Otis Taylor, Star Receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs, Dies at 80

In 1966, his breakout season, Taylor caught 58 passes for 1,297 yards, an average of 22.4 yards a catch. Five years later, after the A.F.L.’s merger with the N.F.L was finalized, Taylor led the league with 1,110 receiving yards, and United Press International named him the N.F.L.’s player of the year.

“If a ball is thrown to me, I should catch it,” Taylor told Sports Illustrated in 1971. He added: “God did give me two hands to catch with, and if the ball comes when I can’t use one of them, I’ll use the other. I’m not defeated.”

When the Chiefs faced the Vikings in Super Bowl IV on Jan. 11, 1970, it was their second appearance in the championship game. They had lost to the Green Bay Packers, 35-10, in the first Super Bowl.

The Vikings were 13 ½-point favorites, but the Chiefs handled them easily. Kansas City was leading, 16-7, late in the third quarter when Dawson tossed a short pass to Taylor. He shook off a tackle from Earsell Mackbee, a cornerback; faked Karl Kassulke, a safety; and ran in for a 46-yard touchdown. Their 23-7 victory would be the Chiefs’ only Super Bowl win until 2020; they won the championship again last month.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/10/sports/football/otis-taylor-dead.html