Billy Taylor (running back)
Encyclopedia
Billy Taylor is a former professional American football
player who was selected by the New York Giants
in the fourth round of the 1978 NFL Draft
. A 6'0", 215-lb. running back from Texas Tech
, Taylor played for five NFL seasons as a running back
and kick returner
. He spent his first three seasons as a member of the Giants, and spent his final two split between the Giants, the New York Jets
, and the Los Angeles Raiders
. As the starting running back for the Giants, he led the team in rushing in 1979
and 1980
. His best season was in 1979
, when he started all 16 games, carrying the ball 198 times for 700 yards and catching it another 28 times for 253 yards with 11 total touchdowns. The Jets picked him up after the Giants waived him in 1981
, but they cut him three weeks later when they needed to add a defensive lineman to replace the injured Marty Lyons
. Taylor went on to become a Corporate Trainer for Hunter Douglas, and involved with charities. Billy Taylor was a successful broadcast journalist after playing football. This included stints with TV and radio. Most notably he co-hosted with Larry Hardesty on WLIB a talk show with had good success as the only minority talk show in New York City Area.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who was selected by the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fourth round of the 1978 NFL Draft
1978 NFL Draft
The 1978 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 2–3, 1978...
. A 6'0", 215-lb. running back from Texas Tech
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
, Taylor played for five NFL seasons as a running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
and kick returner
Kick returner
In American and Canadian football, a kick returner is the player on special teams who is primarily responsible to catch kickoffs and attempts to return them in the opposite direction. If the ball is kicked into his own endzone, he must assess the situation on the field while the ball is in the...
. He spent his first three seasons as a member of the Giants, and spent his final two split between the Giants, the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and the Los Angeles Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. As the starting running back for the Giants, he led the team in rushing in 1979
1979 NFL season
The 1979 NFL season was the 60th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XIV when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Los Angeles Rams...
and 1980
1980 NFL season
The 1980 NFL season was the 61st regular season of the National Football League.After the league declined to approve the proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland, California to Los Angeles, the team along with the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws...
. His best season was in 1979
1979 New York Giants season
The 1979 New York Giants season was the 55th season for the club in the National Football League. The Giants had a 6–10 record in 1979 and finished in fourth place in the National Football Conference East Division.-Offseason:...
, when he started all 16 games, carrying the ball 198 times for 700 yards and catching it another 28 times for 253 yards with 11 total touchdowns. The Jets picked him up after the Giants waived him in 1981
1981 NFL season
The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
, but they cut him three weeks later when they needed to add a defensive lineman to replace the injured Marty Lyons
Marty Lyons
Martin Anthony Lyons is a former American Football defensive tackle who played his entire eleven year career from 1979 to 1989 with the New York Jets of the National Football League...
. Taylor went on to become a Corporate Trainer for Hunter Douglas, and involved with charities. Billy Taylor was a successful broadcast journalist after playing football. This included stints with TV and radio. Most notably he co-hosted with Larry Hardesty on WLIB a talk show with had good success as the only minority talk show in New York City Area.