
Legendary USC safety Taylor Mays on 2026 College Football Hall of Fame ballot
Legendary USC safety Taylor Mays on 2026 College Football Hall of Fame ballot
On Monday, the College Football Hall of Fame announced its ballot for the class of 2026. Included on this year's ballot is legendary USC safety Taylor Mays.
A blue-chip recruit from the state of Washington, Mays played for Pete Carroll's Trojans from 2006 through 2009. He had one of the most decorated careers of any player in college football history, being named a first-team All-American an astonishing three times (and was a second-team All-American as a freshman in 2006).
Known for his hard-hitting abilities, Mays was one of the driving forces behind the Trojans' elite defenses of the latter half of the Carroll era. During his time at USC, Mays won three Pac-10 titles and three Rose Bowls.
Mays was picked in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft, and would go on to play six seasons in the league. Since the conclusion of his playing career, Mays has gotten into coaching, spending the past three seasons on Lincoln Riley's staff at USC as a defensive analyst. In January, he was named the safeties coach at Washington.
One of the greatest Jewish football players of all-time, Mays was inducted into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2011. 14 years later, he is looking to add another hall of fame to his resume.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


USA Today
19 minutes ago
- USA Today
NFL 'tush push' ruling draws USC reaction
NFL 'tush push' ruling draws USC reaction Recently, the NFL made headlines surrounding a vote on the legal status of one of its more popular and controversial plays. Known as the "tush push," the play essentially consists of offensive linemen getting behind the ball carrier—typically the quarterback—and pushing him forward past the line to gain. The play has been popularized by the Philadelphia Eagles in recent seasons. However, as USC fans know, its history goes back nearly two decades to October 15, 2005. That evening, USC running back Reggie Bush pushed quarterback Matt Leinart into the end zone to take down archrival Notre Dame. In late May, the NFL held a vote regarding the legalization status of the play, which has come under much scrutiny in recent seasons. After being put to vote, it was determined that the play will still be legal moving forward. Following the news, Leinart took to social media to share his thoughts on the matter. "Yo @ReggieBush we trendsetters," Leinart wrote. "The BUSH PUSH lives on!" This fall will mark 20 years since the original Bush Push took place on that fateful evening in South Bend, Indiana. Very few of the players who participated in that game are still playing football. But as long as the play continues to be used in the NFL, the legacy of the Bush Push will continue to live on. "
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Symbolism and smiles during the stoning of the devil ritual at the Hajj
MINA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — For some, the stoning of the devil ritual at the Hajj in Saudi Arabia marks a solemn moment, a complete submission to God. For others, it represents a victory over evil. Subardi Abdulaha, from Indonesia, was one of more than 1.6 million pilgrims in Mina on Friday throwing pebbles at pillars with gusto. 'I'm doing the jamarat,' said Abdulaha, referring to the three vast concrete structures. He smiled and his eyes lit up. 'I throw the stone as a symbol against Satan!' Pilgrims had collected their pebbles overnight Thursday from Muzdalifah, an area located a few kilometers (miles) away from Arafat, a hill outside the city of Mecca with great spiritual significance. They must throw seven pebbles at each of the three pillars. Mina is where Muslims believe the Prophet Ibrahim's faith was tested when God commanded him to sacrifice his only son Ismail. The devil appeared before Ibrahim three times, trying to dissuade him from obeying God. The prophet responded each time by throwing stones at the devil, driving him away. Ibrahim was prepared to submit to the command, but God stayed his hand and spared his son. In the Christian and Jewish versions of the story, Abraham is ordered to kill his other son, Isaac. The Eid al-Adha holiday, observed worldwide by Muslims and timed to coincide with the end of the Hajj, celebrates Ibrahim's submission to God. After the stoning ritual, men shaved their head and women trimmed their hair by a length of a fingertip. Those who could afford it sacrificed an animal. Saudi officials were stationed throughout Mina to assist pilgrims, providing them with directions and distributing water to ease the strain of the heat. Temperatures reached a high of 46 degrees Celsius (114 degrees Fahrenheit) on Friday. Many pilgrims went to Mecca afterwards to circuit the Kaaba, the black, cube-shaped structure in the holy city, and walk between the hills of Safa and Marwah, completing the core rites of the Hajj.


Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Symbolism and smiles during the stoning of the devil ritual at the Hajj
MINA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — For some, the stoning of the devil ritual at the Hajj in Saudi Arabia marks a solemn moment, a complete submission to God. For others, it represents a victory over evil. Subardi Abdulaha, from Indonesia, was one of more than 1.6 million pilgrims in Mina on Friday throwing pebbles at pillars with gusto. 'I'm doing the jamarat,' said Abdulaha, referring to the three vast concrete structures. He smiled and his eyes lit up. 'I throw the stone as a symbol against Satan!' Pilgrims had collected their pebbles overnight Thursday from Muzdalifah, an area located a few kilometers (miles) away from Arafat , a hill outside the city of Mecca with great spiritual significance. They must throw seven pebbles at each of the three pillars. Mina is where Muslims believe the Prophet Ibrahim's faith was tested when God commanded him to sacrifice his only son Ismail. The devil appeared before Ibrahim three times, trying to dissuade him from obeying God. The prophet responded each time by throwing stones at the devil, driving him away. Ibrahim was prepared to submit to the command, but God stayed his hand and spared his son. In the Christian and Jewish versions of the story, Abraham is ordered to kill his other son, Isaac. The Eid al-Adha holiday, observed worldwide by Muslims and timed to coincide with the end of the Hajj, celebrates Ibrahim's submission to God. After the stoning ritual, men shaved their head and women trimmed their hair by a length of a fingertip. Those who could afford it sacrificed an animal. Saudi officials were stationed throughout Mina to assist pilgrims, providing them with directions and distributing water to ease the strain of the heat. Temperatures reached a high of 46 degrees Celsius (114 degrees Fahrenheit) on Friday. Many pilgrims went to Mecca afterwards to circuit the Kaaba, the black, cube-shaped structure in the holy city, and walk between the hills of Safa and Marwah, completing the core rites of the Hajj. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .