Joy Taylor Excited and Nervous for NFL Draft of Nephew Mason Taylor

MIAMI, Fla. — Joy Taylor is feeling a mix of excitement and nerves as her nephew prepares for the NFL Draft this week. Mason Taylor, a highly-rated tight end, is the son of Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Jason Taylor and the nephew of Fox Sports host Joy Taylor.

Joy Taylor recently joined her co-host Jonathan Zaslow on Miami radio to share her feelings about the upcoming draft. “I’m excited. I’m excited for him, but I’m nervous,” she said. “I’ve watched this sport with a severe emotional attachment to my brother, and now it’s back. It’s a familiar anxiety.”

For the past 15 years since Jason Taylor retired in 2011, Joy has been able to watch NFL games as a fan and analyst without that emotional connection. “It’s going to make Sundays more stressful than they’ve been since my brother retired,” she added. “We work in the business, so we get a little bit jaded from fandom in covering sports in general.”

Mason Taylor’s prospects for the NFL Draft look promising. While Tyler Warren from Penn State and Colston Loveland from Michigan are seen as top tight end picks, Mason is projected to be drafted in the early rounds. Joy will be watching the draft from Los Angeles due to her FS1 commitments, but plans to be with her family this weekend.

Reflecting on her brother’s draft experience, she recalled being there when Jason was selected by the Miami Dolphins in 1997. “He kept checking the phone line to make sure no one had bumped it out from the wall. Then eventually, Jimmy Johnson called and drafted him. It was wild,” she said. “And now, 28 years later, it’s going to be my nephew.”