Mile High Report
Lionel Taylor is one of the best and most important players in the history of the Denver Broncos.
One of the “original Broncos” could also be classified as one of the most underappreciated in team and league history. The experienced members of Broncos Country know about Taylor and what he meant to this franchise. I’m not sure if that’s the case for the younger generations. As was the case with Floyd Little, Taylor was the Broncos’ offense. There’s a great special on Taylor when he finally was able to make it back to Denver for the first time to see his Ring of Fame pillar in Ring of Fame Plaza last season. Taylor was included in the first class of inductees into the Ring of Fame in 1984.
Clearly, the league has undervalued him, and that includes his time as an assistant coach after he retired from playing.
If opposing teams stopped Taylor in his time with the franchise in the early and mid-1960s, they stopped the Denver offense. So the fact that he compiled the numbers he did is quite impressive. Taylor recorded the first 100-reception season in league history, and he did it in 14 games. He also led the AFL in receptions in five of six seasons and set a mark for most receptions in a six-year span that stood until Sterling Sharpe broke the record in the 1990s.
As noted in a story mourning Taylor’s passing, at least five other wide receivers from the pre-1980s era with worse overall stats than Taylor are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Taylor should be in the Hall of Fame, and not just for what he accomplished as a player but as a coach. He was the first black offensive coordinator in league history. Taylor also coached two of the best receivers of their era, John Stallworth and Lynn Swann, in his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
When it comes to the AFL, the special players—not just Taylor — lack representation in the Hall of Fame. From a Broncos perspective, Taylor is on the list of players and coaches who should already be in Canton. From Rich “Tombstone” Jackson and Louis Wright to Tom Nalen and Rod Smith, not to mention Mike Shanahan and Dan Reeves, Denver has some of the best players in league history who should get their rightful place.
What sucks about Taylor is that if he ever gets inducted into the Hall of Fame, and I doubt it ever happens, he won’t be alive to relish the celebration. As happened with Pat Bowlen.
What we can do is celebrate his career, remember it, and recognize how important he was to the Broncos and the franchise. Thank you to one of the original Broncos who helped pave the way for the franchise.
