Frederick Antwon Taylor (born January 27, 1976, in Pahokee, Florida) is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars ninth overall in the 1998 NFL Draft and continued with the team until his release in 2009. He played college football at Florida.

Taylor was drafted ninth overall in the 1998 NFL draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the first of two picks they acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Bills in exchange for quarterback Rob Johnson. He developed into one of the NFL’s top backs in his rookie season and has since become arguably the most accomplished player in the history of the Jaguars. As of December 7, 2008, Fred Taylor has passed O.J. Simpson and Corey Dillon for the 16th place on the NFL's Top Rushers list.

Taylor fell on hard times early in his professional career as a rash of injuries caused him to miss 23 out of a potential 48 games from 1999 to 2001. Fans and media were highly critical of Taylor's tendency to get injured, questioning his toughness and donning him the moniker "Fragile Fred", which deeply upset him, as he would later admit. Fans grew especially frustrated with Taylor in 2001 after his season ended in week 2 with a torn groin muscle. Despite knowing that Taylor's season was over, Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin listed him on the injury report as "questionable" every game for the remainder of the season, further fueling the doubts of Taylor's toughness in the minds of fans. He still has not completely rid himself of the stigma and the nickname.