Thomas Taylor

Thomas Taylor, commonly known as Troll, is an American professional paintball player and coach. He is best known for his career with Sacramento XSV and Infamous, where he became recognised for his aggressive style of play, particularly in the snake position.[1][2]

Taylor began competing professionally with the Los Angeles Ironmen in 2003 before helping establish XSV in 2004. His subsequent professional career included Houston Heat, Infamous, New York Xtreme and Offenburg Comin at Ya.[1][3][4]

He has also worked in player development and helped establish Team Ikonik, a tournament team involving his son Keith Taylor.[5]

Paintball career

Early career (1996–2003)

According to his personal website, Taylor began playing paintball in 1996 and entered local tournament competition in 1998.

In 2001, he was involved with G.O.G. Kids, a youth tournament team competing in western United States regional events.[1]

Taylor played for Cartel in the novice 10-man division at the 2002 NPPL World Cup in Kissimmee, Florida.

Cartel won the division, securing Taylor's first World Cup championship.[1][6]

In 2003, Taylor joined the Los Angeles Ironmen, entering professional competition during the inaugural season of the National Xball League (NXL).[1]

Sacramento XSV (2004–2013)

In 2004, Taylor became a founding member of Sacramento XSV, also known as Excessive.

The team was established by former Los Angeles Ironmen players and other experienced professionals following changes to the American tournament structure.

Taylor competed alongside players including Rich Telford, Nicky Cuba, Jon Richardson, Micah McGlocklin and Matty Marshall.

XSV developed into one of the principal competitors to San Diego Dynasty in the NPPL Super 7 series.

The team secured its first NPPL professional tournament victory at the 2005 Denver Open, defeating Dynasty in the final.[1]

Taylor was also prominently featured in Heroes for a Day: The XSV Story, a documentary following the team's early development and professional tournament competition.

XSV championship campaigns

In 2006, Taylor participated in XSV's victories at the NPPL Huntington Beach Open and Tampa Open.

At Huntington Beach, XSV became the first team other than Dynasty to win the event's professional division since the introduction of the Super 7 format in 2003.[7]

The team followed that result with another victory over Dynasty in the Tampa final.

Despite leading the championship standings during parts of the season, XSV finished second overall behind Dynasty.[8]

Taylor continued competing for XSV during subsequent seasons.

At the 2012 NPPL Surf City USA Open, XSV defeated Tampa Bay Damage 3–0 to win the professional championship.[9]

The team subsequently won the 2012 NPPL professional series championship, finishing ahead of Tampa Bay Damage and Edmonton Impact.[10]

Taylor remained with XSV through the 2013 season.

On 18 December 2013, Social Paintball reported that Taylor and XSV had parted ways after approximately a decade together.

Team owner and captain Rich Telford publicly acknowledged Taylor's contributions to the organisation.[11]

Houston Heat (2014–2015)

On 21 December 2013, Houston Heat announced that Taylor would join the team for the 2014 professional season.

The announcement identified Taylor's previous experience with XSV and the Canadian Xtreme Paintball League as important elements of his recruitment.[12]

Taylor competed with Heat in the Paintball Sports Promotions (PSP) professional division.

He also participated in the team's European campaigns during 2015.

According to Taylor's career chronology, Houston Heat won European tournaments and the European season championship during this period.[1]

Infamous (2016–2023)

Taylor joined Infamous for the 2016 season, competing in the professional division of the reorganised National Xball League.

Infamous won the 2016 NXL Texas Open and finished second in the professional season standings.[1]

Taylor remained a regular member of Infamous throughout the following seasons.

Contemporary reporting identified him as an important attacking player, particularly in the snake position, where his play involved advancing rapidly through the field and creating opportunities for teammates.[2]

During the 2022 NXL Windy City Major, Iconic Paintball identified Taylor as Infamous's player of the event, citing his versatility and attacking contributions.[13]

Official PBLeagues tournament records confirm his continued participation with Los Angeles Infamous throughout the 2023 professional season.[4]

New York Xtreme (2024)

For the 2024 NXL season, Taylor departed Infamous and joined New York Xtreme.

The transfer followed approximately eight seasons with Infamous.[14]

Official PBLeagues records document Taylor competing for New York Xtreme at five NXL professional tournaments during 2024, including the Las Vegas Major, Lone Star Major, Mid-Atlantic Major, Windy City Major and World Cup.[4]

European competition (2025)

In 2025, Taylor competed for German professional team Offenburg Comin at Ya in the NXL Europe circuit.

Official tournament records document his participation at the Portugal Invitational, British Invitational and European Championships.[4]

Taylor also represented the United States in the veterans division of the 2025 international paintball championship programme.

The official Team USA roster identifies him among the veterans squad that received a bronze medal.[15]

Playing style

Taylor became particularly associated with aggressive snake-side play.

His playing style involved moving quickly into forward positions and attacking opponents from advanced locations.

His distinctive mohawk hairstyle and nickname became recognisable features of his professional identity during his years with XSV.[2]

In a 2006 Los Angeles Times feature covering XSV's rivalry with Dynasty, journalist Tom Chiarella described Taylor advancing rapidly to a central position during a professional match.[16]

Taylor has cited Rich Telford and Todd Martinez as two of his principal influences in paintball.[1]

The nickname Troll originated during his early professional career with the Ironmen.

According to Taylor, teammates who were unfamiliar with his name began calling him various names beginning with the letter T. Troll was the name that eventually remained in use.[1]

Coaching and Team Ikonik

Taylor has also worked as a paintball coach and instructor.

In a November 2023 interview with Paintball Nerd, he discussed his coaching activities with Infamous Kidz and his experiences developing younger competitive players.[17]

Taylor subsequently helped establish Team Ikonik alongside his son, Keith Taylor.

In February 2026, equipment manufacturer Anthrax Paintball announced that Taylor would be involved in its product development and American market activities.

The announcement also identified Taylor and his son as co-founders of Team Ikonik and described the team's progression to the NXL semi-professional division.[5]

Paintball industry involvement

Taylor has been associated with several paintball equipment brands during his professional career.

His personal website markets equipment and apparel associated with his nickname, professional career and Team Ikonik.[1]

He also collaborated with Push Paintball on a limited-edition version of the Push Unite protective goggle.

The Thomas Taylor Troll, Snake & Skulls edition incorporated designs referencing his professional playing career, his association with XSV and Infamous, and his snake-side playing position.[18]

In 2026, Anthrax Paintball announced that Taylor would contribute practical feedback to its equipment development and customisation programme.[5]

Selected achievements

Year	Competition	Team	Achievement
2002	NPPL World Cup	Cartel	Novice 10-man champions
2005	NPPL Denver Open	Sacramento XSV	Professional champions
2006	NPPL Huntington Beach Open	Sacramento XSV	Professional champions
2006	NPPL Tampa Open	Sacramento XSV	Professional champions
2006	NPPL Super 7 season	Sacramento XSV	Professional runners-up
2012	NPPL Surf City USA Open	Sacramento XSV	Professional champions
2012	NPPL professional series	Sacramento XSV	Series champions
2016	NXL Texas Open	Infamous	Professional champions
2016	NXL professional series	Infamous	Series runners-up

This table lists selected documented results rather than a complete tournament history.

References

Thomas Taylor – Official Website. Personal career chronology, tournament history and account of the Troll nickname.
Iconic Paintball – The 50 Greatest Paintball Players of All Time. Retrospective profile of Taylor and his professional career.
Black Friday Paintball – Push Unite Thomas Taylor Limited Edition. Manufacturer biography and professional team history.
PBLeagues – Thomas Taylor Player Statistics. Official records documenting his 2023–2025 professional team affiliations.
Anthrax Paintball – Thomas Taylor Joins Anthrax. February 2026.
WARPIG – 2002 PSP/NPPL World Cup. 19–27 October 2002. Contemporary results identifying Cartel as novice 10-man champions.
WARPIG – 2006 NPPL Huntington Beach Open. Contemporary reporting documenting XSV's professional victory.
WARPIG – 2006 NPPL Commander's Cup. 20–22 October 2006. Final professional season rankings identifying Dynasty as champions and XSV as runners-up.
Social Paintball – XSV Wins 2012 NPPL Surf City USA Open. Bea Paxson, 2 April 2012.
Social Paintball – San Diego Dynasty Wins the 2012 NPPL World Paintball Championships. Bea Paxson, 8 October 2012. Includes 2012 professional series standings.
Social Paintball – Thomas "The Troll" Taylor and Sacramento XSV Part Ways. Byron Woodfork, 18 December 2013.
Social Paintball – Thomas "Troll" Taylor Signs with Houston Heat. 21 December 2013.
Iconic Paintball – NXL Power Rankings Following the Windy City Major. 2022.
Iconic Paintball – 2024 NXL Offseason Move Tracker.
Team USA Paintball – 2025 Teams. Official national squad listings and medal results.
Los Angeles Times – War Games. Tom Chiarella, 7 May 2006.
Paintball Nerd – Interview with Thomas "Troll" Taylor. 28 November 2023.
Push Paintball – Unite Thomas Taylor Limited Edition. Official product information.

External links