Owen Taylor

Owen Taylor

Retired
ISFL Hall of Famer
Position:	Running Back
Personal information
Born:	(1997-01-18)January 18, 1997 (aged 69) Omaha, Nebraska
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	225 lb (102 kg)
Username:	manicmav36
Career information
College:	Nebraska
ISFL Draft:	2017  / Round: 3 / Pick: 18
Career history
Roster status:	Retired
Career highlights and awards
NSFL Champion: 2025 NSFL Breakout Player of the Year: 2019 NSFL Most Outstanding Player of the Year: 2025, 2026 NSFL Offensive Player of the Year: 2025, 2026 NSFL Running Back of the Year: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2025, 2026

Owen Taylor, born January 18, 1997, was an American football running back for the Baltimore Hawks of the National Simulation Football League (NSFL). He played college football for Nebraska University before being drafted by the Baltimore Hawks in the 2017 ISFL Draft (S2). Taylor won several awards throughout his career, earning him a place in the NSFL Hall of Fame and a reputation for being one of the greatest running backs of all time.

College career

Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska - the largest city in a small state - Owen Taylor stayed close to home as he went off to college. He enrolled at the University of Nebraska and, despite his smaller frame, earned a spot on the Cornhuskers as a defensive end. Taylor played at that spot for the duration of his college football career, and when National Simulation Football League draft scouts came calling, it was defensive end Owen Taylor who answered.

Professional Career

Owen Taylor was drafted by the Baltimore Hawks in the third round of the 2017 National Simulation Football League draft. He played his first two seasons for Baltimore as a defensive end, but struggled to find success in a bigger league with bigger and stronger opponents. Despite his best efforts, his smaller frame betrayed him and Taylor was often physically outplayed on the field. In his debut season, he managed 23 tackles and 5 sacks. Taylor pushed hard to improve his game in the off-season and showed impressive improvements in 2018 with 49 tackles and 13 sacks. While he had managed to almost double his output, Taylor noted that these accomplishments did not come easy due to his build, and the extensive training regime was wearing on him. Noticing Taylor was already faster than most linebackers on the team, his coach suggested a position switch to running back. The front office agreed with this approach and took a risk that would stand to greatly benefit both the Hawks and Taylor for years to come.

After switching positions in 2019, Taylor exploded onto the scene and gained 1,200 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in his third season with the Hawks. Year after year he proved to be an enormous asset to his team and gave everyone reason to believe he could be the next greatest running back of all time. From the season he switched positions up until the season after his team won the Ultimus, Taylor won four straight Running Back of the Year awards. He continued to flourish and won several other individual accolades, including two back-to-back Most Outstanding Player of the Year awards. Taylor attributed much of his success to his teammates, including fellow Hall-of-Famer quarterback Avon Blocksdale, as they kept him grounded and taught him how to play on the offensive side of the ball. In 2021 with the help of his team, Owen Taylor set a new single season rushing record for the NSFL with an astounding 1,402 yards.

The chemistry between Taylor and his teammates was undeniable - in 2025 the Baltimore Hawks boasted their greatest regular season yet with a 13-1 record in large part thanks to their deadly offense. Taylor and his teammates fought their way through playoffs and made it to the NSFL Championship game after narrowly defeating Colorado 40-34. The Hawks went up against a strong New Orleans team that was 12-2 on the season with the hopes of winning their first ever Ultimus, and succeeded with a 37-24 win. The season proved to be one of Taylor's most successful overall as he finished with a career high 1,713 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns.

Taylor remained with the Hawks for the entire duration of his NSFL career, which lasted a total of 11 seasons.

Professional career statistics

Career Statistics			Defense
Season	Team	GP	Tackles	Tackles for Loss	Forced Fumbles	Sacks
2017 (S2)	BAL	14	23	7	0/0	5
2018 (S3)	BAL	14	49	12	1/1	13
Total		28	72	19	1/1	18

Career Statistics			Rushing						Receiving				Kick Returns
Season	Team	GP	Att	Yds	Avg	Yds/G	Long	TD	Rec	Yds	Long	TD	Yds	Avg	KR TD
2019 (S4)	BAL	14	349	1200	3.4	85.7	51	12	42	332	34	1	216	21.6	0
2020 (S5)	BAL	14	268	992	3.7	70.9	18	4	58	428	38	2	0	0	0
2021 (S6)	BAL	14	337	1402	4.2	100.1	20	5	67	485	28	4	0	0	0
2022 (S7)	BAL	14	304	1306	4.3	93.3	18	8	61	442	24	4	0	0	0
2023 (S8)	BAL	14	313	1263	4	90.2	15	15	46	270	19	2	0	0	0
2024 (S9)	BAL	14	329	1385	4.2	98.9	22	23	47	395	35	1	0	0	0
2025 (S10)	BAL	14	378	1713	4.5	122.4	21	23	51	409	36	4	0	0	0
2026 (S11)	BAL	14	333	1511	4.5	107.9	18	17	61	363	30	5	827	23.6	0
2027 (S12)	BAL	14	188	791	4.2	56.5	14	16	32	153	11	0	0	0	0
2028 (S13)	BAL	6	3	19	6.3	3.2	9	0	3	1	2	0	0	0	0
Total		132	2802	11582	43.3	829.1	206	123	468	3278	257	23	1043	45.2	0

Achievements and records

Awards

Team

NSFL Champion: 2025

Individual

• NSFL Breakout Player of the Year: 2019
• NSFL Most Outstanding Player of the Year: 2025, 2026
• NSFL Offensive Player of the Year: 2025, 2026
• NSFL Running Back of the Year: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2025, 2026