Former Chicago Bears safety Roosevelt Taylor, a key member of the Bears’ 1963 championship team, passed away Friday at the age of 82.
Taylor, a a two-time Pro Bowl safety with Chicago in the 1960s, led the NFL with nine interceptions during that 1963 championship run.
Taylor spent his first nine seasons with the Bears from 1961-69, and he never missed a game during his time in Chicago. He was a first-team All-Pro in 1963 and second-team All-Pro in 1964 and 1965. Taylor tallied 23 interceptions and four defensive touchdowns in his Bears career.
Hall of Fame writers Don Pierson and Dan Pompei ranked Taylor as the 56th best player in Bears history. Taylor ranked 43rd on Will Rankin‘s list of the top 100 Bears.
Taylor was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in 1969, where he played three seasons before landing with the Washington Redskins for his final year in 1972. Taylor’s last game was in Super Bowl VII, where he helped hold the undefeated Miami Dolphins to 14 points on the game’s biggest stage.
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