The 2019 Louisiana Athletics Hall of Fame was unveiled on Thursday and the obvious headliner in the seven-person class is Ike Taylor.
Taylor, a two-time Super Bowl champion who played his entire 12-year NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, played his final two seasons with the Ragin’ Cajuns first as a running back in 2001 before being moved to defense after asking then first-year head coach Ricky Bustle in 2002.
The move to defensive back paid huge dividends for the New Orleans native, as he recorded 46 tackles on the season with a pair of forced fumbles and eight pass breakups, tying him for team-high honors with another future NFL veteran and member of the Athletics Hall of Fame – Charles “Peanut” Tillman.
Taylor would eventually be selected in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft by Pittsburgh and three years later, would start at cornerback in Super Bowl XL and help lead the Steelers to their fifth championship.
Three years later, Taylor was part of the Steelers’ sixth Super Bowl win where he registered a combined eight tackles in a 27-23 win over Arizona in Super Bowl XLIII. During his NFL career, Taylor played in 175 games and recorded 636 tackles with 14 interceptions.
Taylor will be inducted alongside former student-athletes Stephanie DeFeo, Kathy Morton, Priscilla Lima, Jose Alvarez, the men’s tennis doubles team of Bret Garnett and Ashley Rhoney will enter the Hall of Fame and will be joined by the late Charles Lancon, along with Leigh Hennessy and her father, the late Jeff Hennessy who are receiving a lifetime achievement award..
The 2019 class will be inducted into the Louisiana Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday, Nov. 1 and will be recognized during halftime of the 2019 Homecoming football game against Texas State on Saturday, Nov. 2 at Cajun Field.
The University’s Hall of Fame recognizes men and women who distinguished themselves as student-athletes and have made significant contributions to their professions and their communities. They are nominated and selected through a process that is overseen by the board of directors of the Ragin’ Cajuns Lettermen Club, an organization of former student-athletes who have lettered in their sport.