Lionel Taylor, a star wide receiver for the Broncos during their first seven years of existence, died on Aug. 6, according to a Wednesday afternoon report from Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette. He was 89.
Taylor—who would've turned 90 Friday—was among the players who helped shape the identity of the American Football League, a spunky, pass-happy upstart to rival its more established NFL counterpart.
Born in Kansas City, Taylor played collegiately for New Mexico Highlands—a small school now in Division II. He debuted professionally for the Bears before jumping to Denver before the 1960 season.
Immediately a star in the AFL, he led the league in receptions five times in its first six years of existence. In 1961, he caught 100 passes for 1,176 yards, becoming the first of 166 players in the history of professional football to hit the former number.
He played the last two seasons of his career with the Oilers, playing in his only postseason game in 1967 (a 40–7 AFL championship loss to the Raiders). Taylor later coached at a variety of levels, leading Texas Southern for five years in the 1980s and winning two Super Bowls as the Steelers' wide receivers coach.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lionel Taylor, Record-Setting Receiver for AFL-Era Broncos Teams, Dies at 89.
