Otis Taylor, Super Bowl champion and Chiefs legend, lifeless at 80

Longtime Kansas City Chiefs vast receiver Otis Taylor, who helped lead the franchise to its first Super Bowl victory in 1970, has died, the crew confirmed Friday.

Taylor, who spent greater than 10 years with Kansas City, died Thursday after an extended battle with Parkinson’s illness and dementia. 

Kansas City Chiefs vast receiver Otis Taylor rushes towards the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl I in Los Angeles on Jan. 15, 1967. (Walter Iooss Jr. /Sports Illustrated through Getty Images)

“The Kansas City Chiefs group is saddened by the passing of Otis Taylor. My household and I wish to prolong our heartfelt condolences to Otis’ spouse Regina, his sister Odell and the whole Taylor household as we mourn his passing,” Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt mentioned in an announcement. 

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“Otis was a Chief all through his 11-year profession, and he performed an integral half within the early success of our franchise. He grew to become a Kansas City icon along with his signature landing in Super Bowl IV, as he helped the Chiefs convey dwelling our first Lombardi Trophy,” Clark added. 

“He was probably the most dynamic receivers of his period, and he helped revolutionize the place. Off-the-field, he was variety and devoted to his neighborhood. Our ideas and prayers are along with his household. Otis’ legacy will stay without end as a member of the Chiefs Hall of Fame.”

Kansas City Chiefs vast receiver Otis Taylor sits on the bench throughout a recreation at Municipal Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, circa early Nineteen Seventies. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

Taylor was chosen by the Chiefs within the fourth spherical of the 1965 AFL draft and would go on to have a dynamic profession alongside legendary quarterback Len Dawson, who died simply seven months earlier than Taylor. 

Despite his many accolades, together with two Pro Bowl alternatives, two 1,000-yard seasons and the enduring 46-yard landing reception that helped the Chiefs defeat the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV, Taylor was by no means inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“Otis made my job straightforward,” Dawson as soon as mentioned. “If you bought the go to Otis, you knew he’d catch it.”

Kansas City Chiefs vast receiver Otis Taylor runs a route in a recreation towards the Oakland Raiders at Municipal Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on Nov. 23, 1967. (Walter Iooss Jr. /Sports Illustrated through Getty Images)

A two-time AFL champion and an AFL MVP, Taylor performed for the Chiefs from 1965 to 1975. He completed his profession with 7,306 yards and 57 receiving touchdowns. 

In 1990, Taylor was identified with Parkinson’s illness and related dementia, which led his household to file a lawsuit towards the NFL in 2012, claiming that the league was legally accountable for well being points he skilled, starting with seizures in 1969.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.