Rosey Taylor obit

Former Bears star safety Taylor passes away

He was not on the list.

Roosevelt "Rosey" Taylor, a two-time Pro Bowl safety with the Bears in the 1960s, passed away Friday at the age of 82.


Taylor spent the first nine seasons of his NFL career with the Bears from 1961-69, never missing a game. He appeared in 118 contests with 108 starts and registered 23 interceptions. The New Orleans native scored four defensive touchdowns, three on interceptions and one on a fumble return.


In 1963, Taylor was named first-team All-Pro and voted to the Pro Bowl after leading the NFL with a career-high nine interceptions while helping the Bears win the league championship. He was chosen second-team All-Pro in 1964 and 1965 and was voted to his second Pro Bowl in 1968.


Taylor is ranked as the 56th best player in Bears history by Hall of Fame writers Don Pierson and Dan Pompei in the "Chicago Bears Centennial Scrapbook," which was published last year to commemorate the team's 100th season.


Taylor was traded by the Bears on Oct. 28, 1969 along with a 1971 fifth-round draft pick to the 49ers in exchange for guard Howard Mudd. Taylor finished his career by playing three seasons with the 49ers (1969-71) and one with the Redskins (1972), starting at free safety in Washington's 14-7 loss to the Dolphins in Super Bowl VII.


Taylor's son, Brian, was a running back who had a brief NFL career, including a stint with the Bears. He appeared in five games in 1989, rushing for seven yards on two carries—with both attempts coming in a 20-0 win over the Steelers in Pittsburgh. Brian also played three games with the Bills in 1991, but did not carry the ball.