"Am I better than my dad? I'll let you be the judge of that."

Kelvin Taylor uttered those words before his senior season at Glades Day and with it shouldered the burden of his father's legacy.

Following in a father's footsteps can be a daunting task. This is especially true in a sport infatuated with history such as football.

Coming out of Glades Day in 2013, Taylor felt the brunt of it. Millions attached unrequested expectations to Taylor before he stepped onto the field. His first two years at Florida were filled with frustrations from falling short of these lofty goals.

His freshman campaign endured the worst season on record for Florida football since 1979, though he did earn valuable playing time in the wake of an injury to starting running back Matt Jones.

It appeared Taylor and Florida would run into 2014 with a head of steam, but Taylor was limited to splitting reps with the elder Jones who outperformed him and the Gators once again limped to a disappointing finish.

A new year and a new coaching staff gave Taylor another chance to make his own mark.

This time, he would enter the season as the unquestioned starter.

Jones declared for the 2015 NFL Draft as a junior and running back Adam Lane transferred to Eastern Kentucky in the middle of fall camp, which paved the way for Taylor to become a workhorse for the Gators.

True freshmen Jordan Scarlett and Jordan Cronkrite were the only other contenders for significant carries.

Back in August, there was a quarterback controversy -- different than the one that would envelop Gainesville in the proceeding months.

The future was shaky because of the unknown.

One of the few familiar faces was a face familiar to many - a face not unlike Fred Taylor's, who came through for Florida in 1997 after the departure of Danny Wuerffel. The elder Taylor ran for 1292 yards and scored 13 touchdowns that season as the Gators finished No. 4 in the final AP Poll.

For Florida, it was the best of times. The Gators were in the midst of one of the most successful runs in program history and fresh off a national championship with one of the most established coaches in college football leading the way.

The situation Kelvin Taylor was in could not have been more different. After posting a 11-13 mark over the previous two seasons, the Gators desperately needed a leader on offense under first-year head coach Jim McElwain.

For Taylor and the Gators, it seemed that the season might be doomed out of the gate. A quick throat-slash gesture in the game against ECU drew the ire of Jim McElwain and threw Florida into a national firestorm. Bomani Jones of ESPN publicly chastised McElwain while College GameDay's Desmond Howard called for the suspension of the coach.

Taylor, however, stood behind him.

In fact, in the days following the incident, Taylor and McElwain grew closer. Months later, McElwain only speaks glowingly of Taylor as one of the hardest working individuals on the team.

Fred Taylor said in the aftermath that his son's gesture - which put emphasis on a touchdown that iced the game - was the result of frustration over a lack of carries. He wanted to be the man on offense. He wanted to step up.

Though it cost him his starting spot for the Kentucky game, Taylor rebounded to score another game-sealing touchdown against the Wildcats and was promptly reinserted into the lineup. He followed it up with a breakout performance against Tennessee and then solid outings against Ole Miss and Missouri.

Florida overcame the bumpy start to reach 6-0 and No. 8 in the AP Poll. The Gators were the hottest team in the nation.

Then the roof caved-in.

The catalyst to much of the success, redshirt freshman quarterback Will Grier, was handed a one-year suspension after testing positive for a performance enhancing drug.

From the outside it was confusing, but from the inside it left many just as speechless.

It felt like the mat had just been pulled out from under the team right when everything had settled. No one could have predicted it.

According to Mary Wilfert, the associate director of the NCAA Sport Science Institute, less than one perfect of tested athletes come back positive for performance enhancing drugs.

Without Grier at quarterback, the offensive production plummeted. Taylor felt the effects against LSU as he struggled mightily to find room behind a shoddy offensive line.

Once again, however, Taylor bounced back - this time with the rest of the team riding in his wake.

In the next game, he scored two touchdowns and rushed for 121 yards as the Gators rolled the Georgia Bulldogs for the second consecutive year.

He would go on to post four 100-yard games in the span of a month, doubling his career total up to that point.

Taylor also tied his father for fifth on Florida's all-time single-season rushing touchdown list with his 13th score and will move into a tie for second with one more. Only Tebow claims a spot above.

With his next rush he's liable to crack 1,000 yards on the season. Right now he sits at 985.

A lifetime of work and expectation went into the success that finally came in the second half of this season - to condense Taylor's résumé so tightly almost seems unfair.

His high school career, for example, set records in Florida only surpassed by Alabama's Derrick Henry. He was playing varsity football from the time he was in eighth grade. He developed a jump-cut - a go-to move of his father's in the NFL - by the time he was 16.

Only now does Taylor receive the fanfare to match his exploits. As much love as he has received for his performance this year, it came with the understanding that it might be a swan song and those notes became all the more clearer as Taylor's numbers ballooned.

He affirmed that belief earlier this week with the announcement that he would declare for the 2016 NFL Draft. With a pat on the back, most Florida fans are ready to send him on his way, knowing it's only right that he capitalizes on his stock while it's at its highest point. He's earned it after a trying three years at the University of Florida.

Now, Taylor sets his eyes on the NFL and the comparisons to his father will surely still follow. Fred Taylor was drafted ninth overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1998. He had an illustrious career capped off with an All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection.

Kelvin Taylor is more likely to be selected midway through the draft, but that'd be just the latest obstacle for him to navigate. Not quite as fleet-footed or powerful as Fred, Kelvin still has the agility to skirt mostly anything thrown his way and the tenacity to run through what is left.

He may never beat his father in a race, but he just might outrun his shadow in the end.

However you judge him - he's absolutely Kelvin Taylor.