A former South Carolina football starter is back in the National Football League. Defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth, who played for the Gamecocks from 2014-2017, tried out with the NFL's Washington Commanders at the beginning of training camp. According to his agent Brett Tessler, Stallworth made a strong enough impression that he signed a contract with the Commanders on Sunday morning.
Stallworth will be entering his 7th season in the NFL with Washington, and the Commanders will be his 8th team as he had previously spent some time with the New Orleans Saints, Indianapolis Colts Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texas, Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans, and San Francisco 49ers. He also has also resigned with his previous teams on multiple occasions, indicating that he is well-liked in the locker room and does his job well.
His last NFL game action came in 2022 when he saw the field for the Texans and the Chiefs, but Stallworth has the ability to fill a role that every team needs. His best year came in 2021 with the Colts as he was a key reserve for Indy's defensive line unit, even earning a start. That year, he set career-highs in solo tackles, total stops, sacks, tackles for loss, and pass deflected.
As a strong interior player on the defensive line, Stallworth can help clog running lanes and even eat up double teams, allowing for linebackers to have free runs to make plays behind him. He will provide the Washington Commanders with some depth at either defensive tackle spot and bring dependable production if his number is called.
During his career playing in front of South Carolina football fans, Stallworth spent two years as a reserve before becoming a full-time starter and stabilizing force up front on Will Muschamp's first two Gamecock defenses. Linebackers like Skai Moore, TJ Brunson, and Bryson Allen-Williams owe many of their tackles to the efforts of big #90 in the trenches. He also was considered a high-character individual and a good leader, traits that undoubtedly have been part of the reason he has been able to stick in the NFL.