MHR's Forgotten Broncos -- Lionel Taylor

Not all Bronco's are completely forgotten, but there are times when the younger generation of fans need to remember the greats of the Bronco past. When the Denver Broncos formed in 1960 along with the AFL, they team was filled with no names and castaways. One of those men was a castaway from the Chicago Bears. Lionel Taylor went to the Bears in his rookie season after a stellar career at unknown New Mexico Highlands University. Taylor spent eight games with the Bears, mostly on the bench, logging zero pass catches and was released.

As with most NFL rejects, Lionel Taylor found himself looking for work in the AFL. He walked on to try out for the Denver Broncos and after several one handed grabs in practice he quickly worked himself into the starting line up. Not known for his blazing speed, Taylor may have had the best hands in the entire AFL. He quickly became the Broncos only super star in the early 60's, while statistically dominating the upstart league.
In Taylor's brief career, he set franchise records in receptions and yards that wouldn't be broken until the late 1990's. He also set a league record for most receptions in a six year span of 503 that would not be broken until Sterling Sharp caught 540 passes in his six seasons, the big difference between them is that Sharpe had 14 more games with which to break Lionel Taylor's mark. Taylor was also the first player ever to catch more than 100 passes in a single season.
Lionel Taylor was named to three AFL All-Star selections and was named the Bronco's MVP from 1963-65. He had four seasons with over 1,000 yards receiving, and averaged 84.7 catches from 1960 to 1965 and ended his career as the AFL's all-time leading receiver. I am of the opinion that if Lionel Taylor played for any other professional football team that he would most certainly be in the Hall of Fame today. Taylor was once quoted saying, "If you catch the ball, it only hurts half as much when you get hit." To me, that represents the epitome of what being a receiver is all about. The Hall of Fame is lesser without him and his exclusion is another great travesty the NFL as afflicted upon Broncoland.
Not that being snubbed affected Lionel any, he went on to become an excellent positions coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers during the Steel Curtain days and eventually rose to the level of Offensive Coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. After a successful career in coaching, Lionel Taylor finally got a crack at a head coaching job in the World League for the London Monarchs in 1996 where he went on to finish his career.
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I think that perhaps Taylor's first and last two seasons in the league hurt his HOF stock in the eyes of those who get to vote. There was no other pass catcher in either league that came close to matching Lionel Taylor's consistency from 1960-65. Don't believe me? Compare those stats with the stats of some other Hall of Famers from this era:
The fact that not one of those Hall of Famers listed above ever caught more than 75 passes in a season shows that there is some bias in the selection process. Not only that, but Fred Biletnikoff only surpassed 1000 yards one time in his long career. So if stats have little to do with the selection process, then what about impact on the team? Does it matter that Lionel Taylor was the only offensive weapon on an otherwise awful football team? Does it matter that no player matched Taylor's production over the course of six seasons until the modern era? What does matter to these selection committees? I would sure like to find the answer to these questions and so many more. Lionel Taylor deserves to be in the Hall and no one can convince me otherwise.
My next post will be on a much lesser known Bronco who played just one season for the team, but made a significant impact upon the history of both AFL and NFL leagues.
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Awesome
I knew Lionel Taylor was good, but it’s great hearing about it from someone who knows more than I. Thanks!
by studbucket on
May 9, 2008 7:18 AM MDT
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Great Post Zappa!! Highly recommend.
You really get my heart rate up! Lionel Taylor was simply amazing. Like Little, he was the only offensive weapon the Broncos had at the time. Opponents double and triple teamed LT (yes, he was the ORIGINAL LT) and he still put up those numbers! Thanks for the great post.
Human character does evermore publish itself.
by firstfan on
May 9, 2008 12:12 PM MDT
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You are right! I completely failed to mention that LT
was double and even triple teamed every game because the Broncos had no serious threats anywhere else. If you threw that ball anywhere near LT in a crowded area, 9 times out of 10 he would come down with it. Which is why I got a little irate at the end about him being snubbed by the hall of fame. Jerry friggin’ Rice probably wouldn’t have caught as many balls as LT did on that football team. lol Taylors career was short because of the beatings he took during that 6 year stretch and his football age was probably double his actual age by the time he hung up those cleats. Taylor ranks behind only Little and Gradishar on my list of biggest Bronco snubs of all-time by the hall of fame.
by Zappa on
May 9, 2008 1:28 PM MDT
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This coming from a guy who was born 10 years after Taylor retired...
but alas I am a student of history as much as I am a writer of it. :)
by Zappa on
May 9, 2008 1:29 PM MDT
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I was just getting started as a Bronco fan...
...as Taylor’s career was winding down. My memory is a little vague for those years but I do remember some things. For one, I loved his first name, Lionel, just like the toy trains that were so popular back then. I wanted to be named something like Lionel instead of some boring old name like Jack. For another, he made the most amazing catches. I believe I heard the terms “circus catch” and “soft hands” for the first time in my life when the announcers were referring him. It was like he disdained using both hands. The ball would float in, he’d stick up one hand and it would either stick, like velcro or he’d knock it down to his stomach where he’d latch onto it. I remember my coach telling the team he didn’t want to see anybody trying to catch a ball like that.
I guess he wasn’t fast but I think he had game speed. More than once it seemed like the quarterback would lob the ball up toward a tangle of players, most of them defenders, then at the last moment Taylor would pop out of the mess, seperate himself by a yard or two behind the defenders, and catch the ball. Does that sound about right, firstfan?
I think Zappa is right about the reason he’s not in the h.o.f. (de-emphasis added), especially when I look at the other players on the list of contemporaries. I remember most of those guys. He was much, much better than Biletnikoff, who relied so heavily on sticky gel that he looked like a chia pet at the end of a game. He was a much better receiver than Don “I used to play the grease bowl” Maynard even without Joe Namath throwing to him. He was at least as good as Alworth, albeit a different type of receiver.
Good job Zappa, especially for not being there.
If this be Hell, let us make the most of it!
by Trinidad Jack on
May 9, 2008 2:04 PM MDT
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Thank you
and thank you for pointing at that the Raiders are a bunch of cheaters. ;) I never knew that old Fred had cement blocks for hands. Letting a guy into the hall for using a performance enhancing substance over a guy who was just a pure pass catcher is absurd. The hall is a joke.
by Zappa on
May 9, 2008 2:37 PM MDT
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Ohffer @%$*$& sake
Biletnikoff had more stickum than 3M. He is the reason the rule against foriegn substances was used.
Human character does evermore publish itself.
by firstfan on
May 9, 2008 5:02 PM MDT
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Psssst Zappa...
“r”. C’mon man, let’s get this trend going!
"Greater is an army of sheep led by a lion, than an army of lions led by a sheep" Defoe
by hoosierteacher on
May 9, 2008 11:50 PM MDT
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I cant help it...
It’s hard enough for me to de-emphasize the hall of fame. Proper names drive me crazy when they are no capitalized. lol I will try harder to make sure the raiders and hall of fame remain a travesty to the English language.
by Zappa on
May 10, 2008 1:57 AM MDT
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the hall of lame?
yeah I too have a problem and have to re read my stuff to ensure raiders is not capitalized.
Davis to the Hall!
by Jon Tollerud on
May 10, 2008 10:19 AM MDT
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exactly
Jack, you describe him perfectly. Those one-handed grabs were a thing of beauty. The man had amazing concentration and body control.
Human character does evermore publish itself.
by firstfan on
May 9, 2008 5:05 PM MDT
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Amen
If this be Hell, let us make the most of it!
by Trinidad Jack on
May 9, 2008 2:43 PM MDT
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Another Great Bronco
Of course he did not get in, the HOF election clowns, err “sportswriters” and such have always dissed the Broncos. Little has said that over and over again. Ya ol Freddy was a stickum user. Look what happened to Hayes after stickum was banned. HAHA
But another reason Lou Saban was not a good coach he traded him and Wille Brown away. Taylor was such a great WR, any QB threw the ball to him he was gonna catch it. But another great read. Plus when he caught 100 balls in was in a 14 game season. That was when the DB’s could maul WR’s down the field. There was illegal contact and such as there is now
by broncfanstuckinsd on
May 9, 2008 3:04 PM MDT
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Another reason
Plus when he caught 100 balls in was in a 14 game season. That was when the DB’s could maul WR’s down the field. There was illegal contact and such as there is now.
Anther reason Taylor is a victim of an unfair bias in the media to snub truly great players in favor of “popular” ones. So the hall is not a place for the all-time greats…it is a place for the all-time popular to the media. I think I just realized something. The hall of fame is nothing more than a glorified popularity contest like the Pro Bowl. Except fans don’t get to vote in it. ;)
by Zappa on
May 9, 2008 3:43 PM MDT
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Look at who else has been snubbed
Gradishar, Mecklenburg (he had over 60 sacks and played every one of the front 7 positions) Dennis Smith. I could go on and on. I wonder if Rod Smith will get shafted like her brethren before him. I mean the most prolific undrafted WR in NFL HISTORY. It just gets me so fired up on all of the snubs!
by broncfanstuckinsd on
May 9, 2008 4:54 PM MDT
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Rod Smith will get in.
But I doubt he will live long enough to be alive to accept it. Same with TD. TD will get in as well, but we might all be in wheel chairs by the time that happens!
I have a good feeling that Gradishar will get in by 2012…Sharpe will be the next Bronco to get in for sure. I just have a feeling the great wrong against Gradishar will be corrected soon enough. Floyd Little, Lionel Taylor, Rod Smith, TD, Meck, Atwater, Smith, ect ect will all have to wait a long long time.
Maybe the flood gates will open after the Broncos win 3-4 more Super Bowls. I thought for sure the flood gates would have been opened when the Broncos won back to back titles.
by Zappa on
May 9, 2008 5:57 PM MDT
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We knew what you meant.
Human character does evermore publish itself.
by firstfan on
May 9, 2008 5:06 PM MDT
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Another comment.
Lionel Taylor was another one of the guys with character. You didn’t see him doing end zone celebrations or arguing with the coach or demanding to be traded to a championship caliber team. He showed up for work every day did a damn fine job.
Human character does evermore publish itself.
by firstfan on
May 9, 2008 5:09 PM MDT
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All the early Broncos were class acts.
I think they are a big part of the reason the Broncos are such a classy organization today. Those old guys set the tone for how our franchise grew from the get go. The Broncos were the polar opposites to the dirty cheaters from Oakland. ;)
by Zappa on
May 9, 2008 5:58 PM MDT
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Psssst Zappa....
“o”. I’m just sayin’.
"Greater is an army of sheep led by a lion, than an army of lions led by a sheep" Defoe
by hoosierteacher on
May 9, 2008 11:54 PM MDT
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Hey now, I said I'd do it for raiders and hall of fame, but Oakland
is an AMERICAN city. Oakland raiders, thats the best my knit picking self can do. After all, we probably have a few Oakland A’s fans around. :P
by Zappa on
May 10, 2008 1:58 AM MDT
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Consider,
When you write about the city of Oakland, capitalize it (as I just did). But if you are refering to the team (as in “oakland lost another game and whinned that the rules were written to keep them from winning”) you’re ok. In the second instance you are substituting “oakland” for the team name “raiders”. In the first, you are refering to the great American city known for illegal motorcycle clubs and parades that feature men in leather, and that deserves capitalization (I guess).
"Greater is an army of sheep led by a lion, than an army of lions led by a sheep" Defoe
by hoosierteacher on
May 10, 2008 9:42 AM MDT
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My friend,
and you know I consider you a good friend, I must take you to task on this. Set aside your proclivity for grammar and punctuation and get on board with this. What is really important? Is it your desire for written perfection, or the Denver Broncos? We cannot tolerate cracks in the wall of solidarity that is the MHR. For goodness sake man, we are talking about oakland!
Human character does evermore publish itself.
by firstfan on
May 10, 2008 3:39 PM MDT
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I dont even know if I can do this in my posts...comments are one thing....
I am a perfectionist…I just can’t help making sure my ducks are in order. I will attempt to de-emphasize raiders and hall of fame in all of my comments and posts. Just so you know how much of a pet peeve that is for me…I don’t care what word it is, if its a “proper”(I know the word proper and raiders are like comparing water and fire, but oh well) word….well…ok I get your point, but just know it still drives me crazy. Comments are one thing, doesn’t bother me much…but I’ll try my best to lower case the raiders in my posts as well. lol, I don’t even know why this is even a big deal for me….I hate the friggin’ raiders.
by Zappa on
May 10, 2008 2:02 AM MDT
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LOL
I like doing the lower case thing. You don’t have to of course. Part of the fun I’m having with it is playing the role of a guy trying to get everyone on board.
On the other hand, the “K2” moniker seems to be sticking!
"Greater is an army of sheep led by a lion, than an army of lions led by a sheep" Defoe
by hoosierteacher on
May 10, 2008 9:44 AM MDT
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So, here we have a guy...
...who was the first ever to put up a thousand yard season as a wide receiver. He caught passes from a bunch of no-name QB’s. He made miracle catches. He was the only offensive weapon the Broncos had at the time. He was often double and even triple teamed. He made these fenominal catches during a time when the rules allowed receivers to be mugged from the time the ball was snapped until the whistle blew. He did this for several seasons in a row over a remarkable ten year career. He was equal or superior to any of his contemporaries who are in the h.o.f. (de-emphasis added). And top top it all off, he was the epitome of class.
Does that about sum it up?
Do we need any more proof that the h.o.f. (de-emphasis added) is a joke?... or as the Zap said so well, an almost meaningless popularity contest?
If this be Hell, let us make the most of it!
by Trinidad Jack on
May 10, 2008 12:03 PM MDT
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Lionel Taylor for the HOF
I’ve been preaching for years that the HOF worthy Denver Broncos should be in Chronological order. Lionel Taylor is more than deserving of the HOF. It is a trajedy that he isn’t in. Personally, I am very conservative as to who should make the grade and many early Bronco greats like Goose Gonsoulin is short of the honor. Albiet he was a great player, but not deserving of the Hall like Taylor is.
Next in line is Floyd Little and Rich Jackson; These guys have much better stats than several players already inducted. Then we get to guys like Gradishar, Billie Thompson, and Louie Wright having the credentials. Many people believe that Mecklenburg deserves the Hall, but I believe he falls short. Mecklenburg never scared the hell out of anyone like when Stonewall Jackson lined up against you. Too bad they didn’t record sacks and hurries in the days of Stonewall, we would probably be surprised.
War Taylor, Little and Stonewall Jackson for the HOF.
"If Denver beats us, I'll walk back to Detroit"
Alex Karras
by Denver Diehard on
May 10, 2008 8:30 PM MDT
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Denver Diehard
You are the guy (maybe gal?) I have been looing for! I am working on a collaborative thing with Zappa on Bronco History and your signature captures one of my sweetest Bronco memories. I have some questions. Please send me an email. My email is in my fan page. Your page, by the way, is excellent! I agree with you on Goose, but I will argue Karl all day. Great comment. I hope to hear from you.
By The Way (BTW) Are you samparnell? Will the real samparnell step forward? email me sam
Human character does evermore publish itself.
by firstfan on
May 10, 2008 11:03 PM MDT
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