Time can take some of the shine off some careers. Records get broken or just go away entirely. It’s the process of slowly watching a name creep down a list until it no longer exists.
That was never the case for legendary Denver Broncos wide receiver Lionel Taylor, who died earlier this month at 89 years old but left behind a playing and coaching career that would have shined like a diamond regardless of the era.
Taylor was not only a member of the first Broncos team in 1960, he was the first NFL or AFL wide receiver with 100 receptions in a single season in 1961.
He was also part of the inaugural class of Broncos Ring of Fame inductees.
“Taylor, a member of the inaugural 1960 Broncos, was the first player in pro football history to record 100 catches in a season and retired as Denver’s career receiving leader,” Broncos.com’s Aric DiLalla wrote on August 13. “He finished his seven-year career in Denver as the all-time leader in receptions (543), receiving yards (6,872) and touchdown receptions (44). Despite playing in a far different era, Taylor held the first two records for more than 30 years and still ranks in the top five in all three categories.”
Even more incredible about Taylor’s 100 receptions in 1961? He did it in 14 games
Taylor Led AFL in Receptions 5 Times
Taylor, 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, crew up in West Virginia and was a 3-sport star at New Mexico Highlands in football, basketball and track, where he was a 2-time All-RMAC selection.
After going undrafted in 1959, Taylor spent one season as a linebacker for the Chicago Bears before leaving for the AFL and the Broncos in 1960, where he switched positions to wide receiver.
That year was the first of 5 consecutive seasons with at least 800 receiving yards, including career highs of 1,235 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Taylor led the AFL in receptions 5 out of the next 6 years — the only AFL or NFL player to do so in multiple seasons until Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Sterling Sharpe did it in 1989, 1992 and 1993.
He closed out his career playing 2 seasons for the Houston Oilers in 1967 and 1968 and finished with 567 receptions for 7,195 yards and 45 touchdowns in 10 seasons and 121 games, although he only played offense for 9 seasons.
Taylor averaged 84.7 receptions per year from 1960 to 1965, which remains the highest 6-year average in professional football history.
“This was a guy (who had) hands like vice grips,” AFL historian and author Dave Steidel told Broncos.com. “If a pass was near him, he was getting it. He caught double-digit passes (per game). Nobody was catching 10, 11, 12 in a game back then in either league.”
Playing Career Led to Epic Coaching Career
Taylor’s legendary playing career led right into an even more epic coaching career that saw him win 2 Super Bowls as the wide receivers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1970 to 1976, where he coached a pair of future Pro Football Hall of Famers in Lynn Swann and John Stallworth.
He spent 5 seasons as the wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, including a Super Bowl appearance following the 1979 season in which they lost to the Steelers.
Taylor also coached in college, as an assistant at Oregon State and head coach at Texas Southern, before finishing his career with the Cleveland Browns and as a head coach in the World League of American Football and NFL Europe.
