Two years ago, Jaison Taylor made a choice to continue his education at a place that would allow him to play football and prepare to serve his country.

That signing was the easy part. After the fact, Taylor had to do the preliminary work needed to officially be counted as a member of the Naval Academy’s Class of 2023. And as of June 28, the Newton High graduate and former football standout is official. 

A June 28 press release from the Naval Academy shared that Taylor, a former 3-star safety prospect at Newton, was inducted into the Naval Academy Class of 2023 and has now begun a six-week basic midshipman training period. 

Taylor was one of approximately 1,200 candidates selected for the Academy’s “plebe” or freshman class, and each student will be required to participate in Plebe Summer. Last year, according to the Naval Academy’s press release, over 16,000 applications were turned in for the Class of 2022, making acceptance into the Academy one of the toughest of any post secondary institution. 

Taylor, and his fellow freshman inductees, will face the rigorous six-week training period without access to television, movies, the internet or music. Plebes are only permitted to make three class during the six week period. 

Training regimens include everything from swimming, martial arts, basic rock climbing to basic skills in seamanship, navigation, damage control, sailing, infantry drill and learning to operate 9 millimeter pistols and M-16 rifles. 

Taylor finished his senior season at Newton with 43 total tackles, 27 solo stops one interception and one forced fumble. He chose Navy after receiving over 20 Division I football scholarship offers from the likes of Army, Troy, Tulane, Mercer, Ohio, Northern Illinois, Ball State and Georgia State. 

When Taylor originally committed back in June 2017, he said it was his father Edgar’s service in the Navy that helped him make that decision. 

“I’ve seen where it can be a great opportunity for me,” Taylor said at the time.