Little Lion Plays Big

Taylor Smith-Gonzales is a senior wide receiver on the Lions varsity football team who has thus far flown under the radar. Playing second fiddle to Division 1 recruit Chris Murray will do that to you. However, Gonzales never lets it get to him. It’s something he’s dealt with his entire life.

“I’ve always been the small guy, my mentality is that I’ve got to play bigger,” said Gonzales.

Last year though Gonzales managed nine catches for 190 yards, a better than 21-yard per catch average. He also scored two touchdowns.

Now that he is a bonafide starter, he’s set the bar much higher for himself. According to Gonzales, he has a poster in his room with two numbers on it: 1,500 and 15. These are the yardage and touchdown totals he hopes to hit this season.

“I’ll end up in a good spot if I set my expectations high,” he said.

One might scoff at those numbers. Every receiver on last year’s team combined totaled less than 1,500 yards and only 16 touchdowns. However, the Lions are a more pass-happy team than last season, and Gonzales said his bigger opponents don’t intimidate him.

“If you look at some of the plays from last year, most of the guys I gave crack back blocks to were some of the biggest guys on the team,” said Gonzales. “I gun for the big guys.”

He’ll face plenty of big guys as the Lions try to negotiate the “District of Death.” However, there’s no way the young lion will back down from the challenge. He credits his parents for instilling that mentality in him at a young age.

“I’ve always had this will to fight and never quit anything,” he said.