Like many of our most successful athletes, Jamon Taylor exemplified the multi-sport student-athlete, excelling in academics, football, basketball, and baseball. Before graduating with high honors in 1994, Jamon was team captain of all three teams, academic all-region for all three sports, and awarded the prestigious Bigler Award for scholastic and athletic leadership. On the football team, Jamon was an outstanding quarterback where he was awarded All-Region and 2nd team All-State awards. In both 1992 and 1993, he led the state in passing yards, breaking several state passing records, including passing yards average per game (244.7 yards), passing attempts in a single game (54 yards), and passing attempts in a season (401 yards). And as of his induction into the PHS Hall of Fame, these stats still ranked him in the top 10 for Utah high school quarterbacks in history for each category. He was also named on the USA Today list of High School Outstanding Performance in football (1992).
Jamon also had an outstanding PHS career in basketball and baseball. As a member of the basketball team, he was awarded 2nd team All-Region Honors and helped the team finish 5th in the state for two seasons in a row. As a member of the baseball team, he was All-Region for two seasons, and 2nd Team All-State for one. He led the state in batting average (.545), and set several state batting records: three homeruns in a single game, two grand slams in a single game, and 10 RBI’s in a single game.
After graduating from PHS in 1994, Jamon attended Dixie Junior College on a full-ride football scholarship, playing quarterback, where he was also a starter on the baseball team, playing first base, pitcher, and designated hitter. (Very few PHS athletes have played two sports in college, let alone as a starter.) His freshman year at Dixie, Jamon led the team to a big win in the Rotary Bowl (1994), throwing two touchdown passes and running in a third. They finished the season ranked 4th in the nation in the NJCAA.
After graduating from Brigham Young University with a degree in sociology, Jamon has spent a lot of time giving back to the community and to Payson High School athletics. He helped coach PHS girls basketball, as well as football and baseball. He is married to Amy Tervort Taylor, a fellow PHS alumnus who was also a stand-out athlete. They have seven children. Even with all of his own athletic success, Jamon says, “Nothing has brought me greater joy than watching my kids wearing the Payson green and competing as Payson Lions!”
Inducted 2021
Graduated with High Honors from Payson High in 1994
PHS Team Captain for football, baseball, and basketball teams
Academic all-region 1992, 1993, & 1994 in all three sports
Bigler Award for scholastic and athletic leadership, 1994
All-Region football, 1992, 1993
2nd Team All-State in football, 1993
Led the state in passing yards in 1992 and 1993
State football records: passing yard average per game (244.7 yards), passing attempts in a single game (54), passing attempts in a season (401)
USA Today High School Sports Outstanding Performance list for football
Led the state in batting average with .545, 1994
All-Region baseball, 1993, 1994
2nd Team All-State in baseball, 1994
State baseball records: 3 homeruns in a single game, 2 grand slams in a single game, 10 RBIs in a single game
Starter in 2 sports in college, football, and baseball
Led Dixie Junior College, as quarterback, to a win in the Rotary Bowl and a #4 national ranking in the NJCAA