INDIANAPOLIS
Matt Taylor likes to say the favorite aspect of his job is feeling like he’s not going to one.
In truth, the former Franklin College football player remains plenty busy as the manager of radio production for the Indianapolis Colts.
About to begin his fifth season with the Colts, Taylor, 30, once a three-sport athlete at Roncalli High School, is living out the career he envisioned as a child.
Taylor serves as the sideline reporter for the team’s radio broadcasts (home and away), is the voice of “Friday Night Football” on 1070 AM The Fan and has even subbed for the play-by-play voice of the Colts, the legendary Bob Lamey.
Taylor’s assortment of responsibilities includes production work, be it Colts-themed commercials or shows, player and coach interviews and presiding over what’s aired on the 44 stations currently part of the Colts Radio Network.
Three such stations are in Illinois. There are two in Kentucky.
“When I was a kid I was very fortunate and blessed to know exactly what I wanted to do,” Taylor said. “I knew that I wasn’t cut out to have a real job in the real world, and was the kid who was sneaking a radio into his bedroom listening to ‘Monday Night Football’ when mom would make me go to bed early.
“I knew I wanted it to be in radio but didn’t find out until later that I wanted it to be in sports.”
Taylor played football, basketball and one season of baseball at Roncalli. Earning five varsity letters and being part of Class 4A state championship football squads as a junior and senior steered his radio ambitions toward sports.
It was one thing to talk a good game.
Taylor through his experiences at Roncalli, Franklin College and 1070 The Fan eventually learned how to call one.
“Because I am responsible for so much, there’s nobody that understands Colts radio and all of the aspects that go into it better than me,” Taylor said. “I feel like I have a master’s degree in Colts radio.
“Being able to focus on other things like broadcasting high school football games and be the voice of ‘Friday Night Football,’ so to speak, on 1070 The Fan is where I get to focus on more specific things.”
Franklin resident Bob Lovell, who since 1994 has hosted “Indiana Sports Talk” on radio affiliates throughout Indiana during the high school football and basketball seasons, has worked with Taylor on a number of occasions.
Lovell marvels at Taylor’s work ethic pre-broadcast as much as anything.
“Early on you could very easily see Matt’s passion for sports and for broadcasting,” Lovell said. “He’s a genuine, sincere guy. His preparation for what he does is unbelievable, and Matt is very disciplined.
“When you put all of these things together, how could he not be successful? If you work with him you know that he’s a guy who can get things done.”
Asked if he would like to eventually be the one to succeed Lamey, now 77, Taylor doesn’t hedge.
“That’s always been my objective for my career is to be the play-by-play voice. It is something I’m very interested in. It’s part of why this job with the Colts interested me so much. To learn the team,” Taylor said. “Learn what it takes to be able to do that job and learn from Bob and learn from people who I get to meet who do play-by-play for other teams.
“I’m just kind of an appreciator of people that do that. I would rather listen to a game than watch a game because I take certain things from a lot of guys and make it my own. Mold it into my style, if you will.”
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THE TAYLOR FILE
Name: Matt Taylor
Age: 30
Born: Indianapolis
Family: Wife, Samantha
High school: Roncalli (2004)
College: Franklin College (2008)
Major: Broadcast journalism
Favorite TV show: “Modern Family”
Favorite food: Italian
Favorite movie: “Back to the Future”
Favorite athlete: Barry Larkin
Favorite team: Cincinnati Reds
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