Jason Taylor ( American football ) Jason Paul Taylor ( born September 1 , 1974 ) is a former American football defensive end and linebacker who spent a majority of his career for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League ( NFL ) . Over the course of his 15 - year career , Taylor played for the Dolphins on three separate occasions ( 1997 – 2007 , 2009 , 2011 ) , and also played a season each for the Washington Redskins ( 2008 ) and New York Jets ( 2010 ) . Taylor holds the sixth all - time career sacks record with 139 . 5 sacks and is the all - time leader in fumble return touchdowns with 6 . He officially announced his retirement on December 28 , 2011 . Taylor was a four - year letterman and three - year starter for the University of Akron before being drafted in the third round , thirteenth pick ( 73rd overall ) , in the 1997 NFL Draft by Miami . A six - time Pro Bowl selection , Taylor was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2006 . Early years . Jason Taylor grew up around Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania and played high school football for Woodland Hills High School . Taylor is one of the many players to reach the NFL from the successful football program led by coach George Novak at Woodland Hills . College career . Taylor was a four - year letterman and three - year starter for the University of Akron . He recorded 279 tackles , 21 sacks , seven fumbles recovered , and three interceptions in his college career . He was a two - time First - Team All - Mid - American Conference selection as a junior and senior , as well as an All - America pick as a junior . As a junior he played weakside linebacker and moved to left defensive end as a senior . In 1996 he earned National Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against Virginia Tech when he posted 12 tackles , two sacks , two fumble recoveries , three stops for loss and tackled a punt returner in the end zone for a safety . Taylor also started for the basketball team at the University of Akron . In 2004 , he became the third person ever inducted into Akron ' s Ring of Honor . He majored in political science / criminal justice . Professional career . First stint with Dolphins . Taylor was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the third Round ( 73rd pick overall ) of the 1997 NFL Draft . Taylor signed a four - year deal worth approximately $ 1 . 3 million in July 1997 . From there he established himself as one of the premier defensive ends in the league . He became a starter in his rookie season and recorded five sacks and forced two fumbles . The following season , 1998 , Taylor recorded nine sacks and the 6 ' 6 " Taylor batted away eight passes . In 1999 Taylor grabbed the first of his eight career NFL interception s . 2000 – 2003 . On April 15 , 2000 , Taylor , a restricted free agent , received a one - year tender that earned him $ 1 . 027 million in 2000 . Taylor responded with 73 - tackles , 14 . 5 - sacks , and 6 - passes batted for the Dolphins that season . His performance was rewarded with his first selection to the Pro Bowl . A year later , on July 24 , 2001 , he signed a six - year , $ 42 million contract to remain with the Dolphins . The new contract replaced the one - year , $ 5 . 39 million deal the Dolphins tendered Taylor in February , 2001 , when he was designated their franchise player . In 2001 Taylor recorded 71 tackles ( seven for a loss ) , 8 . 5 sacks and swatted away eight passes . In 2002 Taylor led the NFL and tied the Dolphin team record for sacks with 18 . 5 . He also forced seven fumbles and knocked down eight more passes to go with his 69 tackles . He was a consensus All - Pro selection and returned to the Pro Bowl . The next season ( 2003 ) Taylor followed up his All - Pro performances with a 13 - sack season . 2004 – 2005 . On March 1 , 2004 , the Dolphins , in an effort to create more salary cap space , agreed to a three - year contract extension with Taylor . The extension put Taylor under contract through the 2009 season . The new deal ( which replaced his 6 - year , $ 42 million contract that was scheduled to expire in 2006 ) was worth $ 45 million over the 2004 - 2009 seasons , including nearly $ 10 million guaranteed in 2004 . In 2004 Taylor had 68 tackles , 9 . 5 sacks , batted 11 passes and picked off a pass . He followed that up with a 73 - tackle , 12 - sack showing in 2005 . He also knocked down 10 passes and forced four fumbles . 2006 . Taylor enjoyed one of the best years of his career in 2006 when he recorded 13 . 5 sacks , 9 forced fumbles , 2 fumble recoveries , and two interceptions ( both of which were returned for touchdowns ) , an effort which resulted in his selection as the 2006 NFL Defensive Player of the Year . On January 5 , 2007 , Taylor received twenty - two votes from a panel of fifty sportswriters and broadcasters who cover the NFL . Taylor beat Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey , who received sixteen votes . Shawne Merriman received six votes , and the winner of the award in 2005 , Brian Urlacher of the Chicago Bears , received four votes . Taylor was also named a consensus All - Pro for the second time in his career . 2007 . In 2007 Taylor reached double - digits in sacks for the sixth time in his career and picked off another pass . Five of his FRs he has returned for TDs , which is an NFL record shared with former Atlanta Falcons linebacker Jessie Tuggle . With eight career defensive TDs ( three on INT returns , five on FR returns ) , Taylor is the all - time leader in defensive touchdowns scored by a defensive lineman . He has also registered two career safeties and has two career field goal blocks . In 2007 Taylor was voted to the All - time Miami Dolphins team in a poll of Dolphins fans . He was a First - team selection at defensive end along with Bill Stanfill . Washington Redskins . Miami Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland admitted that there were trade discussions regarding veteran defensive end Taylor . Jacksonville Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio acknowledged speaking to the Dolphins about Taylor , " They had a certain price in mind and nobody in the league was interested in that price " . On Monday April 28 , 2008 , " The Miami Herald " reported that Dolphin President Bill Parcells is displeased that Taylor skipped the Dolphins voluntary off - season workouts and that when " Taylor walked into a room where Parcells was watching tape , and Parcells ignored him " . Taylor was reportedly " incensed " . Ireland , on Sunday , April 27 , 2008 , said that the Dolphins want Taylor back for the 2008 season and regard him as a team leader . On Saturday , April 26 , 2008 , The " St . Petersburg Times " reported that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had agreed to trade at least a second round pick , and perhaps others , to the Dolphins for Taylor . However , when the second round pick was traded to Jacksonville , the paper removed the story from its website . Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden , when asked about trade talks stated , “ There have been some trade rumors and I don ’ t think we ’ re any different than anybody else . When you ’ re talking about high - profile players , we ’ re going to pick up the phone and see what ’ s going on . It ’ s part of our job . ” On July 20 , 2008 , Taylor was traded to the Washington Redskins for a second - round pick in 2009 and a sixth - round pick in 2010 . The trade came after the Redskins lost two defensive ends - Phillip Daniels and Alex Buzbee - to season - ending injuries on the first day of training camp . On March 2 , 2009 , Taylor was released by the Washington Redskins for refusing to participate in off - season conditioning programs claiming he wanted to be closer to his family in Florida . Second stint with Dolphins . On May 13 , 2009 , Taylor signed a one - year deal with the Miami Dolphins for $ 1 . 1 million with $ 400 , 000 in incentives . On November 1 , Taylor set the NFL record for most fumble returns for a touchdown with a 48 - yard return against the Dolphins ' rivals , the New York Jets . New York Jets . Taylor signed with the New York Jets on April 20 , 2010 . On September 19 , 2010 he sacked New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady , giving him 128 . 5 sacks in his career , the 10th most in NFL history . With 132 . 5 sacks at the end of the regular season , he was tied for 8th most sacks in a career with Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor and defensive end Leslie O ' Neal . On January 23 , 2011 Taylor played in his first Conference Championship game in his productive 14 - year career but only recorded 2 tackles while the Jets lost 24 - 19 against the Pittsburgh Steelers , falling one game short of the Super Bowl for the second straight year . After a subpar season with the team , the Jets released Taylor on February 28 , 2011 . Third stint with Dolphins . On August 1 , 2011 , Taylor signed with the Miami Dolphins for a third stint . During a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles Jason Taylor sacked Michael Vick twice giving him six sacks on the year , and also giving him the sixth most sacks in NFL history with 138 . 5 , just ahead of Hall of Famers John Randle and Richard Dent . Retirement and Broadcasting Career . On December 28 , 2011 , Taylor announced that he would retire at the end of the 2011 season . He played his final game on January 1 , 2012 in a win against the New York Jets . In the game Taylor nearly returned a fumble for a touchdown , before the score was overruled . Jason appeared as a guest analyst for NFL Live on June 6 , 2011 . On June 6 , 2012 it was announced that Jason Taylor would join ESPN as an analyst . Taylor will contribute to NFL Live , SportsCenter , NFL32 and Sunday and Monday NFL Countdown . Awards . Taylor has won numerous awards throughout his career , including the 2006 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award and the 2007 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award , the only league honor that recognizes both on - field achievements and off - the - field contributions . Taylor is also a six - time Pro Bowl selection ( 2000 , 2002 , 2004 – 2007 ) , a four - time First or Second Team All - Pro ( 2000 – 2002 , 2006 ) , a two - time NFL Alumni Association Defensive Lineman of the Year ( 2005 , 2006 ) , and the NFL Alumni Association Pass Rusher of the Year ( 2000 ) . Taylor has also won the " AFC Defensive Player of the Week " Award seven times which is fifth most ever by a defensive player , for the following performances : Along with winning seven " AFC Defensive Player of the Week " Awards , Taylor has also won three " NFC / AFC Defensive Player of the Month " Awards which is the third most ever by a defensive player ( trailing only Bruce Smith and John Randle ) for the following performances : Taylor has also won numerous team awards , including the Dolphins Newcomer of the Year Award ( 1997 ) , the " Dan Marino " Team MVP Award a record four times ( 2000 , 2002 , 2004 , 2006 ) , and the " Don Shula " Team Leadership Award twice ( 2002 , 2006 ) . Personal . His wife Katina is the sister of former teammate and fellow All - Pro Zach Thomas . Taylor shares the same birthday with Thomas , although Taylor is one year younger . Taylor has three children : sons Isaiah and Mason , and daughter Zoey . Katina Taylor filed for divorce twice in 2006 , citing irreconcilable differences and asking for custody of the children , but both times she withdrew the petitions . Coincidentally , in 2008 when both Taylor and Thomas left the Dolphins for opposite sides of the Cowboys – Redskins rivalry , both changed their jersey numbers to 55 , after wearing numbers 99 and 54 respectively with the Dolphins . While Thomas changed to number 55 for obvious reasons ( Bobby Carpenter already has possession of number 54 in Dallas ) , Taylor decided to change his number after a discussion with his wife to start a new chapter with the Redskins . Although fellow defensive end Andre Carter - who wears number 99 with the Redskins - was willing to let Taylor have the number , Taylor didn ' t press the issue , wanting to " let 99 stay in Miami " . Foundation . In 2004 Taylor and his wife Katina founded the Jason Taylor Foundation with the goal of improving the lives of children in South Florida . The Foundation has accomplished much in a short time , including launching the Jason Taylor Reading Room , an after - school program aimed at increasing literacy among inner city children ; renaming the Holtz Children ' s Hospital ' s learning center as " The Jason Taylor Children ' s Learning Center ; " providing eleven sixth grade students with college scholarships through the Take Stock in Children organization ; creating the " Big Screens - Big Dreams " program to screen inspirational films for hundreds of student - athletes ; and furnishing 60 children with $ 300 back - to - school shopping certificates as part of the " Cool Gear for the School Year " program . Jason has also partnered with the Invicta Watch Group and it ' s CEO ; Eyal Lalo on a number of charitable ventures and was given the opportunity to create a collection of limited edition of watches , " As a watch enthusiast and collector , I am excited to be partnering with Invicta on the development and launch of my collection of watches " . Taylor has been widely recognized for his charitable work . In addition to winning the 2007 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award , he has been named twice as one of " The Sporting News " " Good Guys " and was honored by CBS Sports ' James Brown with a JB Award , given annually to NFL players who have demonstrated a commitment to building better communities and stronger families .