Jonathan Taylor of Salem receives Jim Henry Award for record-breaking football season

Jonathan Taylor of Salem continued to pile up postseason awards when he received the Jim Henry Award. (Stephanie Maksin | For NJ Advance Media)

Jonathan Taylor of Salem continued to pile up postseason awards when he received the Jim Henry Award. (Stephanie Maksin | For NJ Advance Media)

This was the reward for all the times he was working out, running, lifting, pouring over homework.

This was the reward, sitting up on a stage before a crowd along with Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson, Penn State star Trace McSorley and coaching legend Steve Spurrier on Friday afternoon during a press conference announcing this past football season’s Maxwell Club winners.

Jonathan Taylor has always applied himself —and taken pride in it. Salem's 6-foot-1, 215-pound senior tailback on Friday was honored as the Jim Henry Award winner as the high school area player of the year, for New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware, at the 80th Maxwell Club gala at the Tropicana in Atlantic City.

Taylor’s senior year was a season for the ages. He rushed for for a South Jersey record 2,815 yards, averaging 234.6 yards a game, while scoring 37 touchdowns (35 rushing). The rushing record he broke belonged to Glassboro’s Corey Clement (who rushed for 2,510 yards in 2011), who completed his career at Wisconsin this past season.

Taylor finished his high school career with 4,642 yards rushing and 49 touchdowns. He had two games in which he rushed for over 300 yards (344 and 3 TDs against Burlington City on Sept. 17; and 368 and 5 TDs against Woodbury on Nov. 19). Against defenses solely committed to stopping him, Taylor still rushed for 200 yards or more in eight of Salem’s 12 games.

It is one thing to set out goals, another to exceed them beyond your wildest dreams — as Taylor did.

“This has been an amazing experience, I’ve never experienced anything like it,” Taylor said. “My whole town, you go to banquets and you might receive a prestigious award and then you give a small speech, but this is amazing, with a lot of big-time players and big-time people here. I’m very humbled by it and to be selected to be the winner of the Jim Henry award.

“This is a little surreal. You look out at all of these people at this press conference and see how many people enjoy the game of football, and the time and effort that they put into this game. This is important to me and it’s important because I represent Salem, and Salem will always be a part of me. That will never change.”

Salem head coach Montrey Wright spoke about the process leading to Taylor going public with his commitment to Wisconsin. It was important to Taylor that he selected the bye week when the Rams didn’t have a game, because he didn’t want to draw attention from the team.

“That’s the kind of kid Jon is, a humble kid who works hard and is appreciative of everything he’s received,” Wright said. “I know he’s just 18, but to see a well-rounded kid like that come through our town is something you want to see and affects the area. It’s tough to find kids like that these days. A lot of these kids do a little something and they think they’re great.

“Jon doesn’t. He wants more. It’s why he wants to work harder. He’s never satisfied, and when he told me about committing to Wisconsin he thought about the team before he thought about himself. That’s the kind of special kid Jon is. Wisconsin found a real gem in him.”

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