American · Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA · Born 20 September 1935 · Died 2018-10-13Jim Taylor was a bruising fullback who was a key part of Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers dynasty, winning multiple NFL championships and Super Bowl I.
Born on 20 September 1935 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Jim Taylor was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 1958 draft out of LSU. He became the Packers' primary ball carrier when Vince Lombardi took over as head coach in 1959, embodying Lombardi's punishing, run-first philosophy. Taylor rushed for five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons from 1960 to 1964, reaching his career peak in 1962 with 1,474 yards and being named the NFL's Most Valuable Player. His fierce, relentless running style made him the perfect complement to the Packers' famous 'sweep' play, dragging tacklers forward for extra yardage on nearly every carry. Taylor was part of Green Bay's championship teams in 1961, 1962 and 1965, and scored the first rushing touchdown in Super Bowl history in the Packers' Super Bowl I victory. A five-time Pro Bowl selection across the seasons he surpassed 1,000 yards, he held the Packers' all-time rushing record for over four decades until it was broken by Ahman Green. Taylor retired in 1967 with 8,207 rushing yards and 91 touchdowns for Green Bay, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976, the first of the Lombardi-era Packers to be enshrined. He died on 13 October 2018 at age 83.
Powerful fullback for Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers dynasty
How They Played
Fierce, relentless power runner who fought for every extra yard
Lasting Impact
One of the defining fullbacks of the NFL's golden era and a cornerstone of the Lombardi dynasty
Career Honours
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (1976)
- Super Bowl I champion
- 4x NFL champion
- NFL MVP (1962)
- 5x Pro Bowl
- 4x First-team All-Pro
American Athletes