A LOOK BACK: KAPPA HISTORY
from 1945-1948. Off the field, despite his football celebrity, Taliaferro experi- enced the full brunt of race bigotry and exclusion – reminiscent of the prejudice the Kappa Alpha Psi Founders faced there over three decades earlier. Never one to meekly tolerate injustice, he spearheaded an effort to desegregate the IU Bloomington campus. Blacks couldn’t live in the dorms, or frequent the local theater with the exception of on weekends. In 1946, Taliaferro was drafted into the United States Army for 16 months and returned to Indiana University in 1947 where he played two more seasons. The following year he was named IU football team MVP, All-Big Ten and All-American. Although Washington (1940), Motley, Strode, and Willis (1946) had ended the NFL’s restriction against Black players, Taliaferro was not encouraged that he would be drafted – as none of them were. Taliaferro subsequently signed with the Los Angeles Dons of the All-America Football Conference and became Rookie of the Year. To his surprise, the Chicago Bears selected him in the 13th round of the 1949 NFL draft. Taliaferro was the first Black to be drafted by an NFL team. After completing his two-year obligation to the Dons, Taliaferro joined the NFL’s New York Yanks in 1951, the first of his three straight Pro Bowl seasons. He also played for the Dallas Texans, Baltimore Colts and Philadelphia Eagles over his seven NFL years. As a runner, Taliaferro gained 2,266 yards on 498 carries with 15 rushing touchdowns. As a receiver, he had 95 receptions for 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns. As a quarterback, Taliaferro passed for 1,633 yards and 37 touchdowns. Of the seven positions he played, he was once asked which was his favorite? He replied, “Football, I just enjoyed playing football.” He retired from the professional football in 1955. Taliaferro boasted, “When I went on the field, the game was over when I came off.”
and held various positions including as a special assistant to the President, the IUPUI chancellor, and the dean of School of Social Work. During his professional career at IU, Taliaferro is credited with championing diversity and multicultural activities and ensuring minority students did not face the ugly bigotry and disenfranchisement he expe- rienced as an undergraduate student. Among his many football and sports accolades include: selection to first team All-Time for Indiana University’s Football Team; elections to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1981; and to the Indiana University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991 respectively. He was honored with a humanitarian award from the Big Ten Conference in 2011. The George Taliaferro Sport Association (GTSA), a campus organization dedi- cated to diversity and inclusion in sports on IU’s Bloomington campus, honors his memory. He was also a 2010 recipient of the Thomas A. Brady Lifetime Sports Achievement Award. In addition, Taliaferro's number "44" replaced the traditional logo on the IU football players' helmets for its 2018 Homecoming game. Prior to the start of the game, a special tribute video was played in Taliaferro's honor and a mo- ment of silence was observed. Taliaferro entered the Chapter Invisible on Octo- ber 8, 2018, at the age of 91. November 1, 2019, a bronze statue in Taliaferro’s likeness was unveiled at the north end exterior of Memorial Stadium, on the plaza renamed April 2019 in his honor. Taliaferro's lifetime of accomplishments are chronicled on the statue. His four daughters were present at the ceremony to view the unveiling. The following day, the Indiana Football team honored Taliaferro during the game by wearing his number 44 on the left side of its football helmets. He was a Life Member of the Fraternity, and served as Grand Lt. Strategus in the administration of 14 th Grand Polemarch J. Ernest Wilkins, Sr.
Statue of George Taliaferro at Indiana University.
Taliaferro returned to his alma mater
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