Billy Taylor (running back, born 1949) facts for kids
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Taylor playing for Michigan in 1970
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| No. 20, 42 | |
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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), known as Billy Taylor, is a former professional American football and Canadian football player. He was a running back who played for the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League (CFL). Before turning pro, he was a star player for the University of Michigan Wolverines. At Michigan, he became an All-American and set new school records for rushing yards.
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Early Life and College Football Career
Billy Taylor was born in Hoxie, Arkansas. He spent his early childhood in Memphis, Tennessee. After his father passed away when Billy was five, his mother moved the family to Barberton, Ohio.
After finishing high school, Taylor went to the University of Michigan. There, he became one of the most successful football players in the school's history. He was chosen for the All-Big Ten team three times. He was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in both 1969 and 1971.
Setting Records at Michigan
Billy Taylor broke the Michigan school record for career rushing yards. He gained 3,072 yards in just three seasons. This record stood for six years until Rob Lytle broke it.
He also set a school record with 587 carries during his time at Michigan. By the end of his college career, he had scored 32 touchdowns and earned 194 points. This placed him second only to Tom Harmon in scoring for the Wolverines. Taylor also set a record for average rushing yards per game, with 102 yards per game.
In his final season in 1971, he rushed for 1,297 yards. He was named the team's MVP that year.
Memorable Moments
One of Taylor's most famous moments came in the 1971 Michigan-Ohio State game. Michigan was behind 7-3 with less than two minutes left. Coach Bo Schembechler called a play for Taylor. Billy ran into the end zone, scoring the winning touchdown. Michigan won the game, completing an undefeated regular season. Taylor later said, "It was every kid's dream," to score that winning touchdown.
During Taylor's years, Michigan 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 by a score of 13-12. That team was ranked in the top 5 all season and had four All-Americans.
Even though Taylor played in 33 games at Michigan, he carried the ball in only 30 of them. His average of 102.3 yards per game was a Michigan record for many years. Mike Hart later set a new standard in 2007.
In 1969, Taylor rushed for 225 yards in a game against the University of Iowa. At that time, only Ron Johnson had rushed for more yards in a single game for Michigan.
Life After Football
In 1997, Billy Taylor had a life-changing experience. He decided to make positive changes in his life. He later wrote a book about his journey called "Get Back Up: The Billy Taylor Story."
In 2003, Taylor earned a special degree called an Ed.D. from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He has worked in several roles at the Community College of Southern Nevada. More recently, Taylor was the Director of Rehabilitation Services for the Salvation Army in Southeast Michigan. He worked in cities like Detroit and Pontiac, Michigan.
See also
- Lists of Michigan Wolverines football rushing leaders
