Taylor Thompson: A Multifaceted Collegiate Career

Taylor Thompson has carved out a noteworthy presence in collegiate athletics, showcasing her abilities in both basketball and volleyball. This article delves into her basketball journey, highlighting her contributions at the NCAA level and earlier athletic achievements.

High School and Personal Life

Born on August 12, 1994, in Richmond, Virginia, Taylor Thompson is the daughter of Wayne Thompson and Maria Boldin. She has a brother named Justin. Thompson's major is biology. She attended Cedar Ridge High School, where she lettered in basketball for four years and volleyball for three. From 2010-2012, she earned all-conference and second-team all-district honors in basketball. In 2010 and 2012, she was named MVP of the Red Wolves basketball team. Over her high school career, Thompson accumulated over 700 points and 500 rebounds, including 21 double-doubles in her senior season. In volleyball, she was named team MVP in 2011 and 2012, earning Player of the Year and all-conference honors in her final season, also leading her volleyball team to the 2010 state finals. Thompson's best sports moment is beating crosstown rival Orange High School in her senior season, the first time Cedar Ridge won over its rival in her high school career.

Her pregame routine includes relaxing and listening to music. She lists her mother and brother as the most influential people for being the strongest and most determined people she knows. Her best non-athletic accomplishment is staying with the Girl Scouts from third grade through high school graduation. Thompson plans to attend P.A. school and become a physician's assistant upon graduation. Her favorite sayings are "Live life to the fullest with no regrets" and "Don't think about it, just play." Her hobbies include shopping, listening to music, and watching movies. Her favorite book is A Long Way Gone, and her favorite movies include "Mulan", "BAP*S", "Life", "Deliver us From Eva" and "The Goofy Movie." Her personal athletic goal this season is to become a stronger and better player.

NCAA Career at University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES)

Taylor Thompson played for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Lady Hawks. Batchelor noted that "Thompson is a crafty, post player. She is a great individual that works and contributes to the offensive end, both inside and outside the paint."

2012-13: Freshman Season

Thompson started her college career as a reserve forward, appearing in 25 games with one start. She scored her first basket in the season opener at George Mason (11/13). She had four points and three boards vs. Campbell (12/14), following up with six points in a win at North Florida (12/15). She grabbed five rebounds with four points vs. Brown (12/29). Her career-highs were eight points and five rebounds vs. Delaware State (1/19).

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2013-14: Sophomore Season

In her sophomore year, Thompson played in 24 games, starting in three. She saw eight minutes of action in the home-opener versus USC-Upstate (11/08/13), finishing with two points and three boards. She scored three points in 15 minutes at American (11/12/13). She recorded two points in the road win over UMBC (11/16/13). She saw 15 minutes at Syracuse (11/20/13), finishing with three points. She played 19 minutes at #20 Oklahoma (12/15/13), finishing with three points. She netted six points in 13 minutes of action at Virginia (12/17/13). She scored two points at Howard (01/18/14). She registered four points in a season-high 20 minutes versus North Carolina Central (02/03/14). She netted a season-high 13 points in the home win over Morgan State (02/17/14). She played 19 minutes at Delaware State (02/22/14), finishing with four points and a season-high 6 boards. She tallied two points versus Hampton (02/24/14).

2014-15: Junior Season

Thompson saw limited action for the Lady Hawks during her junior year, participating in 20 games as a reserve. In her season debut, she played 11 minutes and recorded four boards and two points in the win over Cheyney (11/25/14). She registered five points and three rebounds versus Mount St. Mary's (12/03/14). She tallied six boards in the home win over North Carolina Central (12/06/14). She had a season-high two steals, two points, and two rebounds at USC-Upstate (12/13/14). She produced a season-high 12 points and a career-high seven boards at Florida A&M (01/26/15). She was named to the 2015 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Commissioner's All-Academic Team.

2015-16: Senior Season

As a senior, Thompson competed in 28 contests, including two starts. She ended her four-year career playing in 96 games (six starts) while collecting 268 points, 267 rebounds, 27 thefts, 15 dimes, and 10 blocks. She finished second on the squad in free-throw percentage (74%). She grabbed two boards in 10 minutes of action in the season opener versus Georgetown (11/13/15). She tallied eight rebounds and six points in the home win over USC-Upstate (11/15/15). She recorded six points and four boards against No. 6 Maryland (12/20/15). In her first start of the season versus Old Dominion (12/22/15), she registered a season-high 11 points. She posted seven points and six boards at UNCG (12/28/15). She recorded seven rebounds and five points at Delaware State (02/13/16). She registered 10 points in the road win at Howard (02/16/16).

Career Highs

Points: 13 (vs. Morgan State, Feb. 17, 2014)
Rebounds: 8 (vs. USC-Upstate, Nov. 15, 2015)
Steals: 2 (7x, last: at UNCG, Dec. 28, 2015)
Assists: 2 (2x, last: at Savannah State, Jan. 16, 2016)
Blocks: 2 (2x, last: vs. Morgan State, Feb. 17, 2014)
Minutes: 30 (at UNCG, Dec.

Career Summary

Taylor Thompson's career at UMES demonstrates her dedication and versatility as a player. Her ability to contribute both offensively and defensively, coupled with her academic achievements, paints a picture of a well-rounded student-athlete. While her statistics may not be record-breaking, her consistent effort and positive attitude made her a valuable asset to the Lady Hawks.

Another Taylor Thompson: Football Career Overview

Taylor Thompson (born October 19, 1989) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Titans in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL draft. He was released during minicamps on June 18, 2015. Thompson attended Prosper High School, where he was a multi-sport athlete excelling in Basketball, Baseball, Track and Football. Following his Junior year, Thompson was rated as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com and Scout.com. His senior year he was selected to the Texas All-State Team, both a Tight end and Defensive end. He was also selected to Dave Campbell's Super Team, ranked as the No. Under head coach June Jones, Thompson was a 4-year starter at SMU. The Tennessee Titans selected Thompson in the fifth round (145th overall). He was the eighth tight end selected during the 2012 NFL draft. Under head coach Mike Munchak, Thompson joined tight ends Craig Stevens and Jared Cook. During his time in Tennessee, Thompson made multiple contributions on offense as well as special teams.

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Taylor Thompson (Baseball)

Taylor Thompson (born in Montgomery, Ala) played baseball. He was drafted in the 25th-Round of the 2008 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox but chose to remain at Auburn.

2009 (Junior)

Went 3-6 with a 6.28 ERA in 21 appearances. Made six starts on the season. Was 2-3 in his six starts (28.1 IP). Moved to the bullpen on March 6 where he made 15 appearances and had a 6.21 ERA. Allowed just one hit to the first batter he faced when coming out of the pen (1-for-15, .067). Threw his first career complete game at Ole Miss on May 10, taking a no-hitter into the seventh (6.1 IP) and a shutout into the ninth (8.2 IP) . Allowed just one run on four hits and four walks, striking out six. Took loss against Mississippi State after allowing four runs on five hits in 6.0 innings of relief, striking out a season-high seven. Entered in the third inning for an injured Cory Luckie in the April 26 game at Alabama and threw 4.0 scoreless innings, scattering two hits and a walk but did not factor in to the decision. Took the loss on April 16 vs. South Alabama, allowing three runs on four hits after entering in the fifth and retiring the first five hitters he faced, striking out the side in the fifth. Threw 3.0 perfect innings in relief against Mississippi Valley State, retiring all nine hitters he faced, four by strikeout. Entered the Sunday game at Arkansas (April 6) in the third and went 4.1 innings, allowing two runs on three hits, striking out two, keeping the Tigers within striking distance for 12-10, comeback victory. Made seven relief appearances in March (12.1 IP), striking out nine while issuing just three walks. Finished the month 1-1 with a 5.84 ERA and a .269 opponent batting average. Went a career-long 5.0 innings in relief vs. Mercer on March 25 to earn the win. Made his first career relief appearance on March 6 vs. VMI, going 2.0 IP and striking out three, allowing a run. Had made 16 career starts prior to the relief outing. Earned his first win of the season with 5.0 IP against East Tennessee State. Allowed three first-inning runs before settling in for the next 4.0 innings, surrendering three hits.

2007 (Freshman)

Went 5-2 with a 5.89 ERA, tying for the team lead in strikeouts with 54. Made 14 starts and threw 62.2 innings. Began the year as the midweek starter before moving into the weekend rotation against Ole Miss. Was the Sunday starter against the Rebels but moved into the Saturday starter role for the rest of the season. Had a career-high eight strikeouts in 4.0 innings of work in a win over Davidson (March 6). Won his first four decisions before suffering a loss at South Carolina (Apr. 14). Had a run support of 6.3 r/g and the team went 9-5 in his starts, which was the most wins in support of any of the starters. Had two quality starts on the season. Pitched the first 6.0 innings of a 7-0 win at LSU . The shutout was the first by an Auburn team on the road in conference play since March 22, 2002 when AU won 3-0 at Tennessee . Earned first career win against Troy, going 4.0 innings in an 11-3 win, allowing two runs on four hits with four strikeouts. Fell one out shy of recording win in start against Ole Miss, going 4.2 innings and allowing just one run in 3-2 victory (Apr. 1). In back-to-back starts against Davidson (Mar. 6) and VMI (Mar. 13), struckout a combined 15 while allowing just 10 hits in a total of 9.1 innings.

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