Where did Troy Taylor play college football? Stanford HC's collegiate career explored

Troy Taylor must have dreamed of a better start to his tenure as the Stanford Cardinal football coach than going 1-4. He came off a successful stint at Sacramento State, where he won three consecutive Big Sky conference titles.

The Cardinal had their open week last weekend but will be back in action against a newly inspired Colorado team on Saturday.

Tayor’s path to becoming the Stanford coach included a colorful college playing career. He played quarterback for the California Golden Bears from 1986 to 1989. His playing career laid the foundation for his coaching career.

We revisit Troy Taylor’s college playing career ahead of Stanford’s Week 7 matchup with Colorado (4-2).

Exploring Troy Taylor’s college football career

Troy Taylor committed to the California Golden Bears out of Cordova High School in Rancho Cordova, California. He was instrumental in the team’s perfect 14-0 record and section championship, earning the Northern California Player of the Year Award.

He became the Golden Bears’ starting quarterback as a freshman in 1986, going on to have a successful college career. He was the team’s MVP for three straight seasons from 1987 to 1989. In his senior season, he led the Pac-10 in total offense, clocking 253 yards per game. He set the school record for passes and total offense with 8,126 passing yards and 8,236 of total offense.

The records remained until they were 2015 when they were smashed by Jared Goff. Taylor also set the school record for touchdown passes. The record had a shorter lifespan, standing until 1996 when Pat Barnes broke set a new one. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the fourth round in 1990.

Taylor played seven games in the NFL and had two touchdown passes. He started his coaching career as the offensive coordinator at Casa Roble High School in California in 1994. He moved next to Colorado, where he worked as a graduate assistant. Over the next two decades, he held several coaching roles in California, Eastern Washington and Utah.

Before his first college head coaching role at Sacramento State, he held the same role at Folsom High School, California.

Troy Taylor will be seeking to turn his fortune around at Stanford when the Cardinal face Colorado this weekend.