When you play together in a team for as long as Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas, you eventually become good friends. Both of these football stars have been on the Miami Dolphins team for quite some time.
Both Taylor and Thomas are known as great Football players, and they’re professional, and even in their personal capacity, it seems like they’ve become friends. In 2000, Jason married Thomas’s sister, but that marriage, after three kids, came to an end.
The question that remains – Are Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas still friends? Or have they allowed this divorce to get between them? Let’s take a closer look.
How Did Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas Become Friends?
Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor started to form a bond of friendship in the late 1990s. This was when they were both placed on the same team – the Miami Dolphins. It is here where their friendship started. In 1996, Thomas had already played football in a number of rookie seasons as an NFL player. During the same year, Taylor was placed on the same team as Thomas – although Taylor didn’t really play any NFL games before 1997.
By the time they got together in the same team, Taylor had already seen Thomas play on TV. Taylor told one journalist during an interview that he actually had an advantage because he already knew who Zach was. Specifically, Taylor was able to recall that the Dolphins played against New England in the specific match he was referring to, in which Zach was ‘killing it’ as he watched the games from his dorm room.
Taylor and Thomas didn’t know each other well at first, but it didn’t take long for them to become friends. Taylor did mention that they were often playing the same game, so they spent a lot of time together. He also said that Zach regularly offers to buy dinner, and he goes. In 2012, the two became members of the Honor Roll, being honored for the time they had spent as team members at the Miami Dolphins.
Jason Taylor’s Marriage to Zach Thomas’s Sister: Did It Break Up A Friendship?
Before we consider whether the two still remain friends today, we have to consider the fact that Taylor got married to Thomas’s sister. This happened in 2000, and since their marriage, the couple has had three children. When the two got married, it did create family drama. Some family members weren’t allowed to go to the wedding, specifically because Taylor’s stepfather disagreed with the marriage.
In 2006, however, things came to an end for Taylor and Thomas. Katina, Taylor’s wife and Thomas’s sister, decided to file for a divorce. Additionally, she also filed to get custody over the three kids they had together. Even though the divorce was filed in 2006, it was only finalized years later, in 2015.
Are Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas Still Friends?
Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas remained teammates for over a decade as part of the Miami Dolphins. During this time, a lot has happened – and it seems like, even after they left the team, Taylor and Thomas remained friends.
Well, when your sister divorces one of your best friends, one would think that it will create tension in the locker room – especially if you’re still on the same team. After Thomas’s sister filed for divorce, Taylor did speak out and mentioned that this doesn’t mean it’s going to affect the locker room. He continued to advise that the two of them are both professionals, and they would not allow their personal matters to become a problem on the playing field.
However, a lot of people quickly started to wonder if the two would remain friends. There are a couple of things we can go on.
For example, in 2010, Zach Thomas actually spoke up about the fact that the Dolphins had disrespected Jason Taylor during a speech. This provided some evidence that the two might still be friends. With this said, it’s important to consider the fact that the two were known to have a lot of respect for each other. Thomas made this remark after the divorce filings were set into motion – so it could be a sign of their respect for each other, or it could mean that they still remain friends to this day.
So, what’s the final takeaway? Are Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas still friends, as of now?
Jason Tayler and Zach Thomas were clearly friends throughout their careers, with both playing for the Miami Dolphins. In recent events, Taylor and Thomas’s sister got a divorce, after being married since 2000. Whether this has caused any behind-the-scenes drama with the two is something that’s not completely clear yet.
We do know that Taylor spoke up and said they are both professionals and that the drama will not spill over into the locker room. They might still be friends, and many people do believe so, but when it comes to divorce, it’s also important to allow a family to heal.
Amna El Tawil is a professional journalist, reporter, and an Amazon published author living in Cairo, Egypt. She graduated from MIU with a journalism degree and later worked as a reporter and content writer at various news publications. Amna's works have appeared in the Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC), the International Herald Tribune, Thomson Reuters, and the BBC. Amna loves researching and has also authored several books on Amazon.