467:. "It was August 17, 1997. It was 5 a.m. I was sitting in front of an abandoned apartment building at the corner of Lakewood and Jefferson. I was drinking vodka and Black Label beer. I heard a voice. The voice said, 'William Taylor, come forth.' I heard it as clear as we're talking now. It scared me to death. I jumped straight up in the air. I started cursing and looking for the person who had scared the daylights out of me. ... It was God. I don't want to offend anyone, but that's my testimony."
32:
416:, who was broadcasting the game, told Taylor to call home. When Taylor called home he discovered that his uncle had killed his aunt and then himself. Late that same summer, his girlfriend, Valerie, was stabbed to death outside a roller rink in Detroit. Taylor wrote in his autobiography that football injuries and deaths of close family members sent him on "a long downward spiral of depression, drinking, drugs and encounters with the law."
454:
Taylor went into a downward spiral ("I self-medicated" he later said) that lasted 25 years. He managed to get his master's degree in education, get married and have three children, but the ex-football star suffered from depression, divorced his wife, became isolated from his children, and eventually
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called Taylor's number. Taylor ran around the end and into the end zone, and
Michigan won to cap an undefeated regular season. "It was every kid's dream," says Taylor, remembering what it was like to score the winning touchdown. During Taylor's years they had excellent
455:
became homeless. Taylor hit a low when he was convicted for having knowledge of a bank robbery and spent 2½ years in a federal penitentiary; after his release, he became an addict living on the streets of
Detroit, cut off from friends and family.
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On
January 4, 1972, just a few days after Taylor's final game as a Wolverine, his mother died. "After my mother died I didn't want to play anymore" says Taylor. He played in a post-season game at Coach Schembechler's encouragement.
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with 32 career touchdowns and 194 points. He also set the school record in average rushing yards per game at 102 yards per game. He rushed for 1,297 yards in his senior season (1971) and was selected as the team
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Although Taylor played in 33 games at
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He stopped drinking and taking drugs that day and published a book about his experience called "Get Back Up: The Billy Taylor Story." In 2003, Taylor received an
377:. Taylor was also named the Most Valuable Player of the 1971 Michigan football team that went undefeated in the regular season (but lost 13-12 to Stanford in the
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where he became one of the most accomplished football players in school history. He was an All-Big Ten selection three times and a first team
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Taylor broke the
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His 587 carries was also a school record at the time he graduated. He finished his U-M career second to
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until his father's death in 1954 when Taylor was five years old. His mother moved the family to
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451:(getting into one game, rushing once for two yards), Taylor's football career was over.
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game). The team was ranked in the top 5 all season and had four All-Americans.
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for 59 yards. After brief trials in 1974 with
Chicago and Memphis of the
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was the only
Michigan player who had rushed for more yards in a game.
647:. University of Michigan & Host Interactive. 2007. Archived from
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528:. The Regents of the University of Michigan. February 10, 2007
526:"University of Michigan Football All-American: William Taylor"
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676:. Regents of the University of Michigan. 2003. Archived from
622:. The Regents of the University of Michigan. March 31, 2007
780:
Bentley
Library - Taylor Photograph and Career Statistics
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In August 1997, Taylor reports he had an experience with
329:. After graduating from high school, Taylor attended the
575:. Regents of the University of Michigan. Archived from
730:"Billy Taylor Stats, Position, College, Transactions"
500:
Lists of
Michigan Wolverines football rushing leaders
388:established a new standard in his career ending in
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547:Jones, Todd (2007). MacCambridge, Michael (ed.).
395:In 1969, Taylor rushed for 225 yards against the
573:"Michigan Football Statistic Archive Query Page"
271:(born January 7, 1949) is a former professional
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762:1973 Calgary Stampeders Media Guide/Fact book
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206:* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
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753:1973 Canadian Football League Record Manual
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137: / round: 5 / pick: 109
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1462:21st-century African-American sportspeople
1457:Players of American football from Arkansas
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549:ESPN Big Ten College Football Encyclopedia
486:Southeast Michigan working in Detroit and
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478:. He has held several positions at the
301:and broke the school record for career
1447:University of Nevada, Las Vegas alumni
785:Taylor Biography from Get Back Up site
1452:People from Lawrence County, Arkansas
337:selection two times (1969 and 1970).
7:
1442:Michigan Wolverines football players
706:. databaseSports.com. Archived from
480:Community College of Southern Nevada
832:Michigan Wolverines rushing leaders
407:Downward spiral and substance abuse
36:Taylor playing for Michigan in 1970
321:, Taylor spent his early years in
88:5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
14:
443:for 27 yards and three
16:American gridiron football player
790:Article on Taylor at thegoal.com
30:
1422:Canadian football running backs
1417:American football running backs
674:"Versus Iowa November 15, 1969"
476:University of Nevada, Las Vegas
305:yardage and finished second to
215:Career highlights and awards
1:
297:. At Michigan, he became an
290:(CFL) after starring for the
419:Taylor was selected by the
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1432:Chicago Fire (WFL) players
1427:Calgary Stampeders players
423:in the fifth round of the
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248:Second-team All-Big Ten (
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96:230 lb (104 kg)
29:
1437:Memphis Southmen players
437:Canadian Football League
288:Canadian Football League
21:American football player
734:profootballarchives.com
700:"1972 NFL Player Draft"
608:on September 16, 2012.
331:University of Michigan
313:University of Michigan
292:University of Michigan
449:World Football League
1210:Fitzgerald Toussaint
704:databaseFootball.com
654:on February 29, 2008
620:"1971 Football Team"
579:on November 12, 2007
551:. ESPN Enterprises.
269:William Lewis Taylor
57:Personal information
908:Tom Peterson (1948)
710:on January 19, 2008
429:St. Louis Cardinals
160:St. Louis Cardinals
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433:Calgary Stampeders
397:University of Iowa
323:Memphis, Tennessee
284:Calgary Stampeders
170:Calgary Stampeders
101:Career information
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1393:
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1146:Clarence Williams
901:Jack Weisenburger
775:Just Sports Stats
558:978-1-933060-49-1
488:Pontiac, Michigan
363:offensive linemen
277:Canadian football
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371:Reggie McKenzie
358:Bo Schembechler
327:Barberton, Ohio
319:Hoxie, Arkansas
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282:who played for
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114:Barberton, Ohio
78:Hoxie, Arkansas
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1387:Bill Holland
1384:Larry Butler
1378:Tom Chandler
1371:Larry Mialik
1341:Billy Taylor
1340:
1318:Pat Sullivan
1226:Karan Higdon
1154:Chris Howard
1122:Ricky Powers
1098:Jamie Morris
1026:Billy Taylor
1025:
978:Bennie McRae
940:(1953, 1955)
938:Tony Branoff
922:Don Peterson
893:Bob Chappuis
853:Bob Westfall
758:
749:
737:. Retrieved
733:
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712:. Retrieved
708:the original
703:
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682:. Retrieved
678:the original
668:
658:December 29,
656:. Retrieved
649:the original
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530:. Retrieved
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367:Dan Dierdorf
346:
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316:
309:in scoring.
299:All-American
280:running back
268:
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224:All-American
222:Second-team
180:Chicago Fire
106:High school:
51:Running back
25:Billy Taylor
18:
1407:1949 births
1375:Henry Sovio
1333:Les Goodman
1252:(2022–2023)
1250:Blake Corum
1244:(2020–2021)
1228:(2017–2018)
1220:(2014–2016)
1204:(2010–2012)
1196:(2008–2009)
1188:(2004–2007)
1180:(2002–2003)
1178:Chris Perry
1170:B. J. Askew
1164:(1998–2000)
1132:(1992–1994)
1108:(1988–1989)
1100:(1984–1987)
1090:Rick Rogers
1076:(1979–1981)
1044:(1974–1975)
1042:Gordon Bell
1036:(1972–1973)
1028:(1969–1971)
1020:(1967–1968)
1018:Ron Johnson
1010:Dave Fisher
996:(1963–1964)
994:Mel Anthony
988:(1961–1962)
986:Dave Raimey
970:Fred Julian
956:(1956–1957)
916:(1949–1950)
847:(1938–1940)
795:WFL profile
739:December 2,
714:December 5,
684:December 5,
626:December 5,
583:November 8,
532:December 5,
401:Ron Johnson
375:Jim Mandich
335:All-Big Ten
235:All-Big Ten
1401:Categories
1356:Lance Moon
1353:Fred Riley
1303:selections
1114:Jon Vaughn
1106:Tony Boles
869:Bill Daley
845:Tom Harmon
441:receptions
349:Tom Harmon
307:Tom Harmon
295:Wolverines
131:NFL draft:
68:1949-01-07
42:No. 20, 42
1186:Mike Hart
1050:Rob Lytle
1002:Carl Ward
946:Fred Baer
930:Ted Kress
914:Don Dufek
861:Bob Wiese
386:Mike Hart
342:Rob Lytle
110:Barberton
47:Position:
954:Jim Pace
494:See also
365:such as
317:Born in
273:American
125:Michigan
121:College:
435:in the
303:rushing
286:of the
93:Weight:
85:Height:
1236:(2019)
1212:(2013)
1172:(2001)
1156:(1997)
1148:(1996)
1140:(1995)
1124:(1991)
1116:(1990)
1092:(1983)
1084:(1982)
1068:(1978)
1060:(1977)
1052:(1976)
1012:(1966)
1004:(1965)
980:(1960)
972:(1959)
964:(1958)
948:(1954)
932:(1952)
924:(1951)
903:(1947)
895:(1946)
887:(1945)
879:(1944)
871:(1943)
863:(1942)
855:(1941)
555:
373:, and
204:
80:, U.S.
652:(PDF)
645:(PDF)
506:Notes
472:Ed.D.
62:Born:
741:2023
716:2007
686:2007
660:2007
628:2007
585:2011
553:ISBN
534:2007
390:2007
275:and
250:1970
243:1971
239:1969
228:1971
194:1974
184:1974
174:1972
164:1971
154:1971
135:1972
465:God
354:MVP
1403::
732:.
702:.
593:^
513:^
490:.
392:.
369:,
344:.
241:,
166:)*
156:)*
70:)
1286:e
1279:t
1272:v
823:e
816:t
809:v
743:.
718:.
688:.
662:.
630:.
587:.
561:.
536:.
252:)
245:)
237:(
230:)
226:(
196:)
192:(
186:)
182:(
176:)
172:(
162:(
152:(
116:)
112:(
66:(
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