The Kansas City Chiefs kingdom was hit with some sad news on Friday with the passing of team icon Otis Taylor.
On Friday afternoon, the Kansas City Chiefs official website and Twitter account announced that arguably the greatest wide receiver in franchise history had passed away at 80 years old. The cause of death has not been released by the organization or his family.
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Along with the tragic news, the team’s CEO and owner, Clark Hunt, released a statement on Otis Taylor’s passing.
“The Kansas City Chiefs organization is saddened by the passing of Otis Taylor. My family and I would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to Otis’ wife Regina, his sister Odell and the entire Taylor family as we mourn his passing. Otis was a Chief throughout his 11-year career, and he played an integral part in the early success of our franchise.
“He became a Kansas City icon with his signature touchdown 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 era, and he 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 forever as a member of the Chiefs Hall of Fame.”
– Chiefs Chairman & CEO Clark Hunt
Otis Taylor’s legendary run with the Kansas City Chiefs
While Otis Taylor fell short of reaching the football Hall-of-Fame, his achievements on the gridiron are no less impressive. During his stint in Kansas City between 1965 to 1975, the fourth-round pick helped put the Chiefs on the map when he was a key part of their two trips to the Super Bowl, including their win over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV.
However, he was a receiving wonder in an era that still relied heavily on the ground game. During his career, he was a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro. He even earned some MVP votes in 1971 during a season where he racked up a league-leading 1,110 yards and seven touchdowns. His peak year for yards came in 1966 with 1,297 and his career-best 11 TD season occurred the following season.
Otis Taylor was a once-in-a-generation talent for the Kansas City Chiefs and will go down as one of the team’s true pioneers and legends. Below you can find a full rundown of his achievements over 11 seasons in the NFL.
- Super Bowl champion (1971)
- 2X AFL champion (1966, 1969)
- AFL Championship MVP (1969)
- UPI AFC Player of the Year (1971)
- 2X First-team All-Pro (1971, 1972)
- 3X Pro Bowl (1966, 1971, 1972)
- First-team All-AFL (1966)
- Second-team All-AFL (1967)
- AFL All-Star (1966)
- AFL receiving touchdowns co-leader (1967)
- NFL receiving yards leader (1971)
- Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame