Denver: Lionel Taylor, a wide receiver on the inaugural 1960 Denver Broncos team and a member of the NFL club’s Ring of Fame, has died at the age of 89, the Broncos said on Wednesday. In a tribute on its website, the club mentioned that Taylor’s family had confirmed his death on August 6, though the cause of death was not disclosed.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Taylor was a pivotal player on the Broncos team that joined the newly formed American Football League in 1960. He became the first receiver in either the AFL or NFL to achieve at least 100 receptions in a season. Over his seven-year tenure in Denver, Taylor set records as the club’s all-time leader in receptions with 543, receiving yards with 6,872, and touchdown receptions with 44. He led the AFL in receiving in five of the league’s first six seasons and was inducted into the Broncos Ring of Fame in 1984.
Taylor concluded his playing career with the Houston Oilers before embarking on a trailblazing coaching journey. NFL Films notes that Taylor was the first Black coach to hold a coordinator position in the NFL, serving as the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator from 1980 to 1981. Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy has acknowledged Taylor as a significant influence for Black coaches who came after him in the league. Dungy remarked in a 2024 NFL Films video, “We all need role models in life, and fortunately, there was a Lionel Taylor there that I could look at and say, ‘Yeah, this is possible.'”
Taylor earned two Super Bowl rings with the Pittsburgh Steelers as their receivers coach, guiding two eventual Hall of Famers in Lynn Swann and John Stallworth. Born on August 15, 1935, Taylor played football and basketball at New Mexico Highlands University. After going undrafted in the 1958 NFL draft, he played semi-pro football before joining the Bears in 1959 and subsequently transitioning to the Broncos in 1960.