Miami Dolphins legend Jason Taylor to bang Panthers drum at Game 4 of Stanley Cup Final
The Florida Panthers reportedly are going to a Hall of Famer to bang the drum before Game 4 of their Stanley Cup Final series against the Edmonton Oilers.
Jason Taylor, a Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman who played most of his career with the Miami Dolphins and is now the defensive ends coach with the Miami Hurricanes, is slated to get the crowd going prior to opening faceoff on Thursday at Amerant Bank Arena, as reported by WSVN.
Taylor, a third-round pick out of Akron in the 1997 NFL Draft, played 15 seasons in the NFL — 13 of which were with the Dolphins. In 233 career games (199 starts), he had 774 tackles, 139.5 sacks, 46 forced fumbles, 29 fumble recoveries, six fumbles returned for touchdown, eight interceptions and three interceptions returned for touchdown. He was the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 2006 after logging 13.5 sacks, nine forced fumbles and a pair of pick-sixes.
Taylor was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017, the first year he was eligible.
Taylor will be the third person with Dolphins ties to bang the drum this playoff run, after tight end Jonnu Smith took part in Game 4 of the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning and defensive lineman Zach Sieler did it in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final against the Carolina Hurricanes.
The running list of those who have banged the drum this postseason:
▪ First round vs Tampa Bay Lightning: Inter Miami midfielder Banjamin Cremaschi (Game 3) and Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith (Game 4)
▪ Second round vs Toronto Maple Leafs: Boca Raton-based social media personalities A.J. and Big Justice, former Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle (Game 4) and former Marlins catcher Charles Johnson (Game 6)
▪ Eastern Conference final vs Carolina Hurricanes: rapper Trick Daddy (Game 3) and Dolphins defensive lineman Zach Sieler (Game 4)
▪ Stanley Cup Final vs Edmonton Oilers: Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (Game 3) and Miami Dolphins Hall of Fame defensive lineman/Miami Hurricanes assistant coach Jason Taylor (Game 4).
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