Had he been taller than 6 feet, 1 inch, Aaron Taylor may not have flourished in one of the most successful, dominant runs in college football history.
Oh, sure, he may have still proven himself somewhere else as a dominant lineman and earned All-American honors. Perhaps he still wins an Outland Trophy, too.
But does he enter the College Football Hall of Fame, as Taylor will in December, without helping a team win three national championships in four season and compile a remarkable 49-2 record in that span?
That’s what Taylor and the Nebraska football team did from 1994-97, all because Nebraska coaches nabbed Taylor from the talent-laden state of Texas when most other household names in college football wouldn’t consider him.