Desmond Maurice Taylor

Desmond Taylor, a communication studies graduate student, started five games at left guard for Northwestern University (Ill.) in 2009 and was named the team’s offensive player of the week for his performance in a Sept. 12 win against visiting Eastern Michigan University. Taylor earned Academic All-Big Ten honors for the second consecutive season in 2009. The Los Angeles native volunteers with the Campus Kitchen at Northwestern, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting hunger in the Evanston, Ill., community. He has a 4.0 cumulative GPA.