From Gator Walk-On to Viral Creator: Clifford Taylor’s Journey

For Clifford Taylor IV, football was never part of the original plan. The Florida native grew up playing basketball and eventually arrived at the University of Florida hoping to find a place on the basketball team. Instead, an unexpected opportunity on the football field changed the direction of his college career—and eventually helped lead him toward a career in sports content creation.

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What began with a casual flag football game turned into a tryout with the Gators, followed by two seasons inside one of college football's most recognizable programs. Along the way, Taylor learned a new sport, developed lifelong friendships and began creating videos that would eventually turn into a growing online career.

From Hooping to The Swamp

Taylor's athletic background was almost entirely centered around basketball. At 6-foot-6, however, he knew playing center at the Division I level would be difficult. Florida remained his dream school, largely because of his family's connection to the university.

“My pops went there,” Taylor said. “That was always my dream school.”

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After his attempt to walk onto the basketball team didn't work out, Taylor started playing intramural flag football during his sophomore year. At first, he was simply trying to figure out the basics.

“I really didn't know what I was doing besides catching the ball in the end zone,” Taylor said.

Then came a conversation with another player who asked Taylor if he had ever considered playing football. That question eventually led Taylor to try out for the Gators.

One Game Changed His Mind

Taylor's interest in football grew after watching Florida take on LSU inside The Swamp. The atmosphere surrounding the game made him realize that football could offer an experience unlike anything he had known through basketball.

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Cliff knew making the team wasn't guaranteed, but the possibility itself was enough to motivate him.

“I don't know if I'm gonna make the team, but that'd be one hell of a story if I do,” he said.

Cliff tried out in the spring of his sophomore year and eventually earned his spot on the team heading into his junior year.

Baptism by Fire

Making the roster was only the beginning. Taylor suddenly had to learn an entirely new sport while competing at the highest level of college football.

His first training camp was a major adjustment. “Basketball and football are two completely different sports,” Taylor said.

The biggest challenge was learning Florida's playbook. Taylor remembers showing up for his first day and discovering that the team had an install quiz. He scored a 37 out of 100. “I was just like, this ain't happening again,” Taylor said.

Taylor responded by studying. He received an iPad and began going through the plays over and over, determined to understand his responsibilities. “I know I ain't gonna get in, but I don't want to make the tight end room look stupid either,” Taylor said.

Finding His People

Beyond learning football, Taylor found a group of teammates who made his experience at Florida memorable. One of the closest relationships he built was with Josiah Pierre, who was with Taylor during both of his seasons with the Gators. The two quickly became close and have remained best friends years after their time in Gainesville.

“To this day, we're best friends,” Taylor said.

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Taylor also remembers the personalities that made the Florida locker room special, especially running back Damien Pierce. Taylor described Pierce as one of the biggest jokesters on the team, a reputation that was on full display during a memorable 2020 offseason campus run.

Taylor recalled that the freshmen on the team weren't aware of what was coming. Before the run, Zach Carter, Delon and Pierce showed up with a jukebox playing a song featuring the repeated line, “Somebody gonna die today.” The group then began circling Richie Leonard, a freshman offensive lineman who Taylor described as the heaviest player on the team at the time.

Everyone continued singing the song as they started the campus run, turning what could have been a difficult conditioning session into a memorable locker-room moment.

The First Videos Take Off

Taylor's transition into content creation began toward the end of the 2019 season. At first, he wasn't expecting to build a career from it. “I didn't think anything of it,” Taylor said. “I was just trying to get on with the wave.”

Then his first video took off. The second followed. Then the third. Soon, Taylor noticed people recognizing him around campus.

“That was when I knew it was something,” Taylor said. “Once I started going back to campus, and people would recognize me, it was like, ‘Oh, this is for real.’” When COVID-19 hit, Taylor began posting constantly. What started as occasional videos turned into content nearly every day.

Eventually, even his teammates started calling him “TikTok.”

From TikTok to YouTube

Taylor's success eventually expanded beyond TikTok and Instagram. YouTube Shorts gave him another way to reach an audience, and he began transferring his existing short-form videos to the platform.

From there, he started experimenting with long-form content, including vlogs from football and basketball events.

In 2024, Taylor reached another major milestone when he received his YouTube plaque after surpassing 100,000 subscribers.

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“I was trying to crack the YouTube game for a long time,” Taylor said. Short-form content helped him finally break through, but Taylor didn't stop there. He began building a broader YouTube presence around sports, events and his own personality.

Content Opened New Doors

Taylor's career eventually moved beyond social media platforms and into the sports industry. Working with organizations such as the Rams and NBA helped him develop a different perspective on content creation.

“When you start working in sports, man, it's just like you garner a whole new respect for the game,” Taylor said.

Those experiences also changed how Taylor approached his own work. “Now everything is so organized,” he said. “I write damn near everything down.”

The opportunities became bigger, too. Taylor has attended NBA All-Star Weekend and even traveled overseas for the Michael Jackson premiere. “As a die-hard MJ fan, that, to me, is at the top of the list,” Taylor said.

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The Power of a Pivot

One of the biggest changes in Taylor's career came when he decided to become more comfortable talking directly to the camera.

For years, his content was primarily built around skits. But Taylor began appearing on camera more often, allowing his personality to become a bigger part of his brand.

That decision opened opportunities he doesn't believe would have happened otherwise.

“I don't think the MJ premiere happens without pivoting,” Taylor said.

The change shows how Taylor's career has continued to evolve. What started with short comedy videos has become a much broader platform centered around sports, entertainment and his personality.

Still Connected to Florida

Even after leaving Florida, Taylor remains closely connected to the Gators and college football. His favorite game as a player was Florida's 2019 matchup against Auburn, when College GameDay came to Gainesville and the atmosphere inside The Swamp reached another level.

“I feel like we haven't had that type of sense or feel since, like, Tebow was there,” Taylor said.

Taylor also has a special hatred for Florida State, making rivalry games some of his favorite experiences as a fan.

“Anytime we beat FSU with the crib, that's always great,” Taylor said.

Looking Ahead

Taylor's journey has taken him much further than he could have imagined when he first arrived at Florida. He went from a basketball player who had never seriously considered football to a Gators tight end, then from a college athlete making relatable videos in his apartment to a creator attending major sporting and entertainment events.

His story is ultimately about adapting. Taylor adapted to football, adapted to social media and eventually adapted his content as his audience grew. Nearly seven years after posting his first videos, he is still creating.

“About to be seven years later, still going strong with this content stuff,” Taylor said.

What started as an unexpected football opportunity became the foundation for something much bigger.