Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

George Taliaferro, first African-American ever taken in NFL draft, dies at 91...
https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/2 ... 574290002/

An iterview with Mr. Taliaferro.
https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/c ... /24651887/

Taliafero had an interesting passing line in the 1951 Season finale.
2-13 for 96 yards and 2 interceptions. He would have had over 100 yards and a touchdown, but Bob Celri slipped and fell after catching a 51 yard pass from Taliafero. I remember seeing the play on the NFL 100 Greatest Follies.

I saw him play against the Packers four or five times. I remember him as a scary kick returner.

Thanks for sharing the obituary. I've seen some 50s highlights of him with the Yanks/Texans and he's fun to watch. Always felt like him and Buddy Young were a two man team - had he not played for some of the absolute worst teams of that era, I think he would stand out more, but with so many good backs in the 50s, I rarely hear his name come up. There was a good interview with him in a book I have which he shared an experience with George Preston Marshall.

conace21 wrote:Taliafero had an interesting passing line in the 1951 Season finale.
2-13 for 96 yards and 2 interceptions. He would have had over 100 yards and a touchdown, but Bob Celri slipped and fell after catching a 51 yard pass from Taliafero. I remember seeing the play on the NFL 100 Greatest Follies.

Do you have any idea what positions they were playing? I remember Celeri as a QB in 1951 and I don't remember seeing Taliaferro playing any position other than HB. I believe he was a QB at Indiana, but I don't know if they were playing the T or the single wing when he was there.

Taliaferro also threw a TD pass in that wild 1952 Thanksgiving day game at the Rubber Bowl in Akron when the Texans notched the only win in franchise history in upsetting the Bears.

rhickok1109 wrote:

conace21 wrote:Taliafero had an interesting passing line in the 1951 Season finale.
2-13 for 96 yards and 2 interceptions. He would have had over 100 yards and a touchdown, but Bob Celri slipped and fell after catching a 51 yard pass from Taliafero. I remember seeing the play on the NFL 100 Greatest Follies.

Do you have any idea what positions they were playing? I remember Celeri as a QB in 1951 and I don't remember seeing Taliaferro playing any position other than HB. I believe he was a QB at Indiana, but I don't know if they were playing the T or the single wing when he was there.

I'm pretty sure he was in the Single Wing. Celeri, Ratterman, and Taliaferro each threw at least a dozen passes in the game... and threw a combined eight interceptions in the game.

According to PFR, Celeri in this game was the only player since 1950 to have 150 yards passing and 50 yards receiving in a single game.

conace21 wrote:

rhickok1109 wrote:

conace21 wrote:Taliafero had an interesting passing line in the 1951 Season finale.
2-13 for 96 yards and 2 interceptions. He would have had over 100 yards and a touchdown, but Bob Celri slipped and fell after catching a 51 yard pass from Taliafero. I remember seeing the play on the NFL 100 Greatest Follies.

Do you have any idea what positions they were playing? I remember Celeri as a QB in 1951 and I don't remember seeing Taliaferro playing any position other than HB. I believe he was a QB at Indiana, but I don't know if they were playing the T or the single wing when he was there.

I'm pretty sure he was in the Single Wing. Celeri, Ratterman, and Taliaferro each threw at least a dozen passes in the game... and threw a combined eight interceptions in the game.

According to PFR, Celeri in this game was the only player since 1950 to have 150 yards passing and 50 yards receiving in a single game.

Interesting, thanks.

I went back and found highlights of this game: https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ ... 040nyg.htm

My impression was the Yanks mostly used Single-Wing with Celeri as the TB. In the 1st Qtr, Taliaferro (could not tell where he lined up on the play) took a pass from TB Celeri that got them down near the goal line. Then they switched to a T-formation with Celeri lined up at QB and he handed to Taliaferro who had lined up at LHB for the touchdown. Later in the game, they showed a play where Taliaferro was in as the S-W TB and completed a pass. They also showed one Yanks punt and Taliaferro was the punter.

The highlight of the game was when on back to back plays, Emlen Tunnell returned KO for a TD and then Buddy Young returned the favor on the next play.

I chose this because it was my earliest video and I figured Celeri would be in there as well. I have some later highlights, probably '52-'54, where I recall it seemed like Taliaferro was in on every play and often at a different position each time.