Who is Tory Taylor? Everything to know about the Bears' fourth-round pick

Who is Tory Taylor? Everything to know about the Bears' fourth-round pick originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

With their fourth-round, and potentially final, pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Bears picked the first special teams player of the day, drafting Iowa punter Tory Taylor.

Taylor was originally born in Melbourne, Australia. He committed to Iowa University to play football there.

He was one of college football's best punters in its history, frequently booting the pigskin for the unproductive Iowa offense. Oftentimes, it seemed like Iowa's best offensive weapons were their defense and Taylor's leg.

Over his four-year career at Iowa, he punted over 13,000 yards, netting a career 46.3 yards per boot (NCAA record). In 2023, he punted the ball 93 times; 295 times total in his career. His longest career punt came in 2022, when he kicked the ball 70 yards.

Taylor was a unanimous All-American last year and won the Ray Guy Award which recognizes the top punter in the nation.

For Trenton Gill --- the Bears' current punter --- this likely means the end of his career in Chicago. Last season, Gill finished dead last among qualified punters in the NFL in net yards per punt at 38.0, which ultimately played a role in the Bears' decision to draft his replacement in Taylor.

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