Photo by: Kari Hodges/UGAAA
Taylor Continues Family’s Bulldog Legacy
November 16, 2023 | Men's Tennis
ATHENS, Ga. - Freshman Davis Taylor of the Georgia men's tennis team grew up a Bulldog fan in Atlanta.
Before he was born, his mom, Marianna Land, was a three time national champion, helping Georgia win the 1994 NCAA National Championship and the 1994 and 1995 National Indoor titles.
Taylor remembers times when his mom took him to matches and showed him around the school he would someday enroll in. Walking around the indoor facility and seeing all the pictures and legacy she left behind was a fierce motivator for his pursuit of a collegiate career at Georgia.
Continuing to fuel this family legacy, his mother put a tennis racket in his and his twin sister's hands at the young age of two. Taylor has not looked back since.
"I just remember my mom putting a racket into my twin sister and I's hands. My mom keeps feeding us balls, trying to play at the public park near my house."
The three of them made a habit of going to the public courts near their house, with their mom feeding them balls for hours. This bonding was pivotal in Taylor's drive to pursue tennis at the next level.
Growing up with two sisters, Taylor was especially close with his twin. The two athletes have only grown closer while getting older. She now plays at University of South Carolina on their club tennis team, also following in her mother's footsteps. The support provided from their mother growing up, Taylor sees her as his inspiration.
"We did fight a lot growing up, but as we got older our bond has grown stronger."
Having a Georgia alumna as a mother, he had no choice but to be a Georgia fan since birth. Growing up, Taylor was consistently coming to campus with his grandfather and attending football games with his father.
"Even just my mom showing me around campus growing up, as well as the indoor facility with memories of her in it. It is surreal."
Beginning his freshman year on the same courts his mother once dominated, Taylor is finally seeing his dreams come true.
"When you are wearing the 'G' on your shirt, it makes you feel like part of the family, part of the team, out on the courts."
Taylor states that he first felt the weight of his accomplishments during his junior and senior year of high school, when he signed his letter of intent.
However, once he stepped on campus all of his dreams became a concrete reality. Luckily for Taylor, this triumphant milestone was just the beginning.
"Being here surrounded by these three great coaches and these players that have pushed me already these four months, I think it's been really helpful for my development as both a player and a person."
Being at University of Georgia has made him strive not just athletically, but academically as well.
Taylor is proud to say that his changes in the classroom have helped him improve both on and off the courts as a player and as a person. Looking back on the transition from juniors to his fall season, Taylor has noticed and felt the difference in his play and persona.
Through his play this fall, Taylor experienced for the first time the community that comes from being a part of the Georgia tennis program - an atmosphere where you can never feel alone, something his mother has always told him about growing up.
Riding out the high of his first season of play, Taylor expressed gratitude to the Georgia coaches and their wealth of shared knowledge. Having coaches that will pick him up when he is not playing his best, while fueling him when he is dominating on the courts is one of Taylor's favorite things about this program.
"And then just the coaches being on the court able to share their knowledge and pick you up when you're not playing so well, or your teammates coming in high fiving you during the match. It's just such an incredible feeling, being out there and being able to compete for a team like Georgia."
As he reflects on what is to come, Taylor's biggest goal for his Georgia tennis career is to see just how far the team can go when their hard work begins to pay off. The team's goal every year is to bring the national championship home to Athens, and Taylor is itching to be a part of this peak achievement.
Looking back at the Georgia teams he watched growing up, he hopes to inspire the new generation of children.
"I think a kid at the banquet had asked Trent Bryde a question, 'What can I do to play here?' and he just said, 'Be a good person and work hard.' I feel like some people overlook the 'Be a good person' part."
A freshman on the roster, Taylor has embraced the Bulldog culture wholeheartedly. Born a fan of the Georgia dynasty and ready to pursue a record-breaking season, just like his mother did in the 1990s and the men's teams he watched growing up.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Bulldogs by following UGA Men's Tennis on social media on Instagram and X @UGATennis, on Facebook @UGAMensTennis, and online at GeorgiaDogs.com.
Before he was born, his mom, Marianna Land, was a three time national champion, helping Georgia win the 1994 NCAA National Championship and the 1994 and 1995 National Indoor titles.
Taylor remembers times when his mom took him to matches and showed him around the school he would someday enroll in. Walking around the indoor facility and seeing all the pictures and legacy she left behind was a fierce motivator for his pursuit of a collegiate career at Georgia.
Continuing to fuel this family legacy, his mother put a tennis racket in his and his twin sister's hands at the young age of two. Taylor has not looked back since.
"I just remember my mom putting a racket into my twin sister and I's hands. My mom keeps feeding us balls, trying to play at the public park near my house."
The three of them made a habit of going to the public courts near their house, with their mom feeding them balls for hours. This bonding was pivotal in Taylor's drive to pursue tennis at the next level.
Growing up with two sisters, Taylor was especially close with his twin. The two athletes have only grown closer while getting older. She now plays at University of South Carolina on their club tennis team, also following in her mother's footsteps. The support provided from their mother growing up, Taylor sees her as his inspiration.
"We did fight a lot growing up, but as we got older our bond has grown stronger."
Having a Georgia alumna as a mother, he had no choice but to be a Georgia fan since birth. Growing up, Taylor was consistently coming to campus with his grandfather and attending football games with his father.
"Even just my mom showing me around campus growing up, as well as the indoor facility with memories of her in it. It is surreal."
Beginning his freshman year on the same courts his mother once dominated, Taylor is finally seeing his dreams come true.
"When you are wearing the 'G' on your shirt, it makes you feel like part of the family, part of the team, out on the courts."
Taylor states that he first felt the weight of his accomplishments during his junior and senior year of high school, when he signed his letter of intent.
However, once he stepped on campus all of his dreams became a concrete reality. Luckily for Taylor, this triumphant milestone was just the beginning.
"Being here surrounded by these three great coaches and these players that have pushed me already these four months, I think it's been really helpful for my development as both a player and a person."
Being at University of Georgia has made him strive not just athletically, but academically as well.
Taylor is proud to say that his changes in the classroom have helped him improve both on and off the courts as a player and as a person. Looking back on the transition from juniors to his fall season, Taylor has noticed and felt the difference in his play and persona.
Through his play this fall, Taylor experienced for the first time the community that comes from being a part of the Georgia tennis program - an atmosphere where you can never feel alone, something his mother has always told him about growing up.
Riding out the high of his first season of play, Taylor expressed gratitude to the Georgia coaches and their wealth of shared knowledge. Having coaches that will pick him up when he is not playing his best, while fueling him when he is dominating on the courts is one of Taylor's favorite things about this program.
"And then just the coaches being on the court able to share their knowledge and pick you up when you're not playing so well, or your teammates coming in high fiving you during the match. It's just such an incredible feeling, being out there and being able to compete for a team like Georgia."
As he reflects on what is to come, Taylor's biggest goal for his Georgia tennis career is to see just how far the team can go when their hard work begins to pay off. The team's goal every year is to bring the national championship home to Athens, and Taylor is itching to be a part of this peak achievement.
Looking back at the Georgia teams he watched growing up, he hopes to inspire the new generation of children.
"I think a kid at the banquet had asked Trent Bryde a question, 'What can I do to play here?' and he just said, 'Be a good person and work hard.' I feel like some people overlook the 'Be a good person' part."
A freshman on the roster, Taylor has embraced the Bulldog culture wholeheartedly. Born a fan of the Georgia dynasty and ready to pursue a record-breaking season, just like his mother did in the 1990s and the men's teams he watched growing up.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Bulldogs by following UGA Men's Tennis on social media on Instagram and X @UGATennis, on Facebook @UGAMensTennis, and online at GeorgiaDogs.com.
Players Mentioned
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