Tory Taylor

The Bears selected Iowa punter Tory Taylor with the 122nd overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.

A 6-4, 225-pounder, Taylor comes to Chicago following a four-year stay in Iowa City where he appeared in 49 games for the Hawkeyes. In total, he punted 295 times for 12,657 yards with 127 landing inside the 20-yard line (43.1%) and set school records in number of punts and total punt yardage. Taylor averaged 40 or more yards per punt in 43 career games, an NCAA record, and won the 2023 Ray Guy Award as a senior, recognizing the nation's top punter.

The Bears selected Iowa punter Tory Taylor with the 122nd overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.

A 6-4, 225-pounder, Taylor comes to Chicago following a four-year stay in Iowa City where he appeared in 49 games for the Hawkeyes. In total, he punted 295 times for 12,657 yards with 127 landing inside the 20-yard line (43.1%) and set school records in number of punts and total punt yardage. Taylor averaged 40 or more yards per punt in 43 career games, an NCAA record, and won the 2023 Ray Guy Award as a senior, recognizing the nation's top punter.

DRAFT NOTES

• Taylor is the first specialist selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.
• He is the 14th player drafted by the Bears out of Iowa since 1936 and the eighth in the Common Draft Era (since 1967). He is the first Hawkeye drafted by the Bears since offensive lineman James Daniels was taken in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
• Taylor is the seventh punter and the 15th specialist drafted by the Bears. He is the first punter taken by the Bears since Trenton Gill was selected in the seventh round of the 2022 Draft.

TORY TAYLOR IOWA OVERVIEW (courtesy of Iowa media relations):

• Taylor set the Iowa single-season record for punting yards with 3,688 yards (80 punts, 46.1 average) in 2021, increased that record to 3,725 yards in 2022 (82 punts, 45.4 avg.), and broke that record again with 4,479 yards in 2023 (93 punts, 48.2 avg.).
• Taylor had 39 of 80 punts land inside the 20 in 2021, 38 of 82 land inside the 20 in 2022, and 32 of 93 land inside the 20 in 2023.
• He also set an 85-year-old NCAA single-season yardage record, recording 4,479 yards on 93 punts in 2023. Taylor was a unanimous All-American (First-Team by AFCA, FWAA, Phil Steele, SI, The Athletic, CBS, Walter Camp, The Associated Press, Sporting News; Second-Team from Pro Football Focus).
• In 2022, he was named First-Team All-American (FWAA, Phill Steele, PFF) and Second-Team All-American (AP). He was also a finalist for the Ray Guy Award.
• As a sophomore, Taylor was named an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention by the coaches and media. He was also a semi-finalist for the Ray Guy Award.
• As a freshman, Taylor averaged 44.1 yards on 40 punts, with a long of 61 yards and nine punts of 50 yards or more. He ranked third in the Big Ten, and 20th in the nation, in punting average and had 18 punts land inside the 20 with just one touchback. Opponents recorded 20 fair catches and averaged 5.2 yards on six returns against Taylor.

MORE ABOUT TORY

• Son of Tanya and Stuart Taylor.
• Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia and attended high school at Haileybury.
• Did not compete as a punter in high school.
• Has experience in Australian football.
• Majored in sport and recreation management.