Jonathan Taylor Bio
Jonathan Taylor (born January 19, 1999) is an American professional football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). A former standout at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Taylor entered the league as a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and quickly developed into one of the NFL’s most productive rushers. In 2021, he led the league in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns on his way to a unanimous All-Pro selection.
Across his NFL career, Taylor has earned three Pro Bowl honors and has built a reputation as a powerful between-the-tackles runner with breakaway speed. He remains the centerpiece of the Colts’ offense and continues to set franchise benchmarks as a rusher.
Early Life and Background
Jonathan Taylor was born in Salem, New Jersey, to Elizabeth Taylor and Jonathan James. His father, Jonathan James, played basketball for San Francisco State from 1982 to 1986, giving the household a strong athletic foundation. Taylor grew up in Salem and attended Salem High School, where he developed into one of the most productive running backs in New Jersey history.
At Salem, Taylor amassed 4,642 rushing yards and 51 touchdowns across his career. As a senior, he set the New Jersey single-season rushing record with 2,815 yards, surpassing a mark previously held by former Wisconsin running back Corey Clement. That year he averaged 234.6 yards per game, scored 35 rushing touchdowns and 37 total touchdowns, and was honored with the Jim Henry Award as the top high school player in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. Taylor was also an accomplished track athlete, winning two state titles in the 100-meter dash with a personal best of 10.49 seconds.
Rated as a three-star prospect and the 24th-ranked running back in the 2017 class by 247Sports, Taylor originally committed to Rutgers before flipping his pledge to Wisconsin on November 1, 2016.
Path to American Football
Taylor arrived at Wisconsin in 2017 and immediately earned a role in the Badgers’ backfield alongside Bradrick Shaw and Chris James. He opened his freshman year with a 87-yard, one-touchdown performance against Utah State and followed it with a 223-yard, three-touchdown game against Florida Atlantic. By his fifth outing, a 249-yard effort at Nebraska, he had entered the national Heisman conversation and was regularly listed among the top candidates.
During his freshman season, Taylor reached the 1,000-yard rushing mark in his seventh game, tying the FBS record held by players such as Emmitt Smith, Marshall Faulk, Adrian Peterson, Jamario Thomas, and P. J. Hill. He finished the year with 1,977 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, ranking second in FBS history for rushing yards by a freshman and first in the official NCAA record that excludes bowl statistics. He was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, a consensus first-team All-Big Ten pick, and sixth in the Heisman voting.
Jonathan Taylor Career
Early Career (2017–2019)
As a sophomore in 2018, Taylor opened with 145 rushing yards and two touchdowns against Western Kentucky, then posted a career-high 253 yards and three touchdowns against New Mexico. He strung together three more 200-yard games, including a 321-yard, three-touchdown performance in a triple-overtime win over Purdue, and closed the year with 205 yards and a Pinstripe Bowl MVP trophy in a 35–3 win over Miami. Taylor led the FBS in rushing yards (2,194) and carries (307), earned the Doak Walker Award, and was named a unanimous first-team All-American.
In 2019, Taylor began the season as a unanimous preseason All-American and a Heisman favorite. He produced 203 yards and two scores against No. 11 Michigan, 250 yards in a win over Iowa, and 204 yards and two touchdowns against Nebraska, breaking Herschel Walker’s record for rushing yards through a junior season. He became the second FBS player with two 2,000-yard seasons, won his second straight Doak Walker Award, and finished fifth in the Heisman voting before declaring for the 2020 NFL Draft. He left Wisconsin sixth on the all-time FBS rushing list with 6,174 yards.
Indianapolis Colts Breakthrough (2020–2021)
Taylor was selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft with the 41st overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts, who had acquired the choice from the Cleveland Browns. He began the season as the backup to Marlon Mack, then stepped into the starting role in Week 2 after Mack suffered a torn Achilles. Taylor’s signature game came in Week 17, when he rushed for 253 yards and two touchdowns against the Jacksonville Jaguars, tying for the ninth-most rushing yards in a single game in NFL history and setting a new Colts franchise record. He finished his rookie campaign with 1,169 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, third in the league in rushing yards, and was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.
Named the Colts’ starting running back in 2021, Taylor delivered one of the most dominant rushing seasons in franchise history. He opened with a 103-yard, one-touchdown game against Miami, then produced 172 rushing yards and two scores against the Jets and 185 rushing yards with five total touchdowns against the Buffalo Bills, breaking the Colts’ franchise record for rushing and total touchdowns in a game. He compiled 100-plus scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown in eight consecutive games, tying the longest such streak in league history. Taylor finished 2021 with 1,811 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns, led the NFL in both categories by more than 500 yards over the runner-up, and was a unanimous first-team All-Pro selection. He was also voted to the 2022 Pro Bowl, earned the Bert Bell Award, and finished as the AP Offensive Player of the Year runner-up.
Indianapolis Colts Era (2022–Present)
Injuries cut into Taylor’s 2022 season, as he was limited to 11 games and finished with 861 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He was placed on injured reserve in December after a high ankle sprain. The following year, Taylor and the Colts navigated a contract standoff, which was resolved on October 7, 2023, when he signed a three-year, $42 million extension. He returned to play 10 games and closed 2023 with a season-high 188 rushing yards against the Houston Texans, finishing with 741 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
Healthy and re-signed in 2024, Taylor posted one of the strongest seasons of his career. He had 110 rushing yards and two touchdowns against the Chicago Bears, then delivered a 218-yard, three-touchdown performance in a 38–30 win over the Tennessee Titans that earned him AFC Offensive Player of the Week. He closed the year with consecutive 100-yard games against the New York Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars, finishing with 1,431 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns and earning his first Pro Bowl selection since 2021.
Driving Style and Strengths
Taylor is widely regarded as a complete back who blends power, balance and long speed. He excels between the tackles, where his 5-foot-10, 226-pound frame and low center of gravity allow him to break tackles and finish runs. Taylor also shows reliable hands out of the backfield, a quality that became more prominent in 2021 when he set career highs in receptions and receiving yards. His conditioning and durability have allowed him to handle heavy workloads while maintaining production late in games.
Notable Events and Milestones
Beyond his 2021 rushing title, Taylor owns a share of the Colts’ single-game rushing record at 253 yards, set in his rookie season, and in 2025 he broke Edgerrin James’ Colts franchise record for career rushing touchdowns. He is a two-time Doak Walker Award winner, a unanimous All-American, and a unanimous first-team All-Pro, distinctions that place him among the most decorated Colts running backs of the modern era.
Jonathan Taylor Career Wins
Jonathan Taylor’s career is measured in team success and statistical milestones rather than individual race wins. Across his NFL tenure with the Indianapolis Colts, he has helped anchor an offense built around a strong run game, including a 2021 season in which the Colts led the league in rushing yards and he paced the NFL in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.
NFL Highlights
Taylor’s 2021 campaign stands as the defining stretch of his career, with 1,811 rushing yards, 18 rushing touchdowns, a unanimous All-Pro selection and a Pro Bowl nod. His 2024 rebound season produced 1,431 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns and a return to the Pro Bowl, reinforcing his place among the NFL’s elite running backs.
Other Wins & Performances
At the high school level, Taylor set the New Jersey single-season rushing record and won the Jim Henry Award. In college, he was a two-time Doak Walker Award winner, a two-time unanimous first-team All-American, and the 2018 and 2019 Big Ten Running Back of the Year.
Jonathan Taylor Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Taylor was raised in Salem, New Jersey, by his mother, Elizabeth Taylor, and his father, Jonathan James, a former San Francisco State basketball player. His parents supported his development in both football and track and field throughout his youth.
Personal Life
Taylor maintains a close relationship with his family, who have remained a steady presence throughout his professional career. He is active on social media, where he shares updates from his training and team life.
2025 Season Performance
Jonathan Taylor opened the 2025 season with one of the most productive stretches of his career. In Week 2, he produced 215 scrimmage yards with 25 carries for 165 yards and a receiving touchdown in a 29–28 win over the Denver Broncos, earning AFC Offensive Player of the Week. He followed that with a 102-yard, three-rushing-touchdown performance in a 41–20 win over the Tennessee Titans, taking home the same weekly honor for a second consecutive week.
Taylor’s biggest moment of 2025 came in Week 10, when he rushed for 244 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries against the Atlanta Falcons in Berlin, Germany. In that game, he scored his 65th career rushing touchdown, breaking Edgerrin James’ Colts franchise record, and added the game-winning score in overtime.
Through the early portion of the 2025 season, Taylor has reasserted himself as a top-tier NFL running back and a focal point of the Colts’ offense. With a contract that runs through 2026 and his production trending upward, he enters the back half of the season as both a Pro Bowl candidate and a cornerstone of Indianapolis’ playoff push.