Otis Taylor, the veteran Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver who along with quarterback Len Dawson formed one of the NFL’s dynamic duos, died Thursday at the age of 80 after more than a decade of failing health. .
Taylor’s family, who had been caring for him as he dealt with Parkinson’s disease and dementia, confirmed that he had died just seven months after Dawson, his close friend and teammate.
Taylor spent the 10-plus years of his career in Kansas City, where he was selected in the fourth round out of Prairie View A&M in the 1965 AFL draft. He went on to have two 1,000-yard seasons during an era when the The passing game was still evolving, and he finished his career with 7,306 receiving yards and 57 receiving touchdowns.
“Otis made my job easy,” Dawson once said. “If you gave Otis the pass, you knew he would catch it.”
Taylor is perhaps best remembered for the 46-yard touchdown pass in the 1970 Super Bowl that clinched the Chiefs’ victory over the Vikings.
Former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Otis Taylor (L) has died at age 80 after failing health
He passed away just seven months after Len Dawson (L), his close friend and teammate.
He was part of two AFL championship teams, was selected to the Pro Bowl after the AFL-NFL merger in 1971 and 1972, and was inducted into the Chiefs’ ring of honor in 1982.
Yet despite all the plaudits during his playing days, Taylor was always far from being enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was a top finalist last year, but failed to make it to the final round of voting.
Chiefs President and CEO Clark Hunt said in a statement Friday: “The Kansas City Chiefs organization is saddened by the passing of Otis Taylor.
“My family and I want to express our deepest condolences to Otis’s wife Regina, his sister Odell and the entire Taylor family as we mourn his passing.
‘Otis was Chief throughout his 11-year career and played an integral role in the early success of our franchise.
“He became a Kansas City icon with his signature touchdown run in Super Bowl IV as he helped the Chiefs bring home our first Lombardi Trophy.
“He was one of the most dynamic receivers of his day and helped revolutionize the position.
‘Off the field, he was kind and dedicated to his community. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. Otis’ legacy will live on forever as a member of the Chiefs Hall of Fame.
Chiefs President and CEO Clark Hunt paid tribute to Taylor in a statement Friday.
Taylor spent the 10-plus years of his career in Kansas City, where he was selected in the fourth round.
Taylor was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and associated dementia in 1990, and in 2012, his family filed a lawsuit against the NFL claiming it was legally responsible for health problems he experienced, beginning with seizures in 1969.
Bedridden and largely unable to speak in recent years, the lawsuit sought financial help for his care, overseen for more than a decade by his sister, Odell, a licensed vocational nurse, along with his wife Regina and their son, Otis Taylor III.
After his playing days and before his health problems, Taylor spent 11 years as a scout for the Chiefs.
He found himself at the center of another controversy in 1987, when NFL players went on strike. Taylor was arriving at Arrowhead Stadium for work when Jack Del Rio, who had just been traded to the team, mistook him for a replacement player and attacked him. Taylor filed charges against Del Rio, now the Washington Commanders’ defensive coordinator, and the two settled out of court.
“My family and I want to express our deepest condolences to Otis’ wife Regina, his sister Odell and the entire Taylor family as we mourn his passing,” Chiefs president Clark Hunt said in a statement.
“He was one of the most dynamic receivers of his day and helped revolutionize the position. Off the field, he was kind and dedicated to his community. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. Otis’s legacy will live on forever.’