SOUTH BEND — For Aaron Taylor, every task related to the Joe Moore Award is a labor of love.
Since co-founding the annual honor in 2015 to spotlight college football’s top offensive line unit, the former Notre Dame football great has made it his personal mission to ensure the relevance and sustaining power of the concept.
The latest step along that path is “Trench Life,” a weekly YouTube podcast Taylor has launched with an eye toward promoting, as he said in a recent phone interview with the South Bend Tribune, “all things offensive line and the brotherhood that binds us.”
The inaugural show debuted this week with new content set to air every Thursday during college football season.
“It’s really a holistic approach to the O-line brotherhood and position,” Taylor said, “always adding value, unique insights and leveraging the direct access.”
In addition to his work as a CBS studio analyst for “College Football Today,” Taylor will bring his perspective to weekly interviews, tutorials and discussions about the Joe Moore Award and the sport’s offensive line culture in general.
“This is an extension of what we do, not a replacement of it,” Taylor said, “and really a much-needed complement that just doesn’t exist in the marketplace.”
Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph, who shares a Pittsburgh connection with the award’s late namesake, sat with Taylor for an in-depth interview that will air on Aug. 28, three days ahead of the season opener at Miami.
Taylor, a College Football Hall of Fame inductee, is among 52 Moore pupils who went on to the NFL in the coach’s 18 years at the college level. Half of those were in South Bend (1988-96), starting with the school’s last national championship season.
One of the show’s recurring features, “Moore Than Just Words,” will be an oral history detailing what Taylor termed “the mindset and philosophy of what made (Moore’s) teachings timeless.”
Moore, who sued Notre Dame and former coach Bob Davie for age discrimination after his dismissal, died in 2003 at age 71.
Talking ‘pancakes’ and ‘full slabs’ with Aaron Taylor
There was no need to remind Rudolph of the award’s six main criteria: Toughness, effort, teamwork, consistency, technique and finishing.
He frequently regales current Irish offensive linemen with stories from the estimable lineage in their position room, including those who preceded him in his role.
“We talk about what those things mean, how they apply — not just to football, but in life,” Rudolph said recently. “We talk about the O-line creed from the Joe Moore Award. We love starting everything off with that.”
Notre Dame has won the Joe Moore Award just once since its founding. That came in 2017, when Harry Hiestand had a pair of top 10 NFL draft picks, Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey, setting the tone.
Army won the honor last season.
Taylor, a two-time All-American drafted 16th overall in 1994, promises plenty of “eye candy” on the show, which for offensive line aficionados means “big dudes mashing other big dudes,” he said.
Pancakes will be highlighted, as will full slabs (in pass protection) and a segment called “Big Ugly Spotlight,” but the chalk talks will get far wonkier, thanks to the “best in breed” JMA selection committee that will cycle through “Trench Life” as guests and co-hosts.
Taylor has been making the rounds this month to gather evergreen content with early stops including USC and Wisconsin.
“It’s basically high-level analysis,” he said, “deep dives where football heads and current and existing coaches can come for tactical debates but where casual fans and high school coaches and players will also find value.”
Taylor also plans to provide “performance-related information, things that help young players feel and play better,” both physically and mentally.
“Mental health is a big piece of mine,” Taylor said. “If we can share some evidence-based modalities or stories that are inspirational, that can help a young high school player or a youth sports mom or dad interface with their kids better.”
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame football great Aaron Taylor hopes to enlighten fans about the ‘Trench Life’
Reporting by Mike Berardino, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
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