Ike retires

[Steel Ballin]

I hated his hands but loved everything else about him. As was said before,...I'm glad he was a Steeler. Thank you Ike.

 

[bermudasteel]

Thanks for the good years and great leadership, Ike. May you continue to be a role model in life to those that follow you.

All the best,
Bermuda

 

[steelerscotty]

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

Completely uncalled for BS. Shut down just about every receiver he faced for about a 4-5 year period. We would be debating his HOF potential if not for his stone hands. 4th best Steeler corner ever, IMO. A steeler through and through and, by ALL accounts, a great team mate. Gook luck Ike, and thanks for all the wonderful memories!

 

[SteelerFan448]

Mark Madden once wrote that Ike Taylor was the Steelers worst draft pick ever. Boy was he wrong. Ike was a great guy to have in the lockerroom and their best cornerback in recent memory. I appreciate everything he did, but the thing that stands out most is his relationship with Dan Rooney and love for playing for the Steelers. I hope he enjoys his retirement and can remain a part of football.

 

[suncitysteel]

I think the Steelers as an organization started to move to replace him a few years back, drafting Cortez Allen and Curtis Brown in the same draft. Neither panned out and we were left having to squeeze out what we could out of Ike. I'll always remember him fondly; he was kind enough to take a pic w/me after a home game in 2011:

 

[nooneuno]

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

Been here since 99 or 2000, still stand by what I said.

 

[Vindrow]

Had a blast watching you play....good luck with your future endeavors.

 

[Ward4HOF]

Good luck in your future endeavors Ike!! A Steeler thru and thru!

 

[Drink IRON City]

Look, IKE was one of the best CB in football, for a few years. His age / speed towards the end were questionable. I'd take IKE as a Steelers anytime. He showed heart, as he came back from being benched / dog house of Biil C.. He absolutely took away 1/2 the field, not only did he cover the other team's #1, but he did it with out 2ndary help. Amazing talent, taken for greanted. Good luck in your life's work from here on out, BUT, thanbk you for your STEELERS years.



Salute the nation

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Mark Madden once wrote that Ike Taylor was the Steelers worst draft pick ever. Boy was he wrong. Ike was a great guy to have in the lockerroom and their best cornerback in recent memory. I appreciate everything he did, but the thing that stands out most is his relationship with Dan Rooney and love for playing for the Steelers. I hope he enjoys his retirement and can remain a part of football.

Got to consider the source because Madden admittedly hates the Steelers and rarely has anything good to say about them.

 

[Zack_of_Steel]

Sad to see him hang 'em up. Always loved his cockiness, his love for the Steelers and LeBeau, and watching him turn #1s into non-factors. He might've been looked at for the HoF had he had ANY semblance of hands, lol. At least he caught the pick that mattered in Super Bowl XL.



I hope he ends up back with the team in some capacity down the line.

 

[Litos]

farewell Ike, class act, hardworker, team first guy and as some said already, excellent value for a fourth rounder. Hopefully Allen learned something from him (different than catching)

 

[bmoritz]

Really? I get negative karma for not bowing down and thinking Ike was the greatest thing since sliced bread? Sad.

 

[Omar10213245]

Really? I get negative karma for not bowing down and thinking Ike was the greatest thing since sliced bread? Sad.

Yeah, negging someone for that is lame.

However, I gotta disagree with your assessment that he wasnt "great". Maybe not for his entire career he wasnt great, but for a considerable portion of it, he was. Not just "very good"

 

[oneforthebus]

Really? I get negative karma for not bowing down and thinking Ike was the greatest thing since sliced bread? Sad.

It's a retirement thread, not a thread analyzing his performance...generally in these threads people thank the player, wish him well, remember his contributions to the team, Hardly seems like the place to chime in with "Good riddance, he sucked these last three years." Kind of an example of the needless, looking for an argument negativity that some people have been complaining about (I didn't ding you by the way, I don't do the neg karma thing).

 

[Hallmarky]

Thanks Ike! Good luck in retirement.

 

[Sluzilla]

he was the definition of a "shut-down" corner in his prime...there were stretches when the oppositions top WR never touched the ball...and that was against some very good/great WRs...

 

[Sluzilla]

Really? I get negative karma for not bowing down and thinking Ike was the greatest thing since sliced bread? Sad.

you're probably gonna get more negative karma for whining about it...

 

[GRBman]

Fond Farewell to Ike... Dude was a 12-year contributor to one of the best defensive units to see the field in the NFL...

I told GRBdad this yesterday and I truly believe it... Ike Taylor is and will be THE most underrated/underappreciated CB in the history of the NFL. If he could catch, he'd be in the Hall of Fame. Taylor always went against the other team's #1 guy and more often than not he completely shut that other guy down.

Enjoy your retirement Ike...you've certainly earned it...

 

[Lmob0621]

I always thought he was very underrated league wide... He completely shutdown a lot of loudmouth WRs quietly including Chad Johnson who had a long streak of TDless games against the Steelers.

 

[bmoritz]

Fair enough, I'm in the minority. I do wish him well in life.

 

[BAS]

Ike certainly played with a chip on his shoulder and challenged the best WRs in the game during his tenure.

Catching the balls he normally batted away would have really made him a CB to be feared, but I think it benefited him in coverage to have receivers tend to underestimate his ability.

Shame his final season was marred by the broken arm.

 

[steelrzgirl]

Super hurt feelings about this. I always loved me some Ike Taylor. I think he never got the credit he deserved and flew a bit under the radar. I also think he was judged a bit harshly at times. He was significant contributor to this team and I personally will miss seeing #24 on the field.

 

[Wingman]

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.

Ike was a class act and did not cost us the Tebow game, he was where he was supposed to be underneath. On that particular play he was supposed to have over the top help which was not there. The safety in question, I no longer remember who publicly stated that he was out of position and the touch down was his fault. None of us ever said he was perfect, I believe John Madden said it best sometimes you have to remember that they are paying the other guy too. Giving up a catch to Larry Fitsgerald really, the guy was considered the best in the nfl at the time and the recipient of a huge contract for good reason. There are some guys that will get some catches regardless of what you do, there is no stopping them just limiting them a bit. You and I will just respectfully disagree on this point.

 

[Chicoman]

no more hearing Al Michaels tell Football Viewers after player introductions....."Swaggin is not an institute of higher learning!"

That always cracked me up! Ike the was the first to do so followed by Thuggs and a few other dirtballs but Ike was always a class act!