Another No. 21 with the last name Taylor is patrolling the gridiron in the District.

It isn’t Sean Taylor, the legendary former safety for the Washington Redskins, who became a household name before he was fatally shot in a home invasion in 2007. It’s his younger brother, Gabriel, who will make his professional debut on Saturday as a cornerback for the UFL’s DC Defenders.

“This is always home. I’ve been coming to D.C. since a young age, so they always welcome me in open arms,” Taylor told The Washington Times. “Just being in front of them, it’s a special moment, especially wearing No. 21 and having Taylor on my back; it’s a full-circle moment.”

But the new Taylor isn’t looking to follow in his brother’s footsteps. He’s charting his own course.

“At the end of the day, it’s just a number,” he said of the No. 21 jersey assigned to him by the team.

Moving out of his brother’s shadow is easier said than done. His first shot at professional football ended in disappointment last spring, when he joined the Commanders for a rookie minicamp. The early opportunity didn’t translate to a roster spot.

After an autumn spent without a team, the Defenders drafted Taylor this offseason.

“I really didn’t think I was going to be in D.C. at all,” he said, citing the UFL’s complex system of player allocation, which features multiple drafts and regional considerations. “It’s just destined.”

Since he joined the franchise, the Defenders have featured Taylor in social media content and fan events as they drum up excitement for the upcoming spring football season.

“They’re excited,” Taylor said of the fans. “I’m at a loss for words for how the love feels. They really want me to win wherever I go, but doing it in front of them is going to mean even more.

Defenders head coach Shannon Harris insisted that signing Taylor was “not a political thing.” The coaching staff was just interested in his versatility on defense.

“The fortunate part, ironically, is that his brother played in the District as well, so he’s had a good following here,” Harris said.

In the District, Taylor reunited with an old friend. Defenders defensive coordinator Blake Williams overlapped with the older Taylor with the Washington Redskins.

They bonded as peers, Williams said. Both started their NFL careers around the same time after growing up with demanding, but loving, fathers.

Pedro Taylor helped his son become a first-round pick. Gregg Williams, Blake’s father, used his role as Washington’s defensive coordinator to give Blake his first coaching opportunity.

“My pops was in both of our a—— every day,” Blake Williams said. “We bonded over that, as well. So I’ve known Gabe since he was four or five years old.”

Even after Sean Taylor’s death, Gabriel and Pedro Taylor visited the Williams duo during training camp and practices.

“The biggest thing I’ve told him the past few days is: it’s no different from me. I’m not my father and I’m not trying to be my father. But there’s naturally a lot of similarities there,” Blake Williams said. “He’s not Sean, and he doesn’t have to be Sean. He’s Gabe Taylor. He’s his own man.”

The differences between Gabriel Taylor and his brother are obvious. Sean Taylor was a physical specimen, standing 6 feet, 2 inches and weighing more than 200 pounds without sacrificing blazing speed.

“Sean was one-of-one, so he could do things that others couldn’t,” Williams said.

The younger Taylor doesn’t crack the six-foot mark. He moved from safety to cornerback after college to better accommodate his frame.

The Rice product plays bigger, though. He has his brother’s famed ball skills and a willingness to throw his body around, whether that’s making open-field tackles or blitzing the quarterback.

“He’s a dynamic ball player that we’re going to use in a lot of different ways to try to get him around the ball,” Williams said. “He makes the team better when he’s around the ball.”

That doesn’t mean he’ll be the star of the defense. Taylor joins a secondary that features former NFL first-round picks DeAndre Baker and Gareon Conley.

The UFL’s players are looking for the same opportunities in the spring league. They want to impress enough in an attempt to find their way back onto NFL rosters.

The league is experimenting with different rules this season, from four-point field goals for kicks over 60 yards to a ban on punts in opposing territory.

The goal remains the same for the players.

“I see myself in the NFL,” Taylor said. “Hopefully, if everything goes right, this year.”

In the meantime, his coaches with the Defenders are trying to keep the pressure off.

“Be Gabe Taylor. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. We’re not putting pressure on you; we’re not asking you to be somebody else,” Harris said to his cornerback. “Be Gabe Taylor. Be the guy we’ve seen on film, that we fell in love with; you’ll fit right in.”

The Defenders begin their UFL title defense on Saturday night in St. Louis against the Battlehawks.