A Legacy of a young man, whose two passions were Jesus and football
In his short 15 ½ years, Taylor Reid Haugen left an indelible mark on the community through his living faith and compassion for his friends, team, community, organizations and church. “T”, as he was known, was well-respected by his peers, teachers, congregation and family as an upbeat, positive, selfless yet self-confident young man whose, two passions were Jesus and football. “T” was a natural leader among his friends and teammates, a mentor to the young and a positive influence and inspiration to all who knew him and of him.
While being a natural leader, his athletic ability wasn’t initially as natural. He was good but he pursued greatness. Taylor loved and played all sports, but his favorite was football and his position was wide-receiver. Taylor worked diligently to improve and hone his athletic skills in order to be at his best. He often stayed after practice and trained on weekends with the quarterbacks, in order to improve his routes and receptions – he always went the extra yard, his personal motto being, “Never Quit and Never Give Up.”
Taylor carried this passion over into selfless service to others. After hours of football practice at the High School, Taylor would often return to his Middle School where he would assist the coaches by volunteering to work with their wide-receivers.
This desire to serve others was consistent and constant. Whether volunteering to work with younger athletes or at the church as a volunteer for student retreats, events and fund-raisers, or simply lifting the spirits of a friend in need, “T” placed others before himself.
A gifted academic, Taylor maintained a weighted 4.0 GPA and was heavily involved with extra-curricular activities. He was the President of the National Junior Honor Society at Lewis Middle School, a member of the Leadership Council at Niceville High School, a PAL youth soccer referee, a scuba diving member of the Na Gisa dive team, Key Club member, and a member of both the wrestling and football teams at NHS.
A truly dynamic personality, Taylor embodied the characteristics of integrity and selflessness, and always with an air of charisma and confidence.
In conjunction with the All Sports Association, the Taylor Haugen Foundation presents the Taylor Haugen Trophy and award to a local athlete. The trophy recognizes the student who best represents a combination of faith, leadership, academics, community service and athletics as a lasting tribute to Taylor’s motto, “Don’t Quit, Never Give Up.” You can learn more about the trophy on their official website here.
Three $1500 scholarships are offered annually, 1 to Niceville High School, 2 to Okaloosa County, 1 to Bay County, 1 to Walton County, and 1 in Santa Rosa. Taylor was comfortably expressive about his faith in God and showed it through his commitment to volunteer work in his church and community. The Foundation recognizes well-rounded individuals who demonstrate the perseverance to improve themselves in all aspects of their life while enjoying God’s gifts to the fullest, as Taylor did. Scholarship applications are accepted until mid-February each year.
Please check the website application for the exact deadline date each for year.
The YESS© program will, through a variety of mediums, provide abdominal safety awareness and equipment to middle and high school-aged teams, School Boards, and community groups within the secondary age group. Based on available resources, the Foundation will energetically partner with interested groups to present grants, match funds, and/or provide education in order to promote this much needed abdominal safety equipment.
Through the efforts of our annual banquet & summer golf tournament, we help fund numerous worthwhile sports organizations & charitable causes. Our primary beneficiaries are the Boys & Girls Club of the Emerald Coast, Special Olympics Florida- Okaloosa, Eleanor J. Johnson Youth Center and Okaloosa Walton FCA.
