Former Tigers to NFL

Former Tigers Proudly Fly CCC’s Flag High in NFL

71,060 college football players represent their institutions proudly on the football field every year in the United States. Of that number, only 1.2 percent of players will get the golden opportunity to play in the National Football League. No matter how challenging the odds were, two former Coahoma Tigers can now boast of being NFL players. Davion Taylor and Chris Claybrooks were drafted in the 2020 NFL draft hosted in Las Vegas. Taylor was drafted 39th in the third-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles, while Claybrooks was selected ninth in the sixth-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Taylor is still overwhelmed with joy by his achievement of turning his lifelong dream into reality. “It means a lot; it’s actually a dream come true. It’s one thing I have been working for all my life in the past four years and I’ve been giving it my all. I accomplished my goals,” said Taylor. He has a unique and extraordinary story of a native from Magnolia, Mississippi, now living in the bustling, diverse city of Philadelphia. Major sporting networks highlight the fact that Taylor was able to make his way to pro football by playing far fewer games than his other peers. During high school, Taylor did not participate in sporting activities from Friday night until Sunday morning due to religious reasons.

Despite the lack of football games on his resume, one community college gave him a chance not only to earn an education but to also get started on his dreams.

“For one, Coahoma means everything to me. Coahoma was the only school to actually believe in me not only in football but academically as well.” Taylor continued by stating that the manner in which he was treated at CCC will stay with him forever. “One thing I could never forget is the coaches and the people around me believed in my ability to become the best version of myself. Coahoma is one place I could never forget,” said Taylor.

Taylor had an astonishing two seasons at Coahoma, leaving his legacy on the hearts of Coahoma fans and a constant reminder to look forward to seeing him one day in the NFL. Taylor would leave Coahoma and continue his football career at the University of Colorado. The Buffaloes are currently leading the PAC-12 Conference this season and have always been a national force. Taylor said that Coahoma’s instruc-

tors and coaches physically and mentally prepared him to rise to a new level, which benefited him in adjusting to an NCAA Division 1 program.

“Coahoma prepared me well on the football field and academically. The coaches always pushed me to become the best player I could be because they knew on the D1 level it was going to take more than just a play on the field,” said Taylor.

The South Pike High School alum made his mark at Colorado playing in 23 career games with 19 starts on defense. He recorded 136 tackles, 20 tackles-for-loss, including two sacks, and 12 more for no gain. Taylor also had 23 third-down stops, 13 quarterback pressures, nine pass breakups, two quarterback chase downs, and three fumble recoveries, one of which he returned for a touchdown.

His performance for the Buffaloes made him a standout choice during tryouts for the 2020 draft. His dreams would come to fruition when his name was called as a selected player for the Philadelphia Eagles; a dream some saw as seemingly impossible was made a reality with Coahoma foreseeing amazing potential. “One thing I can say about Coahoma is they are willing to take anybody. It shows that the institution believes in you no matter where you came from or your background,” exclaimed Taylor. Taylor is honored to know coaches and staff at Coahoma always use his name as a reference whenever current athletes are contemplating quitting or just not working hard enough.

“It actually pushes me to become even more successful because I know people at CCC keep watching me and telling everyone I am a product of Coahoma. I just want people to see I came from Coahoma and to see that Coahoma is a part of my success,” said Taylor.

Taylor is urging high school athletes who may not meet the Division 1 standard to not give up and enroll at CCC to become a step closer to their goals. “Because, as you see, CCC does great things and I encourage them to come be a part and get that scholarship you won’t get at those D1 schools of your choice. It’s a great school and environment. All the teachers and coaches want to see everyone succeed,” said Taylor. Taylor hangs on to memories on and off the field. “I had a chance to shoot a couple of hoops and just enjoy hanging out with my friends; I’ll never forget my friends,” said Taylor.

Taylor was not the only Tiger who placed Coahoma on the map during the 2020 draft. Chris Claybrooks was drafted ninth in the seventh round to the Jacksonville Jaguars. He is grateful to start his professional career with his new team. “We are all young and have that mindset to fight to the end; we will always come together as a team, no matter what,” said Claybrooks.

Claybrooks is from Nashville, Tennessee, and started his journey at Coahoma as a wide receiver in 2017. He was a transfer student from Fort Scott Community College and decided to work with a coach who treated him like family. “Coach Harper really influenced me in making my decision to join the Coahoma family. I wanted to be closer to home and with a coach who knew me. I’m glad I was accepted because I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t continue playing football,” said Claybrooks.

Chris Claybrooks Jacksonville Jaguars Davion Taylor Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles

Former CCC assistant football coach Moses Harper met Claybrooks at Fort Scott Community College in Kansas.

He was the offensive coordinator there for four years before joining the Tigers in 2016. Claybrooks would soon join Harper to continue his journey to the NFL by all means. During Claybrooks’ time at Coahoma, he played in nine games for the one season he was a Tiger. As a wide receiver, he accumulated 36 catches for 488 yards and one touchdown. Claybrooks reached a season-high number of 133 receiving yards (seven catches) during CCC’s game against Copiah-Lincoln Community College.

Even though Claybrooks’ time was short in Clarksdale, he enjoyed playing football for Tiger Nation. “I loved being at Coahoma because of the love from the school and the whole community of Clarksdale, Mississippi,” said Claybrooks.

Claybrooks left Coahoma and made the University of Memphis his final collegiate destination in his college football career. In 2018, Claybrooks walked on to the Tigers’ team. Former Memphis head coach Mike Norvell was instrumental in modeling Claybrooks for his journey to the NFL. “Coach Norvell wanted me to play defensive back because that would be the fastest way to get on the field and the fastest way to the NFL,” said Claybrooks.

Claybrooks made the right decision and now can proudly boast of being an NFL player. He will never forget the night his name was called by the Jacksonville Jaguars while 15.6 million viewers looked on across the world. “It was a big relief for me. I worked hard all my life to get to this stage,” said Claybrooks. “When my name was on the TV screen, I was full of emotion. My family and friends were extremely excited and we all will never forget that moment,” exclaimed Claybrooks. The Claybrooks family is honored and ready to support their NFL player in this new chapter of his life. He is proud to have a six-year-old son, Chris Jr., who looks up to him and wants to follow in his footsteps in the years to come. The Nashville, Tennessee, native has the opportunity to play against his hometown team, the Tennessee Titans, twice each season and is looking forward to playing in front of his family and friends.

Claybrooks expressed gratitude toward Coahoma for building his foundation to succeed in his professional career. “Coahoma helped me to build my mental toughness and realize I can have a way out. I learned how to carry myself and to be mature by having the responsibility of my team and my academics. I had the mindset that I wanted to go D,” exclaimed Claybrooks.

The Nashville native is urging young players that their goals are attainable even though their journey may map out differently than expected. “It doesn’t matter where you start but where you end up. Everyone cares about you at Coahoma. I would tell any player it’s about how bad you want it. The coaches and professors are there to help,” said Claybrooks. He is truly excited to represent Coahoma every time he takes the field. “It is such a blessing; Coach Harper gave me the opportunity and now I am in a place to give back. I can’t say it enough, I am extremely thankful to represent Coahoma,” said Claybrooks.

Coahoma Community College would like to thank and congratulate both Taylor and Claybrooks for all their hard work while at the College and, most importantly, for always flying Coahoma’s flag high wherever they go.

Jacksonville Jaguars