Rapp was born in Atlanta, Georgia, to a Shanghai-born Chinese mother and a Canada-born Caucasian father. His parents relocated to the West Coast shortly after his birth. He grew up in Bellingham, Washington, alongside his three-year-old older brother Austin.
NFL.com described Rapp as a player who “defied the odds, undeterred by a city that disdained prep football, a high school community that openly mocked him, coaches who were unprepared to develop his talents, college recruiters who blatantly overlooked him, and children who racially taunted him for his Chinese ethnicity.”
In Bellingham, Washington, Rapp attended Sehome High School. He also ran track. He played safety and running back. He was a member of the USA’s U-16 and U-17 national football teams as a result of his accomplishment. He chose Washington over many FBS teams, including Oregon, Stanford, Nebraska, and Notre Dame, in the spring of his junior year.
Scout.com listed Rapp as the state of Washington’s top safety prospect and the West Coast’s ninth-best safety prospect. He was invited to play in the prestigious United States Army All-American Bowl but was declined due to scheduling conflicts with his early enrollment at the University of Washington.
List of Taylor Rapp’s Awards
2× First-team All-Pac-12 (2017, 2018)[1]
Pac-12 Championship Game MVP (2016)
Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year (2016)
Freshman All-American (2016; FWAA, USA Today, ESPN, PFF)
