Green Bay Packers in the Hall of Fame: Jim Taylor
By Clay Shannon
NFL Hall of Fame fullback James Charles “Jim” Taylor was born in 1935 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Taylor was selected in the second round of the 1958 draft with the 15th overall selection by the Green Bay Packers, and played for them for nine seasons, his last game for the Packers being the first Super Bowl, in which the Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs of the nascent AFL, Taylor scoring the first rushing touchdown in Super Bowl history.
Taylor spent his final season with his home state New Orleans Saints, after being snatched away from Green Bay by them in the expansion draft.
During his tenure with the Packers, Taylor was paired with fellow Hall of Famer Paul Hornung in the backfield (a tandem that was referred to as “thunder and lightning” by Packers fans).
Taylor was selected to the Pro Bowl five of those seasons, and was even the league MVP in 1962, the season in which he led the league in rushing (beating out Jim Brown).
In addition to all that, Taylor was chosen an All-Pro multiple times and led the league in rushing touchdowns two consecutive years (1961 and 1962). He was also named to the virtual all-decade team of the 1960s.
Taylor was on four championship teams while with the Packers.
By the time he hung up his cleats, Taylor had amassed over 10,000 all-purpose yards, and almost 100 touchdowns – 83 rushing and 10 receiving.
Also, although Taylor only played one season for the Saints, they retired his jersey number (31).
Taylor is also, of course, in the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. And not only is he in the NFL Hall of Fame, Taylor is also the first Packer in that august assemblage from the Lombardi era, being inducted prior to even quarterback Bart Starr.
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Football is a sport for tough guys. Fullback is a position for the toughest of the tough, and Taylor even stands out as a tough guy among the rugged subset that comprise that position group. Jim Taylor could dish it out as well as take it. And did so, without ever giving up or backing down.
Taylor currently resides in his home town of Baton Rouge.