This story appears in the September 09, 2019, issue of Sports Illustrated. For more great storytelling and in-depth analysis, subscribe to the magazine and get up to 94% off the cover price. Click here for more.
When Jonathan Taylor was a senior in high school, he received a special graduation present from his family: a telescope. Pressed to his eye and pointed to the heavens, the high-tech gadget became an extra appendage. Says Taylor's father, Jonathan James, "That's when I knew he was different."
Different. Everyone from Taylor's running backs coach at Wisconsin to his track coach at Salem (N.