BUCKY TAYLOR
Mesquite High School Athletic Trainer
Bucky Taylor’s 36-year athletic trainer career at Mesquite High School included state championships, near state titles, hundreds of taped ankles and much more. One of his biggest accomplishments was his role in making MISD a pioneer district. But perhaps his biggest achievement was writing the MISD “return to play” policy in 2009. The concussion strategy, the first to be adopted by a school district in the nation, was at the forefront of keeping student athletes safe in their respective sports. Taylor’s dedication to protected performance culminated in a two-hour program on concussion safety that aired before the 2010 Super Bowl. This in turn led to the passing of numerous concussion policies throughout the nation, including Texas HB 2038, Natasha’s Law, which he co-authored with Dennis Hart. The pair was also instrumental in developing and implementing a drug testing policy for the district. The Texas High School Coaches Association named Taylor the Texas High School Trainer of the Year for the 1999-2000 school year. In 2000, he was recognized by the National Athletic Trainers Association as the Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer. In 2001, he was inducted into the Southwest Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame.
Watch a video on Bucky here.