The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 12-person committee has trimmed their list of senior candidates down to 25 semifinalists for the 2023 class.
Kansas City Chiefs WR Otis Taylor has officially made it through to the semifinalist round of voting. He joins Ken Anderson, Maxie Baughan, Mark Clayton, Roger Craig, LaVern Dilweg, Randy Gradishar, Lester Hayes, Chris Hinton, Chuck Howley, Cecil Isbell, Joe Jacoby, Billie “White Shoes” Johnson, Mike Kenn, Joe Klecko, Bob Kuechenberg, George Kunz, Jim Marshall, Clay Matthews Jr., Eddie Meador, Stanley Morgan, Tommy Nobis, Ken Riley, Sterling Sharpe, and Everson Walls. To qualify as a senior candidate, you must have last played professional football no later than the 1996 season.
Taylor, who played with the Chiefs/Dallas Texans from 1965-1975, was one of the most dominant receivers of his era. He recorded 410 receptions for 7,306 averaging 17.8 yards per reception over the course of his career. He had size and speed that would be considered prototypical for a receiver, even in today’s NFL. He was quite accomplished, finishing his career as a 1966 AFL All-Star, 1967 AFL receiving touchdown leader (11), 1971 NFL receiving yards leader (1,110), 1971 Pro Bowler, 1971 First-Team All-Pro, 1972 Pro Bowler, 1972 First-Team All-Pro and a Super Bowl IV champion.
The next wave of voting to select 12 finalists will occur on July 27. From there a total of up to three players from that group of finalists will be selected for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, giving Taylor his best chance at enshrinement.
