George Taliaferro obit

George Taliaferro, first African-American player drafted in NFL, dies at 91

 

He was not on the list.

George Taliaferro, whom the Chicago Bears made the first African-American draft pick in NFL history 69 years ago, died Monday at 91.

The Bears picked Taliaferro, a native of Gary, Indiana, who grew up a fan of the team, in the 13th round of the 1949 NFL Draft. But he never played for the Bears because he already had agreed to play for the Los Angeles Dons of the All-America Football Conference.

Taliaferro, who played college ball at Indiana, was surprised by the selection. He learned he had been picked by the Bears when a friend showed him a headline in the Chicago Defender over lunch.

Taliaferro, who had received a $4,000 signing bonus from the Dons, considered joining the Bears anyway before his mother reminded him that his late father had preached trustworthiness.

‘‘I had to be a man of my word,’’ Taliaferro told the Dayton (Ohio) Daily News last year. ‘‘So I never even bothered getting back to George Halas and the Bears.’’

After the AAFC was absorbed into the NFL following the 1949 season, Taliaferro played for four NFL teams in the next six seasons: the New York Yanks (1950-51), Dallas Texans (1952), Baltimore Colts (1953-54) and Philadelphia Eagles (1955).

Rest in peace, George Taliaferro. Not only 1st African-American drafted into NFL, but also league's 2nd African-American QB. A trailblazer and true gentleman, George graced us with his presence at a recent home game. One of our last connections to pro football of the '40s/50s.

— Jim Irsay (@JimIrsay)

Taliaferro made three Pro Bowls and played an astonishing seven positions. He finished his pro career with 2,266 rushing yards and 1,300 receiving yards. He also completed 92 of 284 passes for 1,633 yards.

A graduate of Roosevelt High School in Gary, Taliaferro became one of the great players in Hoosiers history and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1981.

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. This made him the first African American drafted by an NFL team. 

Playing in the last season of the AAFC, Taliaferro would play in eleven of the twelve games played by the team with four starts. He would run 95 times for 472 yards with five touchdowns on the running side; in passing, he went 45-of-124 for 790 yards with four touchdowns to 14 interceptions; he also punted 27 times for 982 yards while being blocked twice. He also made 15 combined kick and punt returns for 366 total yards and one touchdown. He was named to the 2nd Team of the All-AAFC Team by the league and various press sources.

When the league was disassembled, he moved to the NFL in 1950, playing with the New York Yanks. Playing at halfback for the Yanks, Taliaferro started each game of the season for the team. He rushed 88 times for 411 yards with four touchdowns while catching 21 passes for 299 yards and five touchdowns. He also threw seven passes and completed three for a touchdown and 83 yards while making 34 combined returns on punt and kicks for over 500 yards (he was also plagued with 11 fumbles with five recoveries). For the team, he led the team in rushing and receiving touchdowns while being on a 7-5 team. In his seven seasons played professionally, it would be the only time he was on a team with a winning record.

Taliaferro and the Yanks were derailed by erratic circumstances for 1951, in which they had just four home games due to the tenants of Yankee Stadium forcing them out in the opening weeks of the season. The result was a crash with just one win. However, Taliaferro would have his first of two 100-yard rushing performances during the season. He ran 12 times for 166 yards for two touchdowns while throwing 3-of-5 for 83 yards with a touchdown pass to provide all the points in a 48–21 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. For his part, Taliaferro would run 62 yards for 330 yards with three touchdowns while catching 16 passes for 230 yards for two touchdowns while passing 13-of-33 for 251 yards and one touchdown to three interceptions. He also punted 76 times for 2,881 yards with one blocked kick. He also returned a league high 27 kicks for 622 yards. He also caught four interceptions for 74 yards - it is the only season where he recorded an interception. He was named to the Pro Bowl that season alongside teammates Mike McCormack and Brad Ecklund. After the Yanks went under, a Dallas-based group acquired the assets of the team and moved them to Dallas.

For the 1952 season, it would be the only one for the team in Dallas, and it equally proved a disaster in terms of wins for Taliaferro and company, as the team didn't even finish the season in their home city and won just one game. For Taliaferro's part, he still managed to thrive in his own ways. He rushed 100 times for 419 yards with one touchdown while catching 21 passes for 244 yards and one touchdown. He also threw 16-of-63 for 298 combined yards with two touchdown to six interceptions. He also had seven combined punt and kick returns for 150 yards. He ended up named to the 1953 Pro Bowl alongside his teammate John Wozniak while having a 2nd Team award from the Associated Press.

The 1953 season was Taliaferro's third in three seasons, as the ashes of the Dallas franchise were picked up for a team in Baltimore. He would play in eleven games and rush for career highs in 102 carries for 479 yards while having two touchdowns and 20 catches for 346 yards for two touchdowns. He would also make appearances at quarterback, mostly during the latter part of a seven-game losing streak to end the season, with most of his passes (15-of-55 for 211 yards) coming there, and he threw two touchdowns to five interceptions. He had his second and last 100-yard rushing game on November 22, running for 136 yards on sixteen carries for one touchdown in a 21–13 loss to the Rams. He made his final appearance at punting, doing 65 kicks for 2,437 yards. He made 26 combined returns for 362 yards. For the third and last time, he finished in the top ten in rushing yards in the league alongside rushing yards per game. He also led the league in fumbles, however, with ten. Alongside teammates Art Donovan, Dick Barwegen, and Tom Keane, he was named to the 1954 Pro Bowl for his third and last selection. 1954 represented his last full season. He started in nine games that year while running 48 times for 157 yards with no touchdowns. He also caught 14 passes for 122 yards and one touchdown while throwing two passes for one interception.

Taliaferro moved on to the Philadelphia Eagles the following year. He made brief appearances in three games and rushed three times for -2 yards while making three catches for 17 yards.