Robert Taylor, Santa Monica College football coach

October 30, 11:49 AMSanta Monica City Buzz ExaminerJ.S. Mael

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Photo credit: Margaret Molloy

Long time Santa Monica College head coach, Robert Taylor passed on last week, leaving behind a well-respected legacy in the JC football world.  He was 64 years old.

His career was speckled with peaks and valleys, and in his coaching prime at SMC, he had two of the NFL's elite receivers snagging passes for his Corsairs.  Chad OchoCinco and Steve Smith were teammates on Taylor's team.  He also coached Isaac Bruce and several other NFL players during his 15 years as head coach.  He also guided the Corsairs to three bowl games during his tenure.

Entering this season, Taylor faced an enrollment scandal involving out-of-state players and lost his top recruit, Christian Ross from Santa Monica High, to College Of The Desert.  He then lost his job as head coach.

But Taylor will be remembered in the community he served for the past 25 years.  His work with athletes from underpriveledged circumstances and his ability to get them to the highest level is something special, and Steve Smith, perhaps more than most, will never forget.  In fact, a part of Smith's contract includes gear for the Corsairs.