Macomb native Brett Taylor (44) ranks third on the Western Illinois career tackles leader board. Taylor finished as the runner-up in the 2017 Buck Buchanan Award balloting. (Photo by GoLeathernecks.com)
Editor’s note: As Prairie State Pigskin covers its 10th season of Illinois FCS football, “10 Years Later” is a monthly series focused on key players and moments of the past decade that will run throughout the 2025 campaign.
By Dan Verdun
The last time Brett Taylor was on a collegiate football field, he was making stops for Western Illinois in a 2017 playoff game. Today, he’s tackling bigger challenges as an FBI agent.
“It translates in that you’re part of a team, working for a greater cause than yourself. You’re around like-minded individuals who are super-motivated people,” the 31-year-old, Salt Lake City-based Taylor told Prairie State Pigskin.
Taylor, who polished off his standout career at Western Illinois with a runner-up finish for the Buck Buchanan Award as the top defensive player in FCS, never dreamed of joining the FBI while growing up in Macomb.
“I really had no idea what I wanted to do. I was focused on football,” he said.
Yet after a brief stint in Minnesota Vikings training camp, the idea of service to his country began to appeal to the two-time All-American linebacker.
Taylor began a series of conversations with Lee Russell, a WIU All-American linebacker from 2000-2003.
“I was coming off wrist surgery. I started talking to Lee, who was in the Secret Service then,” Taylor said. “I thought that sounded absolutely fascinating.”
Once healed, Taylor began the initial steps toward his new career.
“Lee helped me through the whole process,” he said. “It was almost a seamless transition. Lots of football relates to law enforcement.”
Macomb memories
It seems only natural that Taylor wound up getting his degree and playing football at WIU.
“Usually (it seems) like everyone growing up in the Midwest is a huge Illinois fan, Iowa fan, Wisconsin fan, but growing up in Macomb was super special because I got to be a diehard Leatherneck fan,” he said.
His parents and grandparents took him to Hanson Field from an early age. And while he was there to watch the Leathernecks, he didn’t just sit in the stands.
“I have super fond memories of playing football in the end zone during the games,” Taylor said. “The tailgating back in the early 2000s was absolutely insane. It was awesome being that close to a good college football team at the time. It’s pretty special that life comes full circle and that I had the opportunity to play there as well.”
As a youth, Taylor interacted with many favorite WIU players, including future NFL players such as receiver Frisman Jackson and punter Mike Scifres.
“During practice, (Scifres) needed someone to shag balls,” Taylor said. “I’d try to catch his punts and kicks at practice. I’d end up with so many bruises all over my arms. I don’t know if I ever actually caught one as a kid, but it was a great opportunity.”
Taylor said he was “always close” with then-head coach Don Patterson.
“My grandfather (Ed Holzwarth) loved going to the events,” Taylor said. “As a kid, I would go to a lot of the practices and just hang out with the guys.”
After starring at Macomb High School in football and baseball, Taylor received an offer from WIU as well FBS Eastern Michigan and FCS Missouri State.
“I committed to Western super, super early. It would have been August right before my senior year of high school,” he said.
However, circumstances brought about other possibilities.
“There were a lot of unknowns. Coach (Mark) Hendrickson ended up getting fired right after that (2012) season and so I took a visit to Missouri State,” Taylor said. “I absolutely loved it, but the week after that I took my visit to Western with (newly hired WIU head coach) Bob Nielson. It was just too good of an offer to turn down.”
Family played a major part in his decision.
“We cut down on travel money being so close to home,” Taylor said with a chuckle.
Western career
Taylor racked up 469 tackles in 48 games in a Leatherneck uniform. He led the nation with 162 stops as a senior. Taylor added 13 tackles for loss, four passes defended, two forced fumbles and 1.5 sacks.
Meanwhile, WIU won eight games and made the FCS playoffs that season under head coach Charlie Fisher.
All of those factors propelled Taylor to second place in the 2017 Buchanan Award voting behind Jacksonville State defensive end Darius Jackson.
“Growing up as a kid I would watch (WIU All-Americans) Eddie Hartwell and Lee Russell and all those guys. When I was a little older, it was Kyle Glazier. I never actually thought that I’d be considered in the same conversation as those players,” he said.
Yet Taylor never thought for a minute that his standout performances were solo acts.
“I definitely would not have been there without my teammates and coaches and everyone,” he said. “My defensive line that year did everything for me. Look at Khalen Saunders, still doing his thing in the NFL. He played right in front of me. He made the job easy for me.
“A buddy of mine, Mick Nelson, did a great job at nose tackle. It was definitely a total team effort. I was just lucky enough to have great teammates.”
And while Taylor enjoyed both of his WIU playoff appearances, it’s his teammates that he remembers most.
“We were all hanging out with each other,” he said. “It was a new beginning, right? I loved being on scout team as a redshirt freshman, just having that opportunity. We had the redshirt weight lift every day.”
Those early-morning sessions under the guidance of strength and conditioning coach Drew Kramer forged both teamwork and discipline.
“If anyone ever missed lifting, it was on everyone,” Taylor said. “There was a day we had to run across the freezing parking lot and up about 25 flights of stairs and knock on the guy’s door to wake him up for weights. The workout that day was absolutely terrible, but it was great bonding.”
Taylor, a team captain, also connected with players on the offensive side.
“(Lineman) Jacob Judd was a man. I would be battling him every day at practice,” he said. “We’d always go head on and then compete in the weight room as well. Those are some of the best friends I have in my life. Growing from a kid to an adult in that time, there are so many great memories.”
Leatherneck for life
Though it’s been eight seasons since Taylor donned his No. 44 jersey, he remains devoted to Leatherneck football.
“My wife gets mad at me,” he said with a laugh, “but I still watch the games whether we’re walking around a farmer’s market downtown or on a hike or whatever. Last year we were at a wedding and I was watching the Leathernecks on ESPN-Plus on my phone.”
Taylor keeps in touch with Jon Minnis, Western’s current strength and conditioning coach. He has also chatted with head coach Joe Davis, who was once a foe.
“We talked about how he was the offensive coordinator at Northern Iowa back in my day,” Taylor said. “We’ve kind of known each other dating back to then. Man, that guy has energy. He can really get people going and he’s leading the Leathernecks in the right direction. I’m excited for him.”
Did Davis share his scouting report on Taylor from a decade ago?
“Not really, he just said I was a big pain in the butt,” Taylor said with a laugh.
Dan Verdun is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin. He has written four books: NIU Huskies Football, EIU Panthers Football, ISU Redbirds Football and SIU Salukis Football.
Find us on social media!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PSPigskin
Facebook: Prairie State Pigskin
Instagram: Prairiestatepigskin
Blue Sky: PSPigskin
Prairie State Pigskin 
Leave a comment