By Alan Ashley
In a LinkedIn post, 2021 Chelsea High School grad Joe Taylor said he’s not done with football just yet.
The University of Michigan (U-M) graduate student wrote he has accepted an invitation to attend the Las Vegas Raiders minicamp, which takes place May 8-10.
A standout special teams’ player for the University of Michigan, Taylor, a walk on, was recently named the 2025 Special Teams’ Player of the Year.
According to MGoBlue.com, the official website for U-M sports, among his other accolades as a Wolverine, Taylor was:
- Voted an alternate captain by his teammates (2025)
- Twice named as the team’s Special Teams Player of the Year (2024, 2025)
- Three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree (2022-23-25)
- Five-time letter winner (2021-22-23-24-25)
- Appeared in 52 career games including three on offense
While a Bulldog, Taylor played wide receiver and defensive back and was on the Chelsea football teams that won three consecutive district and regional championships. He played football and baseball and was on the football team that reached the state semifinals as a junior under coach Josh Lucas.
His key high school stats include:
- Caught 37 passes for 764 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior and scored a touchdown in every game during the season
- Recorded a team-high 82 tackles as a junior, including 3.5 tackles for losses (TFLs,) forced four fumbles and intercepted three passes
Another Chelsea native, Tony Scheffler graduated from Chelsea in 2001, attended Western Michigan University and played in the NFL, first for the Denver Broncos when he was drafted in 2006, and then for the Detroit Lions. He played eight seasons on the NFL from 2006 to 2013.
If Taylor makes the Raiders’ squad, he would be the second person from Chelsea to make it in the NFL.
