He had to wait a bit longer than predicted but Jawaan Taylor is going pro. The tackle is staying in his home state after being selected No. 35tb by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL draft.

This was a long journey for Taylor and a journey that started when he made the decision to hit the weight room his senior year of high school.

The former three-star lineman l had one choice, lose weight or he will would not have a scholarship offer to play at Florida.

When then UF offensive line coach Mike Summers delivered the news to Taylor, Taylor weighed 383 pounds. But the former Cocoa High School standout changed his lifestyle.

Not only did he hit the weight room, he also changed his eating practices - exchanging his fatty foods and sodas for water, salads, and vegetables.

He dropped down to 335 pounds - nearly 50 pounds lost. He earned a post on the line as a freshman and continued to build each season.

However, Taylor's hard work did not end there.

Taylor decided to forgo his senior season soon after Florida's Peach Bowl victory. At 6-foot-5, 312 pounds, Taylor once again worked on his weight, dropping 16 more pounds for the NFL combine.

After that decision, Taylor met with several teams during the draft process including: the New York Jets, the New York Giants, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Buffalo Bills, the Green Bay Packers, the Miami Dolphins, the Atlanta Falcons, the Washington Redskins, the Cleveland Browns, the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Carolina Panthers.

Stay tuned to Gators Territory for more on the NFL Draft.