Not money, not fame; Taylor says he loves the game

ASHBURN — Jason Taylor does not want anyone to think his days as a football player are finished. He doesn't want anyone to think he’s more interested in “Dancing with the Stars” than tackling quarterbacks, and he especially wants people to know he did not agree to play for the Washington Redskins just to collect millions of dollars.

“Some guys play for money, some for fame," Taylor said. "Those things are great, but the reason I play the game is to win. I think the organization here gives me a great chance to win this year and to build on that for the coming years.

“I know I made a statement in June that I planned to play one more year and take it from there. “But . . . I’m on board. I’m going to play out my contract. I’m here for more than one year, God willing. I’m here to play ball and play ball as long as I can.”

Taylor has two years left on his contract and will earn more than $16 million if he plays both seasons. If he plays as he has the previous 11 seasons, the Redskins will be happy to pay him so handsomely.

Acquiring Taylor became a Redskins priority early Sunday morning, after starting left defensive end Phillip Daniels was lost for the season to a knee injury.

The Redskins gave the Dolphins a second-round draft choice in 2009 and a sixth-round pick in 2010 to get Taylor, 6-6 and 255 pounds.

“I don’t look real big,” Taylor said. “And I might not look too tough, but I mix it up, and I’ll play the run as well as I can for my size.

“People always want to categorize someone as a pass rusher or a run stopper or whatever it is. I’m just a playmaker, a ballplayer.”

Taylor, who will be 34 on Sept. 1, is the career leader in sacks (117) among active NFL players. He has been selected for six Pro Bowls and was the NFL defensive player of the year in 2006, a year in which the Dolphins had a 6-10 record.

Taylor had 11 sacks last season while playing for a 1-15 team.

“I was always in awe of his effort, his energy, his passion to play the game,” said Redskins middle linebacker London Fletcher, who played against the Dolphins twice a year for four years in Buffalo. “He plays the game the right way, regardless of the score. Whether they were losing, he was going 110 miles per hour all the time.”

Taylor spent part of the offseason as a contestant on the television show, “Dancing with the Stars.” He finished as the runner-up.

Show business seemed to have a bigger role in his future than football.

“It’s football season,” Taylor said. “There’s no dancing, except for celebrating big plays. I believe if you take care of the task at hand, everything else will fall into place.”

Andre Carter is the Redskins’ right defensive end. Carter had 10-and-a-half sacks last season and probably is entrenched at his position. Carter also wears No. 99, which was Taylor’s number in Miami.

The two planned to discuss the number’s possession for the 2008 season.

Taylor spent most of his career at right defensive end as well.

“I have been on the left side,” Taylor said. “Although it will be different from what I’ve done the majority of my career, I have done plenty of it, and have had some success over there.

“It’s like anything; you can adjust your game at times. We’ll find a way to do it very well, but it will take some work.”

Wherever he plays, the Redskins expect Taylor to make a major impact on the defense’s performance.

“The prime example is the New York Giants,” Fletcher said. “Look at the pressure they were able to generate with their front four in the Super Bowl and throughout the season.

“For the back seven, you don’t have to cover as long. The quarterback is not throwing on rhythm. He doesn’t have as much time to hold on to the football. You’re able to make more interceptions, more turnovers, sacks, the whole defense will benefit by having Jason.”

Paul Woody is a writer at Media General’s Richmond Times-Dispatch.