Otis Taylor was one of the greatest receivers in NFL history.
It’s a travesty that Taylor isn’t in the NFL Hall of Fame. His career and his stats speak for themselves.
Taylor was drafted by both the AFL Kansas City Chiefs and the NFL Philadelphia Eagles in 1965. The Chiefs chose him in the 4th round with the 29th pick. The Eagles took him in the 15th round with pick #203. He was coveted by both teams. The Chiefs were intent on signing him and had one of their scouts, Lloyd Wells of Houston, literally hide him from the NFL until he was signed to a contract with the then-AFL Chiefs.
After signing his contract with the Chiefs, Taylor had an exceptional rookie season. In 1996, he caught five touchdown passes for 446 yards and ran for two more, finishing the season with 15 yards rushing on 2 carries. He followed that up with a sensational second year in 1966 where he led the team with 58 receptions and 1,297 yards. He averaged 22.4 yards per catch. He was voted 1st team all-AFL and was selected to the 1966 all-AFL All-Star team.
In 1967, Taylor again led the AFL with 11 touchdowns, and in 1971 he led the NFL in receiving yards with 1,110 yards. He was selected to the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl twice in 1971 and 1972. Taylor ranks second on the Chief’s all-time list in receptions with (410); receiving yards (7,306); receiving touchdowns (57); and 100-yard games (20).
Numbers don’t lie. His career was exceptional, and it is high time that the NFL Hall of Fame selection committee put him in the Hall of Fame where he belongs.
Taylor is currently dealing with some health challenges and is being cared for by family in Kansas.
Let’s do our part and help get a fellow Houstonian, from Sunnyside and Worthing High School, elected to the Hall of Fame.
I’m going to send a copy of this article to the NFL Hall of Fame committee as a visual reminder of his greatness. You can do your part by calling them and flooding their office with phone calls demanding that he be inducted.
Call them at this number and demand that he be enshrined in the hall:
330-456-8207
Check out some of his Career Highlights and Statistics:
CAREER INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHTS
Super Bowl Champion (IV) 1970
2x AFL Champion
AFL Championship MVP (1969)
UPI AFC Player of the Year (1971)
2x First Team All Pro (1971, 1972)
2x Pro Bowl (1971, 1972)
First-team all-AFL (1967)
Second-team all-AFL (1967)
AFL All-Star (1996)
AFL receiving touchdowns co-leader (1967)
NFL receiving yards leader (1971)
Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame
CAREER NFL STATISTICS
Receiving yards: 7,306
Receptions: 410
Receiving touchdowns: 57
I Just Tell Like It Is!!!
Burl “The Coach” Jones