WVU Potomac State College basketball coach Brady Folk thought he had his fair share of strange and even odd requests from potential players and students he hoped to recruit to campus. He had had his fill of questions, concerns, and comments about the campus in Keyser. He had answered inquiries about the environment, student life, activities, bus tours, accommodations, the chances of active court time, and even the playing conditions of the gym itself. But when he talked to a young man from Port Charlotte, FL, the coach was asked something that had never reached his ears before.
That student was Jordan Taylor. Those who know him well call him J.T., and the one caveat he requested before he would even consider enrolling at PSC was a small studio place where he could continue his passion for the art of making rugs. He wanted a workspace to not only store and house his equipment but one where he could practice his passion for crafting hand- and machine-loomed works of floor art.
“I knew J.T. made rugs as I was recruiting him. One of the biggest things for me as a coach and recruiter is getting to know each and every one of our guys deeper than the game of basketball itself. A lot of coaches will just offer the basketball player, but we offer the ‘Young Man’ attached to the basketball player,” Folk said.
And so, if all it took was a small space where Taylor could set up shop in a temporary West Virginia-based satellite office, Folk was determined to make that happen.
“Jordan was adamant on having space for his rugs and an area to make those rugs, it felt like a deciding factor in his recruitment process, so we made it happen,” the coach said. “We have a small area attached to our locker room that doesn’t get used and was just empty. As soon as he heard that, he was sold and became a Catamount the very next day.”
When Taylor arrived on campus a year ago, the first thing he did before moving into his residence hall was to survey his new creative digs located off the men’s locker room inside Lough Gym. There, he unpacked and secured supplies, and then for the next year as a student, when he wasn’t on the court, he was in his on-campus studio, creating one-of-a-kind masterpieces of spun wool and yarn.
“On the court, J.T. is an absolute monster that you don’t want to make angry,” Folk said. “Off the court? One of the most down-to-earth and selfless people you will ever meet. He is soft-spoken and respectful. He started in 24 out of 30 games for us, missing six due to an injury, averaging 12 points and eight rebounds per game, on 54% shooting from the floor. He was more than just a standout player, as he is the only freshman in Region 20 in the last five years to win First Team All-Conference Honors. He is also the first freshman in the last decade to be a ‘one and done’ here at Potomac State, meaning he only played one year before moving to a four-year college.”
But in that one year he spent as a Catamount, Jordan Taylor had set up a temporary shop. He honed his talent not only on the court but as an artist. Under the business name JTRugzzzz, his first three custom Catamount rugs remain on prominent display in locker rooms and offices used by student-athletes.
Those displays prompted curiosity among staff and faculty, with at least three more custom-rug customers inspired to place orders of their own.
PSC President, Dr. Jerry Wallace, is a recent customer. His custom JTrugzzzz creation is larger and is center stage in his office. Wallace uses it for photo opportunities for dignitaries, VIPs, and special guests who are photographed with him in his office space.
“I’m so happy to support J.T. and his rugs,” Wallace said. “The rug has already received many compliments. J.T. was easy to work with and even shipped the rug over the summer.”
While accompanying a film crew on a project interviewing athletes, Shane Riggs, assistant director of strategic communications and marketing, asked Athletic Director Mandi Larkin where the locker room obtained the rug with the Catamount logo.
“When Mandi told me a student made them, I wanted one immediately,” he said. “I tracked J.T. down one day shooting hoops in the gym and ordered one. It took him a while because he does most of the work by hand, but once he finished it, he sent it directly to my house. I think I ordered the smallest one he makes. Mine is about the size of a bathmat. It’s in my office, and people always ask if they need to take their shoes off before walking on it. And yes, yes, they do.”
Coach Larry Kruk said he ordered one of the largest ones Taylor creates to cover and “warm up” a space in the locker room.
For Taylor himself, he remains modest about his creations. He has a small social media and online presence. Most of his orders come from word-of-mouth and not via a website. He is active only when he can be, sometimes posting videos of making a rug and how a handheld gun helps him weave some of the larger pieces. He then goes back in by hand to make sure every stitch is secure and perfect.
“It’s what I do to relax and unwind,” Taylor said. “From the business end, my family helps me. It’s just something I do. I enjoy it.”
He did add that to avoid a conflict of interest or any sense of impropriety, he only sold and shipped his rugs once he was no longer on campus and no longer a student on campus. He did not want anyone to get the impression he was operating a small business using campus resources. For that reason, even though he took orders in the late winter and early spring, while he was still a student at PSC, he did not start making the rugs for customer orders until he had gone home to Florida.
“And I stay in touch with people to let them know that their rug is next in line and when they can expect it, and then I ship it out as soon as I can,” he said. “Each piece takes some time, but they've got to be done right if it has my name on it.”
Indeed, every custom rug does. Each piece comes with a tag sewn into it with the JTrugzzzz logo on it. It’s not just Catamounts he customizes. Taylor has fashioned rugs from photographs. He has created rugs based on Pokémon, Jessica Rabbit, Mario, and even taken orders where businesses wanted their own designs, hobbies, or objects. If it can be painted, it can be stitched into a colorful one-of-a-kind rug. His work ranges in price from $150 and up, depending on the size of the rug, the scope of the work, and the time required to fulfill an order. These are not machine-manufactured or mass-produced items. Each one is unique.
Meanwhile, Coach Folk said he remains impressed with Taylor. Even if he only played as a Catamount for just one year, the impact he made continues to be felt.
“I think it shows ambition and work ethic from a young age,” Folk said. “It’s amazing to see such drive in a young man while he’s gifted in other areas of life as well. I think it’s important for athletes to have other hobbies and passions. It makes them better athletes and helps them connect with the world. Our favorite saying is ‘get comfortable with being uncomfortable.”
Just take your shoes off first.