present at Taylor’s lowest moment as a college athlete, when Taylor moved from quarterback to receiver when Robert Kent replaced him as quarterback in the third game of the 2000 season.
“There was no pouting with T.C., when he moved to receiver,” Jones said. “He (Taylor) was all about the team. He put his head down and went to work and figured out a way to help the team win.”
Jones said there was a magic about Taylor, who in his senior year broke the JSU records for receptions with 84 and had 1,234 yards and 11 touchdowns and was named third-team All-American by The Sports Network.
After Taylor was cut by the New England Patriots in 2003, he came back to coach at Coahoma Community College in 2005.
“What T.C. (Taylor) did for me,” Jones said, “showed me how big of a person he was. When T.C. (Taylor) was released from the Patriots, he came back to Jackson State and mentored me. After practice, he would run me through drills as a receiver.”
Jones' hard work paid off when he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Minnesota Vikings in 2005. He also played with the Seattle Seahawks (2006-2007). Jones’ finished his career playing in the Canadian Football League for the Kansas Brigade and Saskatchewan Roughriders (2008-20009).
“Chris Jones was a receiver here when I played,” Taylor said. “Phenomenal athlete and played with the Vikings. He was a year behind me and now he’s a tremendous football coach."
After his playing career ended, Taylor continued to mentor Jones, who was making the adjustment to being a football coach.
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“We’ve been good buddies since 2000, when I first went to Jackson State,” Jones said. “I talk to T.C. (Taylor) before every game and at least once a week. He has mentored me as a coach.”
Jones said Taylor taught him the professionalism of being a coach, and how to be patient with players and his career.
Jones was named the 2022 Coach of the Year for 6A by the Mississippi Association of Coaches, as his Starkville team beat Brandon 48-32 for the 6A championship last season.
Jones is 70-16 at Starkville and was 45-12 at Kemper County with a state title in 2016. Jones overall record is 115-28 in 11 years with two state titles.
“You see the things he is doing at Starkville High School, developing those guys, and he has guys playing at a high level," Taylor said. "We recruit that high school, very proud of coach Jones and what he is doing.”
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson State football: TC Taylor mentors Starksville coach Chris Jones
