Otis Taylor Highlight Video

Watching Otis, I forgot how great he was! Looked like Bambi out there. What a great league!!

Great post Todd.Watching that great video,one thought came to my mind, Otis was a Jerry Rice with muscle.

He reminds me of Terrell Owens. Big, fast, good hands, and not afraid of going over the middle. I was also impressed by Lenny Dawson s arm strength! He was able to throw a rope at 35-40 yards.

OK, time to gush.

I’m not sure how it is for little boys today, but back in the good old days my childhood, pedestals were built in my mind and football players lived upon them.

There, super-heroes adorned their own uniquely colored costumes: Superman, Batman & the rest were no more spectacular gridiron ones. Unlike their comic book counterparts, they lept off of the pages on autumn Sundays, living room television sets and open-air town cathedrals from which they came to life.

Whether NY or OAK, BOST or HOU, MIA or DEN, east coast, west coast and no coast midwest, similar rituals played out weekly. Case the latter, my standard weekend attire then was a football, jeans & sweatshirt with the numeral of my favorite player magic-markered on it…mine bore #89 (when flipped inside out, #16 Dawson became my quick-change alias.)

Watching Otis Taylor, did not believe there was a more complete WR playing the game…. remembering him and comparing others that have followed, still haven’t seen another quite like him.

Running, jumping, catching, blocking, excitement – he was peerless. His were the days of WRs the 5’10-6’1, 175-190 lb. range. generally. At an listed 6’3 215 (Otis told me he actually played at 227) he was unmatched combination size & result. Some had gaudier stats (Maynard, Biletnikoff & Alworth) due more pass oriented offenses & QBs (Namath, Lamonica & Hadl), some were faster (Hayes, Warfield & Dubenion), some were better route runners & moves types (Burford, Berry & Sauer) – none however were in total better than Taylor.

I still remember quotes verbatim from his peers football field and coaches off said. Just a few samples:

Pat Fischer, All Pro CB: “he didn’t look that fast on film” (this aft Otis had raced past the smaller, quicker Fischer in a game vs WASH ’71 & made a one-handed game-winning td catch with Pat draped over him, pinning one of Otis arms… seen on highlight video.)

Mike Holvak, Patriots Head Coach: “You can classify him with the greatest” (in just his 2nd season in early ’66, after Otis made a one-handed td catch seen on the highlight video.)

Herb Adderley, Packers Hall of Fame CB following Superbowl I: ” Taylor is the best WR I’ve ever played against.”

That both Green Bay in Superbowl I & Miami in the 1971 ‘longest game ever’ AFC Playoff game employed ‘special defenses’ to stop Otis speaks to how they viewed him/his potential impact on the field.

In the final analysis, Otis Taylor was like a select few others who, due to injury, under-use or limiting offensive scheme, failed to put up the stats and/or last as long career-wise as many others. Otis was to playing WR what Gale Sayers was to RB – you just knew that any moment, something spectacular could happen; the highlight tape is indicative what Taylor did/was capable of every Sunday.

Can’t quite tell, but I believe I am the person in the white tee on the sideline right in front of Otis Taylor when he makes the sideline catch of Dawson’s throw out of the oakland end zone. A pivital play in the 1970 AFL Championship Game. I was privilaged to help the Chief”s eqipment manager, Bobby Yarborough, when they came in to oakland. I remember that play vividly. Still remember a coach nearby yelling, “go get it, Otis,” as the ball was in flight. Took the Chiefs out of a 3rd and 15 deep in their own territory, and was the difference in a defensive battle. A Hall of Fame player from a class organization.

Reading the comments for Dave Glick and “1967” brings tears to my eyes and floods my mind with memories of Otis Taylor. When I got my first apartment after college, we were neighbors and became friends. I have always resented the fact that he has not been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Perhaps it is foolish on my part to be so bitter about that, but I have not been to a Chiefs game since they left old Municipal Stadium. That was in 1971. I have similar feelings for the KC Royals because of the fact that Frank White has not been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Yes, I realize it is not the fault of the teams, but these are some of the reasons I lost interest in professional sports a long time ago, along with the excess hype and the fact that it these are no longer family friendly or affordable activities for most people I know.