Falcons Sign Fred Taylor's Son Kelvin to Contract

The Atlanta Falcons announced they signed running back Kelvin Taylor, the son of longtime Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor, to a contract Tuesday.

Pro Football Talk first passed along the news Tuesday morning.

Taylor followed in his father's footsteps by attending the University of Florida. He rushed for 2,108 yards and 23 touchdowns across 35 games with the Gators, including 1,035 yards and 13 TDs in his junior campaign, before declaring for the 2016 NFL draft.

The San Francisco 49ers selected him the sixth round at No. 211 overall. Along with the Niners, he's made stops with the Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs, but he didn't play in any regular-season games during his first year in the league.

In February 2016, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com passed along comments Taylor made about what he learned from his standout dad.

"One thing my dad always drilled in my head is you really have to be a student of the game to be a great player on any level but especially this level," he said. "You really have to be a student of the game, and I feel like I'm a great student of the game, and I'm just ready to be great, just start working."

He'll need to make quite an impact during the remaining portion of training camp and the preseason in order to make the Falcons' final roster, though.

Taylor is joining a crowded backfield that already features Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman, Brian Hill, Terron Ward and Tyler Renew. He'll battle the latter three for a spot behind Freeman and Coleman heading into the 2017 season.