How did Arizona tailback J.J. Taylor develop the incredible balance he displayed against Hawaii?
A lot of it is God-given, of course. But at least some of it comes from when Taylor was 4 or 5 years old and his mother enrolled him in gymnastics.
“I still do flips every now and then,” said the freshman tailback, who rushed for 168 yards against the Rainbow Warriors last week.
To determine if there’s a real correlation between the sports, the Star reached out to UA gymnastics coach Tabitha Yim. Here’s what she said:
Did anything J.J. did on the field Saturday night remind you of something you might see in a floor routine or other gymnastics discipline?
A: “After seeing his spin moves, coordination and bursts of power on the field, I wasn’t surprised to hear he has some experience with gymnastics. He has great awareness, and his balance while executing his offense is extremely impressive. The spin moves reminded me of elements our athletes perform (in) the floor exercise. What stuck out to me most about J.J. is his rhythm and finesse on the field. He has great rhythm, vision and fluidity to his movements, which are characteristics we focus on in the gym.”
In general, how would the skills one acquires through gymnastics translate to football?
A: “The footwork performed on the field with the crossover steps, leaps and turns (is) similar to drills we practice in gymnastics. If you watch our floor routines, you might even notice steps and jumps that look very similar. The balance and core-stability training that goes into the movements in gymnastics would be especially useful in football when dodging and maneuvering (through) opposing teams on the field. In addition, there are times when players dive or flip into the end zone, and the air awareness you acquire through gymnastics could help with these movements too.”
J.J. is 5-6, 170, and obviously very flexible and nimble. If he had pursued it, what type of gymnast might he have been?
A: “It’s clear that J.J. is an athlete! He is extremely dynamic and has a lot of flair and creativity to his movements. These things lead me to believe that he would have been a great performer on the floor exercise and vault. The best athletes on these events have power, finesse and an ‘X-factor’ to their movements.”
