George Taliaferro, of Bloomington, Indiana, was an All-American at IU and a football trailblazer for African Americans. He was 91 years old. Taliaferro was a key member of the 1945 Indiana football team, the first undefeated club in program history. He played running back for the Hoosiers. After graduating from IU with a degree in physical education in 1948, Taliaferro went on to have a successful career in football and basketball at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Taliaferro died October 9, 2006, at his home in Bloomington. He was 92 years old.
Taliaferro's son, George Jr., also became an All-American at IU. He went on to play professional football for the Chicago Bears and Baltimore Colts. His daughter, Shari, played softball at IU. She was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1st round of the 1979 amateur draft but chose not to sign with them instead playing for the UCLA Bruins as an outfielder.
Taliaferro is one of only three players in NCAA history to score touchdowns in four different ways: rushing, receiving, returning and throwing. The others are former Purdue player Eric Dickerson and former Miami (OH) player Lamar Murray.
He is also one of only two players in NCAA history to score touchdowns in four different ways: rushing, receiving, returning and throwing.
Taliaferro, a three-time All-American at Indiana, was taken in the 13th round of the 1949 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears, although he never played for the team. He had previously committed to play for the All-America Football Conference's Los Angeles Dons, for whom he played during the 1949 season. However, after the Dons were unable to secure a stadium lease, they lost their franchise status and Taliaferro was free to sign with any other team.
Taliaferro chose not to continue playing football and instead follow in his father's footsteps by going into training with the intent of becoming a police officer. He was hired by the Chicago Police Department and served for more than 30 years before retiring due to medical reasons. He died in 2015 at the age of 88.
In addition to George Taliaferro, two other people have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame while still active in some way in their profession: offensive lineman Russ Francis and coach Don Shula. The committee that selects players for enshrinement believes that Taliaferro is now among the best centermen in NFL history.
Taliaferro played in 80 games over eight seasons with the Bears, finishing with 26 interceptions. He returned one for a touchdown and had four fumble recoveries on defense. On special teams, Taliaferro returned nine punts for touchdowns, a modern-day record that has since been tied twice.
According to the York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office, former Baltimore Ravens running back Lorenzo Taliaferro died Wednesday in his birthplace of Williamsburg, Virginia. He was 28 years old. Taliaferro died of a heart attack, according to a family member, according to WBFF-TV Fox 45 in Baltimore.
Taliaferro began his NFL career with the Ravens in 2004 and played three seasons for them. In 2007, he led the league in rushing yards by a rookie with 1,406 yards. That same year, he also had 10 touchdowns on the ground.
After leaving Baltimore, Taliaferro played two seasons with the New York Jets before being released in 2009. He then spent one season with the Pittsburgh Steelers before retiring in 2010. Throughout his career, Taliaferro rushed for more than 100 yards six times.
Taliaferro attended Christopher Newport College before transferring to William & Mary. He left school after one season to join the Baltimore Ravens.
Taliaferro is the younger brother of former NBA player Travis Taliaferro. They are both African-American players who started their careers as running backs.
In addition to playing football, Taliaferro also dabbled in wrestling during high school. He went on to compete in the heavyweight division at Christopher Newport College.
George, a pioneer and real gentleman, blessed us with his presence at a recent home game. In 1981, Taliaferro was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Lorenzo Taliaferro, his nephew, played three seasons in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens from 2014 to 2016.
Lorenzo Taliaferro is a former American football running back who played for the Baltimore Ravens from 2014 to 2016. He attended The Gallatin School in Gallatin, Tennessee and played college football at Louisville.
He signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent on May 11, 2014. He made the team as a backup behind Ray Rice and recorded his first career touchdown on November 15, 2014 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
In 2015, he started eight games before suffering a season-ending knee injury. He finished the year with 39 carries for 117 yards and one touchdown.
In 2016, Taliaferro competed with Kenneth Dixon for the starting job during training camp. He was released by the Ravens on September 3, 2016.
After leaving the NFL, Taliaferro worked as a security guard. In 2017, he served as a color analyst for Louisville basketball broadcasts on Fox Sports Southeast.
He is married to Ashley Taliaferro with whom he has two children. They live in Louisville, Kentucky.
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