Billy Taylor (running back, born 1949) facts for kids
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Taylor playing for Michigan in 1970
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| Position: | Running back |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | January 7, 1949 Hoxie, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight: | 230 lb (104 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Barberton (Barberton, Ohio) |
| College: | Michigan |
| NFL Draft: | 1972 / Round: 5 / Pick: 109 |
| Career history | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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William Lewis Taylor (born January 7, 1949) is a former professional American and Canadian football player. He was a talented running back. He played for the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League (CFL). Before that, he was a star player for the University of Michigan Wolverines. At Michigan, he was named an All-American. He also broke the school record for career rushing yards. He finished second in scoring behind Tom Harmon.
Playing for Michigan
Billy Taylor was born in Hoxie, Arkansas. He spent his early childhood in Memphis, Tennessee. After his father passed away in 1954, his family moved to Barberton, Ohio. After finishing high school, Taylor went to the University of Michigan. There, he became one of the best football players in the school's history.
College Achievements
Taylor was chosen for the All-Big Ten team three times. He was a first-team All-Big Ten selection twice, in 1969 and 1970. He broke the Michigan school record for career rushing yards. He gained 3,072 yards in just three seasons. This record was later broken by Rob Lytle six years later.
Billy Taylor also set a school record with 587 carries. This was the most carries by a Michigan player when he graduated. He ended his college career with 32 touchdowns. This put him second only to Tom Harmon in career points (194). He also set a school record for average rushing yards per game. He averaged 102 yards per game.
Senior Season Success
In his senior year (1971), Taylor rushed for 1,297 yards. He was named the team's MVP. In a famous game against Ohio State in 1971, Michigan was losing 7-3. With only two minutes left, Coach Bo Schembechler called Taylor's play. Taylor ran around the end of the line and scored a touchdown. Michigan won the game, finishing an undefeated regular season. Taylor said scoring that winning touchdown was "every kid's dream."
During Taylor's time at Michigan, the team had excellent offensive linemen. These included players like Dan Dierdorf, Reggie McKenzie, and Jim Mandich. The 1971 Michigan team went undefeated in the regular season. However, they lost a close game to Stanford in the 1972 Rose Bowl. The team was ranked in the top 5 all season. They also had four All-Americans.
Rushing Records
Taylor played in 33 games for Michigan. He carried the ball in 30 of those games. His 3,072 yards in 30 games gave him an average of 102.3 yards per game. This was a Michigan record until Mike Hart set a new standard in 2007.
In 1969, Taylor rushed for 225 yards against the University of Iowa. At that time, only Ron Johnson had rushed for more yards in a single game for Michigan.
See also
- Lists of Michigan Wolverines football rushing leaders
