Youth Pastor Guides Saltillo High Athletes

SALTILLO, Miss. (WCBI) – He never played football. But he is a valuable member of the Saltillo coaching staff.

WCBI’s Chad Groening has more.

Friday night before a home game at Willis Wright Stadium, the Tigers go through their pregame paces.

Assistant coach Mark Taylor is on hand to give them encouragement.

Taylor is good at the encouragement business.

His full time job is Youth Pastor at Saltillo’s Faith Baptist Church where he invites the team for pre-meals in the church’s fellowship hall.

He feels honored to help out.

“I actually played tennis is high school and just love sports love football. Our former coach, coach Byrd, was a member of our church and just kind of got to hang around with him on Friday nights about three years ago. I’m here now so I’ve really enjoyed my time,” says Mark Taylor.

“Mark does a tremendous job of mentoring the kids, giving them some solid advice, just being able to listen to them and talk to them. And most of the time when you’re dealing with kids, that’s the biggest thing. If you’ll just listen to them, they’ll tell you everything you need to know,” says head coach Ryan Summers.

Faith Baptist Church Senior Pastor Dr. Phil Ellis has season tickets to the Tigers and really supports Taylor’s ministry to the football team.

“To see an entire football team there in our fellowship hall eating their pregame meal every Friday. Mark being able to lead the devotional moments to watch those players seriously leaning forward in their seats receiving the word of wisdom that he has for them that week,” says Dr. Ellis.

Senior Fullback Jacob Payne has the unique experience of being both a member of Faith Baptist Church and on the football team.

“He’s always been with us along the sidelines, and he’s actually you see this it’s a folded up blue slip, he’s gives us verses before the game. I think he’s really making a difference in the football team and morale and stuff like that. Hopefully, he’s leading people closer to God,” says Payne.

Senior Kicker Weston Filgo says Coach Taylor helps him get mentally prepared.

“He helps calm me down because my position you have to be real calm and under control when you go out there you don’t want to mess your steps and it kind of helps him playing tennis as well you have to be a very specialized in what you do and it’s a very technique driven thing,” says Filgo.

And Taylor has a special relationship with Senior starting quarterback Jamiek Murphy.

“Man he’s just an awesome guy you know he brings the message that we need right before the game and get us pumped up and ready to play,” says Murphy.

How has coach Taylor helped you become a better leader?

“He always comes up to me when my heads down and I and always tell him to pick me up because they follow me so if my heads down their heads down so I try to keep my head up so they’ll keep their head up.”

Taylor says he’s blessed to work with the football team.