Green Bay, WI – "Reunited and it feels so good." For Green Bay Blizzard players Keshaun Taylor and Carl Robertgeau, that saying is particularly fitting for this season. That's because for the first time since high school, they are once again playing together on the same field, in the same uniform, for the same team. This duo's friendship spans nearly a decade, dating all the way back to their late teenage years, and their story is rich with history, camaraderie, and memories.
 

Taylor and Robertgeau graduated from Homestead Senior High School in Miami, Florida in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The two were teammates on Homestead's football and basketball squads for one year (2013-14) and said that playing sports together helped them form a close bond.

"Our relationship was just getting started during football season. By the time we got to basketball season, it had gotten a lot deeper," said Robertgeau (pronounced Robert-joe). 

As a result of their positions – Taylor, a wide receiver, and Robertgeau, a defensive back – the pair often competed against each other during football practices, and because they were similarly sized, Taylor and Robertgeau frequently battled each other on the basketball court as well. Both men said their teams' practices and games, along with traveling around Florida for basketball tournaments, hold an abundance of special memories for them.

Recalling one of his favorite football moments with Taylor, Robertgeau shared with a smile, "I got cursed out because of Keshaun once. I'll never forget that; it was so funny."
They also fondly remembered when Taylor attempted a put-back dunk during one of their high school basketball games and it didn't go exactly as planned. "Usually when you do a put-back dunk, the ball just goes straight in the hoop. But when I did it, the ball popped up – so high it almost touched the roof – and then somehow, it dropped right through the basket," Taylor said, laughing at the memory.

Oddly enough, not only did Taylor and Robertgeau graduate from the same high school, they also attended the same college: Mars Hill University in North Carolina. Taylor spent his entire four-year collegiate football career playing for the Lions; however, because Robertgeau didn't transfer to Mars Hill until the year after Taylor had graduated, the two didn't get the chance to play alongside each other as they had in high school.

Despite missing out on the chance to be collegiate teammates, Taylor said he and Robertgeau kept in touch over the years and talked "all the time" prior to Robertgeau's recent arrival in Green Bay. In fact, Robertgeau credits his longtime friend as the reason he was signed by the Blizzard.

"Keshaun always says, 'My friends' names pop up in rooms they've never been in' because he speaks highly of us when we're not around. He was the one who sent my film over to Coach Roberson. Coach liked what he saw and gave me a call."

Now, for the first time since they were teenagers, Taylor and Robertgeau are on the same team once again. "It's like we never left each other's side," said Taylor. "When I go home, I'm always at his house. We're always together, even when we're not playing football."