Trey Taylor walked into the Air Force Academy for his first day expecting to be handed a pair of cleats for practice, assuming playing football for the Armed Forces would likely be similar to any other college program.

But you know what they say about assuming.

He had some familiarity with the military as both his grandfather and great-grandfather previously served. But even with the family ties, he still didn't know much about the military experience before enrolling in the academy.

Admittedly, he simply had the presence of mind to target playing for a school that values academics evenly with athletics. Of the offers on his table, it seemed Air Force could deliver.

"They were out in the Mountain West [Conference] and they had a lot of good football talent come out of there the past few years," Taylor said. "And I knew for some reason football didn't work out for me, I knew a good career would be my Plan B."

It certainly seemed like a great plan until he asked his drill sergeant for his football equipment.

"Where are my cleats? Where do I put my bags? Where do I go for football practice?" Taylor laughed, reflecting on the first questions he asked.

"They gave me a pair of boots and a backpack and I was doing push-ups for I don't know for how long. Like [until] I couldn't do a push-up anymore. That was my definitely my moment where I was like, 'Yeah, I'm definitely in something bigger that just football.'"

As for the football field – or even a football – Taylor didn't see one for two weeks. Before having the chance to bond with his teammates and get ready to learn the playbook, he went through basic training – picking up heavy objects, developing discipline and running.

A lot of running.

"It was definitely one of the biggest [obstacles]," the safety said. "Not seeing your loved ones, having to be around a bunch of people that you don't know, different people that come from different walks of life that are into different things and having to form a team. That was really tough."

The two weeks set a good precedence for Taylor on not just what the military was all about, but also what playing Air Force football would entail and building the mentality of supporting the man beside you on the football field as you would on the battlefield in combat.

"After awhile of getting an understanding for everybody and an understanding for the people you were going to be with and really formulating those teams, it made us stronger and it made us develop into people who really love each other and would go to war for each other – literally," Taylor said. "That put me in a different viewpoint of the military from the very start.

"People will get really independent in the Air Force, the military and in football. There's pride and ego that goes into things and you wanting to be No. 1. But if you can't trust the people to the left and the right of you to do their job, you guys have problems as a unit. Being able to fix those problems is something that I pride myself on to make my team stronger and that carries into both ties – both military and football."

As an Air Force Falcon, Taylor helped the team to a 29-10 record under Head Coach Troy Calhoun along with back-to-back victories in the Armed Forces Bowl. He emerged as one of the best defensive backs in the nation, winning the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award in 2023 after totaling 74 tackles, four pass deflections and three interceptions.

He was the second Falcon in the academy's history to win a major college football award, and the first do to so since 1987.

"Jim Thorpe in itself, the person that he was, I try to carry everything he represents in my daily life," he said. "It's bigger than just football. He's a stand-up man, has a stand-up family and I love all the people that have come after him. Being the first person from a service academy to win that award, it meant everything in the world. You grow up and you hear about the Jim Thorpe Award and what it represents, the weight that it carries, for me to be able to win that – I'm big about legacy and I feel that I etched my name in the records books for a long, long time."

As the safety navigates his rookie season with the Raiders, who drafted him with the No. 223 overall pick, his military mindset has only bolstered his transition from college to pros. After suffering an injury in training camp, he's been working back to full health and has appeared in two games so far.

He takes extreme pride in his work ethic, sharing that it can be hard to describe "the rigors" of what comes from serving in the Air Force Academy. And once his football career comes to an eventual end, he's ready to rejoin the service and attack it head-on.

"Throughout the months and the years that I was there, everything grew on me. The military, my commitment, what I needed to do, the sacrifice I was making.

"Everything was in the palm of my hands and I was ready to take it on and I still am. ... As soon as I get done with this, I'm ready to go take on that challenge again and do what I came to the academy to do."