Taliaferro, George

Category:
2019 Inductees
Year Inducted:
2019
Year Honored:
2019
University:
Indiana
Team:
Football

Biography

George Taliaferro, a native of Gates, Tennessee, was the first African American drafted by an NFL Club. 

Taliaferro was selected by the Chicago Bears in the thirteenth round of the 1949 NFL Draft, but elected to sign with the Los Angeles Dons of the AAFC.

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).

In seven NFL seasons, Taliaferro played seven different positions: quarterback, running back, wide receiver, punter, kick returner, punt returner, and defensive back.

Taliaferro received his Masters degree in Social Work from Howard University, and helped found Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Indiana. 

Taliaferro passed away on October 8, 2018, at the age of 91 in Bloomington, Indiana.

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