Jim Taylor, a spirited semi-offensive who symbolized the irresistible Green Bay Packers ground attack in Vince Lombardi's day, died on Saturday. He was 83 years old.
According to a Packers spokesperson, Taylor died unexpectedly in a hospital in his hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Teammate Paul Hornung, another legendary half-offensive, Taylor wore the Packers uniform from 1958 to 1966, during their glory years.
Named the most valuable player to his team in 1962, he helped the Packers win four NFL championships as well as the first Super Bowl.
Author of the first floor hit in Super Bowl history in a 35-10 win against the Kansas City Chiefs on January 15, 1967, Taylor was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1976.
A second-round pick from Louisiana State University in 1958, Taylor played for ten seasons in the NFL, his last with the New Orleans Saints in 1967.
"He was a combative and classic player on Lombardi teams and a vital member of these great championship squads," said Packers president Mark Murphy.
It was when Lombardi became the Packers head coach in 1959 that Taylor's career took flight.
Lombardi designed the famous Packers' Sweep, a game in which guards Jerry Kramer and Fuzzy Thurston left their positions to create out-of-wing openings for Taylor or Hornung.
At six feet and 216 pounds, Taylor has most of the time allowed this strategy to pay dividends, regardless of the state of the playing field, thanks to his stamina and power.
"He instilled in me a lot of character, virtues and principles," Taylor said in 2001 about Lombardi, with whom the relationship was sometimes tense.
"He introduced a caliber of play that he thought would provide championships. "
In 1962, Taylor had the best season of his career. In 14 games, he racked up 1474 yards in the 41-year-old team mark, scoring 19 majors.
That year, the Packers posted a 13-1 record and defeated the New York Giants 16-7 in the final for the second of Taylor's four titles.
"To have been voted most valuable player to my team in 1962 is a feat I cherish to the highest degree," said Taylor. I felt like I realized my goal. "
Taylor has often been compared to Jim Brown, a rival with the Cleveland Browns. However, Lombardi had different opinions of the two most punitive half-offensives of that time.
"Jim Brown handed you his leg (to flatten it) before removing it. Jim Taylor gave it to you before pushing it into your chest. "
