John Taylor (American football)

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John Taylor
No. 82
Position:
Pennsauken, New Jersey, U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High school:Pennsauken (NJ)
College:Delaware State
NFL draft:1986 / Round: 3 / Pick: 76
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games:121
Games started:101
Kick return yards:
276
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

John Gregory Taylor (born March 31, 1962) is an American former professional

kick returner with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He attended Pennsauken High School and was one of six NFL players to come from PHS during the 1980s. Taylor attended Delaware State College and was a member of their football team, the Hornets. He was a member of the 49ers teams that won Super Bowls XXIII, XXIV, and XXIX
.

College career

Taylor unsuccessfully attempted to walk-on at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina. He transferred to Delaware State the following year and was able to make the team.[1] Taylor totaled 42 touchdowns (33 receiving) over the course of his career at Delaware State, including 15 (13 receiving) his senior season (in only 10 games—they only played 10 games/season during that time period), both conference records. He caught 10 touchdown passes in both his sophomore and junior seasons. He is tied with kicker David Parkinson for most career points (254) in the conference. His 223 receiving yards in one game is also a conference record, and he has the two longest receptions in conference history, 97 and 93 yards. His 24.3 yards/catch average was the NCAA record until Jerome Mathis eclipsed it recently with 26.4. One player has since slightly eclipsed his record in career receiving yardage (Albert Horsey with 2,491 to Taylor's 2,426), but he remains the most dominant and famous player to ever come out of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). He was named MEAC Offensive Player of the Year in 1985 and All-MEAC first-team in 1984 and 1985.

NFL career

Taylor was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 1986 NFL draft with the 76th overall pick.[2] This was ranked by ESPN as the 25th Greatest NFL Draft Steal of all time.[3] Taylor played for the 49ers from 1987 to 1995 and was an exceptional counterpart to Hall of Fame teammate Jerry Rice during that time. He led the National Football League in punt return yards (556) in 1988, and he may be best known for catching the winning 10-yard touchdown pass from Joe Montana during the final seconds of Super Bowl XXIII in 1989.[4] He also set Super Bowl records in the game for the most punt return yards (56) and highest punt return average (18.7 yards per return). Taylor also held the record for the longest punt return in Super Bowl history, with a 45-yard return in Super Bowl XXIII, until Denver Broncos' return specialist Jordan Norwood broke that record with a 61-yard return in Super Bowl 50.[5]

By the conclusion of the 1988 season, which ended with his famous touchdown catch in the Super Bowl, Taylor had caught just 23 passes in his two years with the

NFL Pro Bowl
twice, in 1988 and 1989. He also won three Super Bowl rings in his career with the 49ers, in 1988, 1989, and 1994. His combined total of 94 punt return yards in those three games are the most by any player in Super Bowl history, and his average of 15.7 yards per return is also the highest.

Life after football

At one time, Taylor owned a trucking company but still drives a truck and leads a quiet life off the field. His only moments in any sort of spotlight come when he's participating in celebrity golf events, such as ones sponsored by his Alma mater, Delaware State. In 2005, he was inducted into the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame.[7] He also worked in San Jose juvenile detention, as a staff member in unit B-4.

Hall of Fame nomination

Taylor was a nominee for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018, but did not make it to the list of finalists.[8]

References

  1. ^ George, Thomas (January 18, 1995). "Look Who's Talking; 49ers' Taylor, Mostly Silent, Reveals His Inner Soul". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 28, 2019.
  2. ^ "1986 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  3. ^ "Cowboys found seventh-round diamond in Rayfield Wright". ESPN.com. April 18, 2008.
  4. ^ Rank, Adam (February 10, 2014). "NFL players from historically black colleges". National Football League. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  5. ^ Wolfe, Cameron; Jhabvala, Nicki; Renck, Troy E. (February 7, 2016). "Broncos' Jordan Norwood had longest punt return in Super Bowl history". The Denver Post. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  6. ^ "Dec. 11, 1989 -- San Francisco at LA Rams". ESPN.
  7. ^ "Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame in Wilmington, Delaware - 2005". www.desports.org.
  8. ^ Clements, Ron (September 12, 2017). "Pro Football Hall of Fame announces 108 nominees for 2018 class". Sporting News. Archived from the original on November 30, 2017.

External links

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