Gold Rush: Where Are They Now - Wendell Taylor
1/2/2020 11:44:00 AM | Football, General
In each issue of Gold Rush, Where Are They Now showcases a former Wake Forest student-athlete. Wendell Taylor ('95) played linebacker for the Wake Forest football team under Coach Bill Dooley and Coach Jim Caldwell. Taylor was part of the 1992 Independence Bowl winning team that defeated the Oregon Ducks 39-35 at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, La. After graduating from Wake Forest, Taylor went on to serve as president of his class at University of Richmond School of Law before going on to become the Managing Partner of Hunton Andrews Kurth's Washington, D.C., law office.
When did you graduate from Wake Forest? I entered with the class of 1994 but was redshirted and graduated in 1995.
What was your major and or/minor? Sociology with a concentration in Criminology
What does being a Demon Deacon mean to you? Being a Demon Deacon means being a graduate of a school you can always be proud of. There are very few universities that can tout the academic and athletic successes of Wake Forest.
Why are you still involved in Wake Forest Athletics? Coach Clawson has done an amazing job engaging former football players. He conducts conference calls with Wake Forest football alumni where he gives updates on the state of the program and challenges us to stay involved. Coach Clawson also has created a great deal of energy around the Spring Game and invites football alumni back to a career night with the players. I had the privilege of being the keynote speaker at the career night event two years ago, and I spoke to the players about the unique opportunity they have to foster skills that will be invaluable to lifetime successes including their work ethic, time management and will to win.
Why do you feel it is important to give back to the University? I had a great experience at Wake, and I want to pay it forward to the next generation of student-athletes.
What is your current occupation? On my LinkedIn page, it says I'm a "cat herder, magician, and juggler." Stated differently, I am an attorney and the Managing Partner of Hunton Andrews Kurth's Washington, D.C., office where I manage approximately 200 attorneys and about 350 total employees. I am also on the Board of Trustees of the University of Richmond where I went to law school.
What is your favorite memory of your time at Wake Forest? The 1992 Independence Bowl is tough to beat in the favorite memory category. It was Coach Dooley's last year, and the team rallied around him for one of the best seasons in Wake history and a bowl victory over Oregon. Partying on New Year's Eve after the bowl victory was amazing. A close second is the ACC Basketball Tournament my senior year where Randolph Childress set an all-time points record on the way to leading Wake to the ACC title. Go Deacs!
What makes you most proud of Wake Forest? I'm proud to see so many of my Wake friends go on to be enormous successes in life.
When you come back to Wake Forest, you always... I always stop by the athletic department. Ah, the memories.
Who is your favorite coach at Wake Forest, current or past? Having played under both Coach Dooley and Coach Caldwell, it is really tough to pick either of them. They were both great coaches and mentors. That said, Coach Clawson is my favorite Wake Forest coach. He has created a program that has had sustained success evidenced by the fact that Wake will go to its fourth straight bowl this year. I have gotten to know Coach Clawson through his outreach to football alums and in my capacity as a member of the Military Bowl Board of Directors — where Wake played (and won) a couple of years ago.
When did you graduate from Wake Forest? I entered with the class of 1994 but was redshirted and graduated in 1995.
What was your major and or/minor? Sociology with a concentration in Criminology
What does being a Demon Deacon mean to you? Being a Demon Deacon means being a graduate of a school you can always be proud of. There are very few universities that can tout the academic and athletic successes of Wake Forest.
Why are you still involved in Wake Forest Athletics? Coach Clawson has done an amazing job engaging former football players. He conducts conference calls with Wake Forest football alumni where he gives updates on the state of the program and challenges us to stay involved. Coach Clawson also has created a great deal of energy around the Spring Game and invites football alumni back to a career night with the players. I had the privilege of being the keynote speaker at the career night event two years ago, and I spoke to the players about the unique opportunity they have to foster skills that will be invaluable to lifetime successes including their work ethic, time management and will to win. Why do you feel it is important to give back to the University? I had a great experience at Wake, and I want to pay it forward to the next generation of student-athletes.
What is your current occupation? On my LinkedIn page, it says I'm a "cat herder, magician, and juggler." Stated differently, I am an attorney and the Managing Partner of Hunton Andrews Kurth's Washington, D.C., office where I manage approximately 200 attorneys and about 350 total employees. I am also on the Board of Trustees of the University of Richmond where I went to law school.
What is your favorite memory of your time at Wake Forest? The 1992 Independence Bowl is tough to beat in the favorite memory category. It was Coach Dooley's last year, and the team rallied around him for one of the best seasons in Wake history and a bowl victory over Oregon. Partying on New Year's Eve after the bowl victory was amazing. A close second is the ACC Basketball Tournament my senior year where Randolph Childress set an all-time points record on the way to leading Wake to the ACC title. Go Deacs!
What makes you most proud of Wake Forest? I'm proud to see so many of my Wake friends go on to be enormous successes in life.
When you come back to Wake Forest, you always... I always stop by the athletic department. Ah, the memories.
Who is your favorite coach at Wake Forest, current or past? Having played under both Coach Dooley and Coach Caldwell, it is really tough to pick either of them. They were both great coaches and mentors. That said, Coach Clawson is my favorite Wake Forest coach. He has created a program that has had sustained success evidenced by the fact that Wake will go to its fourth straight bowl this year. I have gotten to know Coach Clawson through his outreach to football alums and in my capacity as a member of the Military Bowl Board of Directors — where Wake played (and won) a couple of years ago.
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