Lionel Taylor

Last updated

Lionel Taylor
No. 32, 87
Position: Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1935-08-15) August 15, 1935 (age 88)
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school: Buffalo
(Buffalo, West Virginia)
College: New Mexico Highlands (1955–1958)
Undrafted: 1959
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards
As a player
As a coach
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:567
Receiving yards:7,195
Receiving touchdowns:45
Head coaching record
Career:College: 13–41–1 (.245)
WLAF: 11–19 (.367)
Player stats at PFR
Coaching stats at PFR

Lionel Thomas Taylor (born August 15, 1935) is an American former football player and coach. He played as a wide receiver primarily with the Denver Broncos of American Football League (AFL), he led the league in receptions for five of the first six years of the league's existence. The second player to lead a league in receptions for at least five seasons, Taylor is currently the last to do so. He was the third wide receiver to reach 500 receptions in pro football history. [1] He was also a longtime assistant coach in the league, winning two Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 2024, he was given the Award of Excellence by the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his work as an assistant. [2] However, despite all of his accomplishments as a player and coach, he has yet to be inducted into the hall of fame.

Contents

College football

Taylor attended New Mexico Highlands University, where he had starred in basketball and track, earning all-conference wide receiver honors in 1956 and 1957.

Professional football

Taylor first played eight games as a linebacker with the Chicago Bears of the National Football League before moving to the Denver Broncos of the AFL for the 1960 season. With the Broncos, he switched positions and became a receiver. Third in all-time receptions (543) and receiving yards (6,872) for the Denver Broncos, Taylor was the Broncos' team MVP in 1963, 1964 and 1965, and an AFL All-Star in 1961, 1962 and 1965. An original Bronco, Taylor was part of the team's inaugural Ring of Fame class in 1984. Along with Lance Alworth, Charlie Hennigan and Sid Blanks, he shares the record for most receptions in one game with 13, doing so against the Oakland Raiders on November 29, 1964.

Taylor was the first professional football receiver ever to make 100 catches in a single season, accomplishing the feat in only 14 games (1961). He had four seasons with over 1,000 yards receiving, and averaged 84.7 catches per year from 1960 to 1965, then the highest six-year total in professional football history. As of 2017, his 102.9 yards per game in 1960 remains a Broncos franchise record. Taylor completed his career with the Houston Oilers in 1967 and 1968.

In the time he played (1960-1968), the leading receiver in the AFL outmatched the leading receiver in the NFL each time except 1968. [3] Taylor was the first receiver to have caught more than 90 passes in a single season, and he was also the first to do it twice. No receiver would lead the league in receptions over 90 in two separate seasons until Sterling Sharpe did so (1989, 1992, 1993). Taylor had a peak from 1960 to 1965 that resulted in 508 receptions for 6,424 yards and 43 touchdowns. In that same time, on the NFL side, Bobby Mitchell had 338 catches for 5,571 yards and 43 touchdowns. Curiously, Mitchell finished with more touchdowns and yards than Taylor but had less receptions and yards per game and managed to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, while Taylor has not. [4] [5]

After his playing career, Taylor went into a long career as a coach. He was an assistant coach for two Super Bowl championship teams of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s and then the Los Angeles Rams.

In 2022, the Professional Football Researchers Association named Taylor to the PFRA Hall of Very Good Class of 2022. [6]

Head coaching record

College

YearTeamOverallConferenceStandingBowl/playoffs
Texas Southern Tigers (Southwestern Athletic Conference)(1984–1988)
1984 Texas Southern 5–62–56th
1985 Texas Southern 1–101–67th
1986 Texas Southern 2–8–11–5–17th
1987 Texas Southern 5–63–4T–5th
1988 Texas Southern 0–110–78th
Texas Southern:13–41–17–27–1
Total:13–41–1

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Floyd Little</span> American football player (1942–2021)

Floyd Douglas Little was an American professional football player who was a halfback for the Denver Broncos, initially in the American Football League (AFL) and later the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Syracuse Orangemen, twice earning All-American honors. Little was the sixth overall selection of the 1967 NFL/AFL draft, the first common draft. He was the first first-round draft pick to sign with the AFL's Broncos, where he was known as "the Franchise". Little was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lance Alworth</span> American football player (born 1940)

Lance Dwight Alworth, nicknamed "Bambi", is an American former professional football wide receiver who played for the San Diego Chargers of the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL) and Dallas Cowboys of the NFL. Often considered one of the greatest wide receivers of all time, he played for 11 seasons, from 1962 through 1972, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978. He was the first player inducted whose playing career was principally in the AFL. Alworth is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. His teammates called him Bambi because he had a baby face and could run like a deer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Hennigan</span> American football player (1935–2017)

Charles Taylor Hennigan, Sr. was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver with the former Houston Oilers of the American Football League (AFL). He played college football for the Northwestern State Demons. A five-time AFL All-Star, he was named to the AFL All-Time Team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Maynard</span> American football player (1935–2022)

Donald Rogers Maynard was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver known for playing for the New York Jets in the National Football League (NFL). He also played with the New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals; and the Shreveport Steamer of the World Football League (WFL).

John Gregory Taylor is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and kick returner with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He attended Pennsauken High School and was one of six NFL players to come from PHS during the 1980s. Taylor attended Delaware State College and was a member of their football team, the Hornets. He was a member of the 49ers teams that won Super Bowls XXIII, XXIV, and XXIX.

James Michael Colclough was an American football flanker-split end, member of the original Boston Patriots team in the American Football League (AFL) and later head coach of the Division III Boston State College football team. Known as Coleslaw, a spin off his last name, Colclough played college football at Boston College, one season as a defensive back in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Montreal Alouettes in 1959 and nine more with the Patriots from 1960 to 1968, including the AFL's inaugural 1960 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Biletnikoff</span> American gridiron football player and coach (born 1943)

Frederick Biletnikoff, nicknamed "Scarecrow", is an American former football player and coach. He played as a wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for fourteen seasons and later was an assistant coach with the team. He retired as an NFL player after the 1978 season, and then played one additional season in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Montreal Alouettes in 1980. While he lacked the breakaway speed to be a deep-play threat, Biletnikoff was one of the most sure-handed and consistent receivers of his day, with a propensity for making spectacular catches. He was also known for running smooth, precise pass routes. He is a member of both the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1988) and College Football Hall of Fame (1991).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Craig (American football)</span> American football player (born 1960)

Roger Timothy Craig is an American former football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Raiders and Minnesota Vikings. Craig went to four Pro Bowls and won three Super Bowls with the 49ers. Craig was the first NFL player to have 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season. Marshall Faulk and Christian McCaffrey are the only other players to have accomplished that feat. He currently works as the VP of Business Development at TIBCO Software.

Robert Darren Brooks is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks. Brooks played in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers (1992–1998) and the Denver Broncos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marlin Briscoe</span> American football player (1945–2022)

Marlin Oliver Briscoe, nicknamed "the Magician", was an American professional football player who was a quarterback and wide receiver in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). In October 1968, after being drafted by the AFL's Denver Broncos, he became the first black starting quarterback in professional football, and established a Denver rookie record of 14 touchdown passes that season. He played professionally for nine years.

Stanley Douglas Morgan is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. A "deep threat" receiver, he holds the NFL record with 19.2 yards per catch, and also holds the Patriots team record for total receiving yards in a career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charley Taylor</span> American football player and coach (1941–2022)

Charles Robert Taylor was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver for 13 seasons with the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils, he was selected by Washington in the first round of the 1964 NFL draft. With Taylor, the Redskins made the playoffs five times and reached the Super Bowl once (VII), after the 1972 season. A six-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowl selection, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rod Smith (wide receiver)</span> American football player (born 1970)

Roderick Duane Smith is an American former football wide receiver who played for 14 seasons with the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Missouri Southern Lions and was signed by the Broncos as an undrafted free agent and played his entire career with the team. As of 2023's offseason, his 849 career receptions and 11,389 receiving yards ranked him 30th all-time for receptions and 34th for yards.

Arthur Louis Powell was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL). He played college football for the San Jose State Spartans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mac Speedie</span> American football player (1920–1993)

Mac Curtis Speedie was an American professional football end who played for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and the National Football League (NFL) for seven years before joining the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Canada. He later served for two years as head coach of the American Football League's Denver Broncos. A tall and quick runner whose awkward gait helped him deceive defenders and get open, Speedie led his league in receptions four times during his career and was selected as a first-team All-Pro six times. His career average of 800 yards per season was not surpassed until two decades after his retirement, and his per-game average of 50 yards went unequalled for 20 years after he left the game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Groman</span> American football player (1936–2020)

William Frederick Groman was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver in the American Football League (AFL). He played college football at Heidelberg College, and played professionally for the Houston Oilers from 1960 through 1962 and was on the first two AFL championship teams. He played for the Denver Broncos in 1963, and for the Buffalo Bills in 1964 and 1965, playing on the Bills' two league championship teams. In his six years of professional football, he played on four AFL championship teams, the only man ever to do so.

Steve Ross Watson is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He later became a wide receivers coach.

Stephen Michael Tensi was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles. He played professionally for the San Diego Chargers (1965–1966) and the Denver Broncos (1967–1970).

James Francis Whalen, Jr. was a professional American football tight end.

Otis Taylor was an American professional football wide receiver who played in the American Football League (AFL). He played college football for the Prairie View A&M Panthers and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round of the 1965 AFL Draft. He was also selected in the 15th round of the 1965 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, but he chose to play in the AFL for the Chiefs where he would spend his entire career.

References

  1. ↑ "NFL Career Receptions Leaders Through 1965". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  2. ↑ "Three Steelers front office honored by Pro Football Hall of Fame's Awards of Excellence". cbsnews.com. March 28, 2024. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  3. ↑ "NFL Receptions Year-by-Year Leaders". Pro-Football-Reference.com .
  4. ↑ "Lionel Taylor Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com .
  5. ↑ "Bobby Mitchell Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com .
  6. ↑ Professional Football Researchers Association. "PFRA's Hall of Very Good Class of 2022" . Retrieved July 19, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.