Otis Taylor (American football)

College career

Taylor attended Prairie View A&M University on a basketball scholarship but became a star receiver on its football team. He originally played quarterback until his sophomore year, when Jim Kearney replaced him; Kearney later became Taylor's teammate in Kansas City. In 1963, the football team won the Southwestern Athletic Conference and was runner-up in the NAIA championship game, losing 33–27 to St. Johns University in the Camellia Bowl. Prairie View was the first HBCU team to participate in the NAIA playoffs, finishing the regular season and first playoff game undefeated at 10–0.

Taylor recorded 42 touchdown catches over four years and was named an NAIA first-team All-American as a senior, with the Pittsburgh Courier selecting him to its second-team All American squad. A year earlier, he was an NAIA District 6B All-American. As a basketball player, he was inspired by Elgin Baylor and once faced future NBA great Willis Reed, playing him even. Prairie View retired his number 17 in 1972, the first such retirement in the school's history, and inducted him into its Sports Hall of Fame in 1992. He was inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2016.

Professional career

Otis Taylor entered pro football through two drafts in 1965, going to the Chiefs in the AFL's fourth round and to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL's 15th round. He famously slipped away from NFL scouts during a baby-sitting incident, and Chiefs scout Lloyd Wells got him signed. Coach Hank Stram eased Taylor into the lineup as a rookie, using him mostly on special teams until an injury to Chris Burford forced Taylor into the starting role for the final three games. In that stretch, he grabbed 16 of his 26 catches that season, finishing with five touchdown receptions and a 17.2-yard average that ranked fourth in the AFL. Among all rookies, only George Sauer Jr., who started 11 games to Taylor's four, had more catches.

The next year, Taylor led the AFL with a 22.4-yard average per reception, placed second in total receiving yards with 1,297, and recorded the league's longest catch of the season at 89 yards. He earned first-team All-AFL honors from the AP, NEA, and UPI, and made the 1966 AFL All-Star team. In 1967, he tied for the AFL lead in touchdown catches with 11, tied for fourth in receptions with 59, and ranked fourth in receiving yards with 958. After the AFL-NFL merger, Taylor led the NFL in receiving yards in 1971 with 1,110. He made two AFC-NFC Pro Bowls and was a Consensus All-Pro in 1971, recognized by the AP, NEA, PFWA, and Pro Football Weekly. The PFWA also named him first-team All-Pro in 1972, and the UPI gave him first-team All-Conference honors.

As of December 2025, Taylor sits sixth in Chiefs history with 410 receptions, third in receiving yards with 7,306, third in touchdown catches with 57, and ninth in yards per game at 56.2. He was also a strong downfield blocker. In 1969, he teamed with running back Robert Holmes on what was then the longest reception in Chiefs history: Taylor caught a 79-yard pass from Mike Livingston, lateraled to Holmes, who ran the final 14 yards for a touchdown.

Personal life

After retiring as a player, he worked as a scout for the Chiefs for 11 years. He was upset when he was not considered for an assistant coaching job with the Chiefs in 1981. He was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1994, and a historical marker to him stands in Kansas City, Missouri, where Municipal Stadium once stood. Taylor served on boards and commissions throughout the Greater Kansas City area and as a community ambassador for Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

He played a critical role in establishing the Derrick Thomas/Neil Smith Third and Long Foundation, dedicated to fighting illiteracy, from 1999 to 2004, and after Thomas's death in 2000, Taylor provided support and leadership to continue Thomas's mission. Starting in 2007, the Otis Taylor Award has been presented annually to the best wide receiver or tight end in Kansas City-area high school football as part of the Thomas A. Simone Awards.

Failing health and death

Seizures first struck Taylor in 1969. Two decades later, in 1990, doctors gave him a Parkinson's disease dementia diagnosis, a condition that steadily worsened his health. By his final years, he was confined to bed and barely able to communicate. Convinced that football injuries caused his ailments, his family sued the NFL in 2012. For more than ten years, Taylor’s care was managed by his sister Odell, a nurse, along with his wife and son. He passed away on March 9, 2023, at age 80.