It’s so painfully hot right now that there are probably a million other places most people would rather be.

Kerry Taylor is not one of them.

It’s the middle of July in Tempe, and Taylor, a sophomore wide receiver for the ASU football team, is working out with his teammates in the treacherous heat of the Arizona desert.

Most would not consider summer in Tempe the most enjoyable time for intense outdoor athletic training.

Taylor ignored convention and his personal comfort this summer, braving the Valley’s oppressive sun in an attempt to become a better football player.

“It’s hot out, of course,” Taylor said of the conditions of the team’s summer workouts.

“We just had to put the time in though,” he said. “We can’t use [the heat] as an excuse.”

Taylor is not the sort of player that makes too many excuses.

Of the Sun Devil receivers, he is the only one who did not miss any practice during fall camp.

Taylor looks at his durability as a way to help his team.

“[Not missing practice] is a big part of getting better,” Taylor said. “They expect me to know all three [receiver] positions, so if somebody gets tired, I can help out wherever I am needed.”

On the fifth play of ASU’s season, Taylor reaped the benefits from his previous sacrifices.

Taylor cut over the middle, caught a pass from senior quarterback Rudy Carpenter, and sprinted up 40 yards of green grass and into the end zone.

“When I first broke [down the field], and I saw just daylight it was almost like it wasn’t real, like I was dreaming for a second,” he said.

The play wasn’t a dream, rather the culmination of a long offseason of intense work.

“I think it’s really a tribute to Kerry,” Carpenter said of Taylor’s performance in the team’s opening victory.

“He really worked hard this summer throwing with me and just working out a lot,” Carpenter said.

Coming out Hamilton High School in Chandler, a school known for being a training ground for a host of talented Sun Devil players, Taylor was one of ASU’s most touted recruits from the 2007 freshman class.

Heading into last season, conventional wisdom said that Taylor would redshirt.

He didn’t.

Impressed by his work ethic, not to mention a wealth of speed and talent, the coaching staff put Taylor on the field, making him one of only three true freshmen to play for the Sun Devils last season.

But Taylor spent most of 2007, buried at the bottom of a talented depth chart.

This season, with a heap of receivers returning, Taylor knew the hard work couldn’t stop as he headed into his second season.

His teammates can attest to the fact that it hasn’t.

“He’s a hard worker and he never misses practices,” junior cornerback Terell Carr said. “We know he’s bound for a breakout season.”

Taylor was not the only Sun Devil who worked through the perils of Arizona heat this summer to make himself better, but his aspirations to spend more time on the field have been aided by his raw talent too.
At 6-feet, 191 pounds, Taylor is not a receiver that is physically imposing, but his burning speed and sure hands make him a commodity.

Some of his natural skill can likely be attributed to his pedigree.

Taylor is the son of Keith Taylor, who spent 10 seasons as a defensive back in the NFL.

His uncle is former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver John Taylor, who is best known for his game-winning touchdown catch in Super Bowl XXIII.

Watching them play as a kid, Taylor knew he wanted to follow in his family’s footsteps.

“I have been playing since I could walk,” Taylor said. “I always just tagged along with them and learned from what they did all time.

“All my life, football has been pretty much all I have wanted to do.”

Reach the reporter at nkosmide@asu.edu.