Jason Taylor on AllMovie

Athlete-turned-television celebrity Jason Taylor initially shot to fame on the basis of his professional football career, as a defensive end for the Miami Dolphins team. Though many regarded Taylor (during his high school years) as an unlikely candidate for the NFL, given his parents' decision to home school him, Taylor proved the naysayers wrong by catching the eye of Woodland Hills, PA, high-school football coach George Novak in 1990; Novak helped turn the blossoming athlete into one of the region's top football stars. Taylor hit the gridiron at the University of Akron, and in time was drafted by the Dolphins -- a team he led to two Pro Bowls through the end of 2003. In 2006, Taylor transitioned to movie roles by participating in the comedic shockumentary Jackass: Number Two, and two years later was tapped by ABC to perform opposite dance pro Edyta Sliwinska in the sixth season of the competitive reality series Dancing with the Stars.