Ivan Taylor did not have to rely on first-hand stories to learn about his fathers NFL career. Instead, he could watch it himself.Taylor, an Alabama football safety and the son of former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor, grew up studying his father as a player. Sometimes, that meant doing what any other football fan could do: Pulling up YouTube and watching highlights."Scouting my dad, I think a big thing was it was kind of just me on my own," Taylor said. "It was like going to YouTube, just looking at him, how I'm able to really just be like him."Ike Taylor spent 12 seasons with the Steelers, winning two Super Bowls. His son has the goal to not just meet that threshold, but beat it."My biggest thing is just trying to be better than him," Taylor said. "Whatever I'm able to do to do that, I will."Ivan Taylor was exposed to the NFL environment from an early age, working out and spending time around Steelers training camp during his father's playing days. Watching how some of the games best players worked gave him an early education in what it took to succeed.More than any technique or drill, though, Taylor said the biggest thing he took from his father was the value of effort in tough circumstances."The biggest thing for him was just working hard, no matter what," Taylor said.Now Taylor is surrounded by another demanding football environment at Alabama. He enters his sophomore year trying to take another step in the Crimson Tide secondary.Alabama, he said, has reinforced many of the same expectations and standards he's been held to his whole life."You see a whole bunch of consistency here," Taylor said. "Without being here, I wouldn't think it would be as high, but I feel like Alabama holds you to a different standard."That standard has also pushed Alabamas strengthened mentality entering the fall.Taylor knows Alabama has heard the criticism surrounding the program. Rather than shy away from the negativity or heightened expectations, he said the Crimson Tide is embracing them."We speak it into existence, so we're going to be the best," Taylor said. "Our mentality has completely changed. A lot of people have, like, disrespected our names, so we're gonna make sure that we show them."Alabama will open the 2026 season against East Carolina at 11 a.m. CT Saturday, Sept. 5, at Bryant-Denny Stadium.Amelia Hurley covers high school and college sports for The Tuscaloosa News and USA TODAY Network. You can find her on X atameliahurley_or reach her at ahurley@usatodayco.com.This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Ivan Taylor follows successful NFL father's blueprint at Alabama football