For Jackson State coach TC Taylor, the Celebration Bowl is becoming old hat.
It will mark Taylor’s fourth overall appearance in the annual December event when the Tigers arrive in Atlanta this week to prepare for Saturday’s game against MEAC champion South Carolina State after winning the SWAC title for the third time in the last four seasons.
An all-star wide receiver at Jackson State during his college days, Taylor was an assistant under North Carolina Central head coach Jerry Mack when the Eagles played at Grambling State. 2016 Cheer Cup.
Four years later, as Deion Sanders-led Jackson State made back-to-back trips to the Celebration Bowl in 2021 and 2022, Taylor walked as an offensive assistant.
While Taylor raves about the bowl experience, there is one thing he wants more than anything as a head coach.
Finally leaving the Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a win.
“I feel like if I keep going, I’ll eventually get a win,” Taylor said. Sunday’s virtual Celebration Bowl press conference.
Taylor lost in three Celebration Bowls. He followed North Carolina Central’s back-to-back 10-9 losses to Grambling and Jackson State before losing to South Carolina State — both the favorite — and, ironically, NC Central. overtime thriller.
Following the tigers 41-13 win over SouthernHaving qualified them for the actual HBCU national championship game, Taylor reminded his team to “get it done.”
“I told the players, let’s get ready and go. “You have to go about your business like we did on Saturday to get that opportunity,” he said.
A win for Jackson State would give the program its first Open Black National Championship since 1996. And if Taylor and the Tigers get off the mound, he’ll be the first Jackson State coach since James Carson to lead a team to a national championship. as a graduate of the school.
“But just to be able to come back to Atlanta, you know, it’s a great event,” Taylor said. “But you know, as long as I keep going there, eventually we’ll do it. So the world would mean, you know, finally going out there and getting it.”
