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'''George Taliaferro''' (January 8, 1927 – October 8, 2018) was a professional [[American football]] player who became the first [[African Americans|African American]] drafted by |
'''George Taliaferro''' (January 8, 1927 – October 8, 2018) was a professional [[American football]] player who became the first [[African Americans|African American]] drafted by a [[National Football League]] (NFL) team.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.profootballhof.com/history/general/african-americans.jsp|title=NFL History and Stats - Football History - Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site|website=www.profootballhof.com}}</ref> Beginning his football career at [[Indiana University Bloomington|Indiana University]] for the [[Indiana Hoosiers football|Hoosiers team]], he played in the NFL for the [[New York Yanks]] from 1950 to 1951, the [[Dallas Texans (NFL)|Dallas Texans]] in 1952, the [[Baltimore Colts]] from 1953 to 1954, and [[Philadelphia Eagles]] in 1955. Taliaferro was inducted into the [[College Football Hall of Fame]] in 1981. |
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==Early life== |
==Early life== |
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Revision as of 05:14, 11 October 2018
 Taliaferro on a 1952 Bowman football card | |||||||||||||
| No. 20, 24 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Halfback Quarterback | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | January 8, 1927 Gates, Tennessee | ||||||||||||
| Died: | October 8, 2018 (aged 91) Bloomington, Indiana | ||||||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 196 lb (89 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Gary Roosevelt (Gary, Indiana) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Indiana | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1949 / round: 13 / pick: 129 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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George Taliaferro (January 8, 1927 – October 8, 2018) was a professional American football player who became the first African American drafted by a National Football League (NFL) team.[1] Beginning his football career at Indiana University for the Hoosiers team, he played in the NFL for the New York Yanks from 1950 to 1951, the Dallas Texans in 1952, the Baltimore Colts from 1953 to 1954, and Philadelphia Eagles in 1955. Taliaferro was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1981.
Early life
Taliaferro was born in Gates, Tennessee.[2] Before his college years, he moved to Gary, Indiana where he graduated from Gary Roosevelt High School.[2] He attended Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, in 1945.[2] While at Indiana University, Taliaferro became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.[3]
Career
College football
As the leading rusher and an All-American at Indiana University, he led the Hoosiers team to their only undefeated Big Ten Conference championship.[2][4] He was a three-time All-American, Taliaferro led the Hoosiers in rushing twice, punting in 1945 and passing in 1948.[2] Taliaferro helped break the color barrier in sports, playing for the Hoosiers two years before Jackie Robinson suited up for the Brooklyn Dodgers.[5] He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1981.[6]
National Football League (NFL)
Taliaferro, a halfback, quarterback, and punter, was picked by the Chicago Bears in the thirteenth round of the 1949 NFL Draft but instead chose to play for the Los Angeles Dons of the All-America Football Conference.[7] This made him the first African American drafted by an NFL team.[4] He played with the Dons in 1949, then moved to the NFL, where he played with the New York Yanks (1950–1951), Dallas Texans (1952), Baltimore Colts (1953–1954), and Philadelphia Eagles (1955).[8] He went to the Pro Bowl in 1951, 1952, and 1953.[9]
Personal life
A documentary about Taliaferro, titled Indiana Legends: George Taliaferro, was produced by WTIU public television in Bloomington, Indiana.[10] In later years he became a volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Baltimore, advised prisoners adjusting to society upon their release, got his master's in social work at Howard University, taught at Maryland, was dean of students at Morgan State, returned to Indiana as a professor and special assistant to IU president John Ryan, and helped start Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Indiana in Bloomington.[11] Taliaferro died at age 91 on October 8, 2018, in Bloomington, Indiana.[4]
References
- ^ "NFL History and Stats - Football History - Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site". www.profootballhof.com.
- ^ a b c d e "Breaking: IU Legend George Taliaferro Dies at 91". The Daily Hoosier. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ^ Knight, Dawn (2007). Taliaferro: Breaking barriers from the NFL draft to the ivory tower. Bloomington, IN USA: Indiana University Press. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-253-34931-6.
- ^ a b c "First African-American Drafted to NFL, George Taliaferro, Dies at 91". IndyStar. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ^ "George Taliaferro". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ "College Football Hall of Fame: George Taliaferro".
- ^ Mayer, Larry (2012-02-14). "Smith thrilled to meet Bears' first African American player". Chicago Bears. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
- ^ "George Taliaferro Played Quarterback and a Whole Lot More". The Undefeated. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ^ "References: Player George Taliaferro". Pro-football reference. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ^ "Indiana Legends: George Taliaferro". PBS. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ^ "IU football trailblazer George Taliaferro dies at 91".
Further reading
- Piascik, Andy (2009). Gridiron Gauntlet. Lanham, MD: Taylor Trade Publishing. ISBN 978-1-58979-443-6
External links
- "Indiana Legends: George Taliaferro", Indiana University
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
- 1927 births
- 2018 deaths
- African-American players of American football
- American football halfbacks
- American football quarterbacks
- Baltimore Colts players
- College Football Hall of Fame inductees
- Dallas Texans (NFL) players
- Indiana Hoosiers football players
- Los Angeles Dons players
- New York Yanks players
- People from Lauderdale County, Tennessee
- Philadelphia Eagles players
- Players of American football from Indiana
- Players of American football from Tennessee
- Sportspeople from Gary, Indiana
- Western Conference Pro Bowl players
- 20th-century African-American people
- 21st-century African-American people