Ike retires

[Spike]

I liked Ike

Troy and him get drafted together and retire together as Steelers - that's pretty cool

“I don’t want my name on the back of somebody else’s jersey. My name belongs on a Steelers jersey. I want my name to represent the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
– Ike Taylor, March, 2014

 

[Crimsonsteel]

he only caught them when it mattered.

Blount, Rod, Ike

Great post. Who can blame a guy who is as passionate as Ike is for the game for wanting to play a few extra years? He was one of the best we've ever had at his position. Thanks Ike, we appreciate you!

 

[FSF]

Am I the ONLY one here who thinks he could have played Safety for a year or two?!
Our current crop of CBs needs a veteran presence or two.

I hope the Steelers have plans up their sleeves. We can't draft an entire secondary in one year, and Mike Mitchell needs help because he's not an elite playmaker, or at least has yet to show it.
He needs to be surrounded by good players, STAT!

PEACE

-BLEEDS

Honestly, yeah.

Ike was a specialized cover corner and had underrated speed. Injuries, age and slowing down -- as Chuck would say time to get on with lifes work.

 

[ark steel]

he only caught them when it mattered.

Blount, Rod, Ike

I remember one int (might have been the one in the pic) where it seemed like he froze, like, "I caught it, WTF am I supposed to do now."

I've made a lot of jokes over the years about his lack of thumbs, but he has been a good DB for us. I will never understand why he could never seem to catch the ball.

 

[SteelerSask2]

If any one of us was in these guys position they would rather play too long than not enough. Hell I continue to play organized touch football with 27 year olds who can run a circle around me while I run out on my pattern. Why? Cause when I quit, it is quit. You should always do something you enjoy for as long as you can. Both Troy and Ike got hit in the mouth by father time last year. They recognized it and left with dignity. Kudos to both.

 

[Stainless]

About time, he thought Titans wanted him but he got no response from any team. He won't be missed.

You're all class. I mean ***. You're all ***.

 

[FSF]

I remember one int (might have been the one in the pic) where it seemed like he froze, like, "I caught it, WTF am I supposed to do now."

I've made a lot of jokes over the years about his lack of thumbs, but he has been a good DB for us. I will never understand why he could never seem to catch the ball.

wasn't it YOUR fault?

 

[insaniti]

I think worse than his hands was his ability to anticipate and jump on the ball. What did he have his whole career? 1 pick 6?

DeShea Townsend had 3 in one season if I'm not mistaken.

Nonetheless, Ike could cover and deny the big play, shutting down top notch WRs his whole career. Chad Ocho Idiot never caught more than 3 balls vs. him for example.

You are mistaken, Gay had three in one season (this past season), and that's a Steelers record and one off the NFL record. Townsend had 3 CAREER pick 6's.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Words of wisdom from Ike:

 

[wig]

Ike Taylor started out as a mediocre corner, became a really good corner then went to crap. Cowher benched him in a move that could have ruined his confidence and made him a career nickel corner. Instead Taylor embraced the demotion, came back and became as good a cover corner as we've seen since Woodson. He may not have been able to catch the ball, but not too many other guys could around him either. And that was his job, wasn't it?

Furthermore, Ike Taylor wasn't afraid to blow a runner up. He'd come lay a hit on a guy. He'd blitz knowing that some shrimp RB was likely going to dive at his knees. He'd nail down 1/3 to 1/2 the field routinely. Ya. I'll miss him.

 

[xjx]

NIce contribution IKE! My guess is the FO will bring in a vet or two that gets cut from another team during camp. Other than that, we are relying on young guys. And we have Mitchell (Personal Foul MItchell).

 

[SteelBuckeye]

Ike Taylor started out as a mediocre corner, became a really good corner then went to crap. Cowher benched him in a move that could have ruined his confidence and made him a career nickel corner. Instead Taylor embraced the demotion, came back and became as good a cover corner as we've seen since Woodson. He may not have been able to catch the ball, but not too many other guys could around him either. And that was his job, wasn't it?

Furthermore, Ike Taylor wasn't afraid to blow a runner up. He'd come lay a hit on a guy. He'd blitz knowing that some shrimp RB was likely going to dive at his knees. He'd nail down 1/3 to 1/2 the field routinely. Ya. I'll miss him.

And let's all hope that Cortez Allen takes a lesson from this bit of Steelers history.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Furthermore, Ike Taylor wasn't afraid to blow a runner up. He'd come lay a hit on a guy. He'd blitz knowing that some shrimp RB was likely going to dive at his knees. He'd nail down 1/3 to 1/2 the field routinely. Ya. I'll miss him.

I don't listen to Jim Rome every day but I knew that Ike is one of his favorite interviews so I tuned in today and caught Romey's take just in time. (paraphrasing) "We've had better interviews, funnier interviews, but no one puts it all together and on this show is as cool as Ike Taylor. He played 12 years on THAT team, 12 years on THAT defense, 12 years in Pittsburgh, where they don't ask cornerbacks to play like Deion and never tackle anybody. In Pittsburgh they ask you to tackle receivers and running backs and Ike did that for 12 years as one of the best in the game. We'll get him on the show."

 

[steelhurt]

I liked Ike and will miss him. He was very good for us for a long time with his ability to cover the other team's # 1 receiver. Man if he only had hands! What could have been. Good luck to you Ike!

 

[jitter77]

Honestly, yeah.

Ike was a specialized cover corner and had underrated speed. Injuries, age and slowing down -- as Chuck would say time to get on with lifes work.

I think ike could have worked as a safety. I believe he was the fastest player on the team for a while. He may lose a couple steps as a corner, but i think he would be pretty fast as a safety. He was also physical so he would not lack in run support. I thought it was at least worth trying as an experiment. Right now our whole secondary is shaky at best

 

[MT~Forged]

Seriously? Guy had a great career and helped this team win 2 titles. One of the stupidest comments I've ever read on this board.

Obviously you haven't been around the whole time, That doesn't even make the top 25 dumbest comments list.

 

[MT~Forged]

What is really sad, we have only had 3 good CB's since the 70's.

 

[Stryker]

Congratulations on your retirement Ike, you'll always be a Steeler and I will continue to wear your jersey with pride. The Corner(hands of)stone of our amazing defenses. Can't catch? No worries, neither can the receiver he's guarding. Trying a quick throw at he LOS? Thanks for 2nd and 10. Probably one of the best tackling corners I've ever seen. Lighting fast and shut down half the field. Probably will never make the HOF, but he'll always be the Dean of Swaggin U!

Forever Swaggin....Ike Taylor!

 

[Wingman]

Ike was a solid corner for us who played the game how ever he was needed to. He would tackle, cover and routinely take the best wo the other team had and make him a non factor for most of the game. When someone else intercepted the ball he was not afraid to block. He did intercept a few passes over his career and always tried to get better at catching the ball. He was a class act for the team, in areas of his demeanor, effort in training, and in mentoring other players. He was one of the guys campaigning to get Harrison back on the defense last year. I particularly like his relationship with the Mr. Rooney, Ike truly seems like a great person as well as a great player. Ike you will be missed on the field.

 

[TDX27]

Ike was one of the best in his prime. He shut down just about every number 1 WR we faced for years. He was very underrated and mostly due to his lack of interceptions.

 

[slashsteel]

When I worked way back when at WWS Ike would come up and say a few words here and there. Out of all the players at the complex he would talk to me the most.

As far as his career he was a damn solid cover corner for a long time.....

thank you Ike you played with heart, you wanted to be a Steeler, you want to be a good man.....

thank you

 

[FSF]

What is really sad, we have only had 3 good CB's since the 70's.

6 Super Bowl Wins
8 AFC Champions
The most wins, regular and post season
Most division titles

Must be doing something okay at CB. 2 of them though were All Time greats.....

and Dwayne Woodruff wasn't too bad either

 

[bmoritz]

Bye. He seems like a good dude, and he was a decent CB for us a LONG time ago, but let's be honest here. He has been HORRIBLE the last three years. This move is at least 3 seasons overdue. Good luck Ike, the team just got better.

 

[Wingman]

Bye. He seems like a good dude, and he was a decent CB for us a LONG time ago, but let's be honest here. He has been HORRIBLE the last three years. This move is at least 3 seasons overdue. Good luck Ike, the team just got better.

Last year he was definitely slowing down and got hurt, but he was clearly better than anything else we had to put on the field instead of him the two years preceding last year. Horrible he was not less than he was yes for a comparison scott sheilds was Horrible.

 

[bmoritz]

No, he's been absolutely horrible the past few seasons. I know he's revered, I'm cool with that. But let's be honest. Ike Taylor, more than any other single player, has cost us numerous games the past three seasons. It started with the Tebow loss in the playoffs. Heck, look back at Super Bowl 43, that long TD catch by Fitzgerald. You see the classic Ike Taylor "Run alongside the WR" move. Taylor at one point was very good, never great. He has been a liability for a while now. I wish him well, he did impress me with what seemed to be putting the team first this year when he was on the sidelines. Like I said, he seems like a good guy, but I think too many Steeler fans have overly rosy glasses when thinking of Taylor.