(NJCAA) April 13, 2022 -- At the 2022 NJCAA Spring National Meeting, the Merit Award was given to former Butler Grizzly and current Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor.

Zac Taylor led the Cincinnati Bengals to their first Super Bowl appearance in 33 years during the 2021-22 NFL season. Prior to becoming the first Butler player to hold the title of head coach in the NFL, quarterback Taylor led the Grizzlies to a NJCAA Region 6 title and an 11-1 overall record making it all the way to a 2004 NJCAA Football National Championship game appearance. Taylor was named an NJCAA All-American after he passed for 2,682 yards and 27 touchdowns during the 2004 season and after performing for the Grizzlies, he went on to have a successful career in Lincoln, Nebraska, playing for the Cornhuskers and being named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2006.

Taylor's coaching career began as a graduate assistant at Texas A&M and he eventually made the jump and became an assistant coach with the Miami Dolphins from 2012-15, including a stint as interim offensive coordinator for the team's final five games of 2015. A year later, he was named the offensive coordinator for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats before making it back to the NFL as an assistant for the Los Angeles Rams in 2017. 

Taylor was named the 10th head coach in Cincinnati Bengals history in 2019. Most recently in the 2021-22 season, the Bengals fell to the Los Angeles Rams 23-20 in the Super Bowl as they played with hopes of capturing the franchise's first-ever Super Bowl title. The team finished the historic season 10-7.

First awarded in 1990, the Merit Award is given to a former NJCAA student-athlete that has distinguished themselves and are recognized nationally for their achievements in their profession.  The Merit Award has been given to NJCAA alumni in various fields including professional sports, politics, and music.