Tyrod Taylor Hosts Passing Academy

Veteran NFL quarterback Tyrod Taylor hosted his 3rd annual Passing Academy in his hometown of Hampton, Virginia. It is the first of two academies this year, as this one featured middle and elementary players, to be followed by a high school/college version in July.

The Academy started with a 45 minute classroom session on pass coverages, pre-snap reads, and identifying the best route to make a throw too.

Next, the players moved on to the Hampton University football stadium field for warmups instructed by BGR8FIT specialist Sean Harrison.

During the quarterback drills, the players were separated into different passing stations led by quarterback guru Tony Freeman, owner of QBArchitects, and former CFL quarterback David Watford

Ten players were selected to be added to the high school/college Academy.

Taylor was asked what motivated him to start a passing academy in the Hampton Roads area.

“There’s a lot of talent in this area,” he said. “I’ve been able to pour it back into this community and pick up that next person. You never know who you may inspire, and the goal is to continue to keep seeing these kids progressing as a quarterback.”

Past camps featured primarily high school students; however, starting this year, the Passing Academy focused on younger players in pre-high school.

“I’m just trying to impact them as early as possible,” Taylor said about the younger players. “I’ve had other camps where some of the younger kids attended, and we’ve seen those guys spin it just as well as the older group. So giving these guys the opportunity to compete means a lot.”

As a young quarterback, Taylor saw the dream of playing professional football through local quarterbacks like Aaron Brooks (Ferguson) and Michael Vick (Warwick), who both had Pro Bowl NFL seasons. I asked Taylor how they helped shape his career as a young quarterback.

Photos Tyrod Taylor Passing Academy

“Just talking to me, sharing their experiences, and also just me being able to learn from them”, he explained. “I’m a soft-spoken, quiet guy, or at least I was back then, but I’ve always observed and tried to learn from other people’s experiences and just them being present in our community, having camps, giving back to the community meant a lot to me because it kept the dream real for me.”

“So, I’m thankful for those relationships,” he added. “Thankful for the friendships, and I take it upon myself to be able to be present in it to the youth now, because I know how much of a difference that made for me.”

Taylor will begin his 15th season as an NFL quarterback, which includes a Super Bowl ring with the Baltimore Ravens. He was inducted into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2024.

Taylor was a Rivals 5-star quarterback and the #1 quarterback for the 2007 class. He led Hampton High School to the 2005 VHSL State Championship.