Rio Rancho resident Lionel Taylor to be inducted in NFL Hall of Fame

“Welcome to the NFL Hall of Fame,” longtime Rio Rancho resident Lionel Taylor can expect to hear in June, when he and his family are in Canton, Ohio.

That’s if he makes the trip. He’s not keen about the travel portion of it. He’s been to Canton, but not into the Hall of Fame: “My picture’s in there; my grandson found it,” he said.

Soon, there’ll be a plaque there with his name on it; they don’t get the fashionable yellow coats the players get once inducted.

Heck, Taylor’s 88 with a mind as sharp as a tack; he lives in a Rio Rancho assisted living facility, rises early to work out and enjoy breakfast.

Taylor, who was a standout receiver with the Denver Broncos from 1960-66 and a member of the Broncos’ Ring of Fame since 1984, will be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in late June, not as a player – many think he has a résumé for that – but as an assistant coach.

After playing at New Mexico Highlands University and in 1959 with the Chicago Bears, before owner George Halas cut him, “The Original LT” was the first pro receiver with 100 catches in a season. That was long before teams played 17 games; until Shannon Sharpe and Rod Smith were Broncos, he held the records for receptions and receiving yards.

“I went (to Chicago) the first year, I wasn’t good enough,” he said. “I played my first year in Bakersfield. (Halas) offered me a thousand dollar raise, said, “Go home and see your wife. … A new league (AFL) had started; I got a message from the Broncos to see their first game.”

He did and the rest is Broncos history, although his on-field career ended with two seasons in Houston (1967-68).

On the sidelines as an assistant, Taylor was a two-time Super Bowl champion (IX, X) as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers. His coaching career spanned 29 years, including college and the World Football League.

Before earning a coordinator position with the Los Angeles Rams (1980-81) and later the Cleveland Browns (1989), Taylor mentored the likes of future Hall of Famers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth during his seven seasons with the Steelers as wide receivers coach.

West Side resident and former Lobo and NFL wide receiver Preston Dennard said Taylor “is the reason I existed as an NFL player. He gave me the chance; he had confidence in me. He saw it; that’s the reason he was a special coach.”

Dennard was with the Rams when Taylor was on the sidelines.

“I would remember all the things he would say to me, like he would encourage me if the ownership and top brass were coming out to a ‘show day’ practice, he was say, ‘OK, time for you to show up.’ And I would have a great day,” Dennard recalled. “I loved to practice, and he enjoyed that.”

As his positions coach, Dennard said, “He was detailed. … he always enjoyed my intelligence – he knew I could compete. He knew he could encourage me; he’s always taken me under his wings. He was a great mentor and an excellent motivator, always had confidence in me.

“Lionel was special.”

The NFL Hall of Fame agrees. Fourteen other recipients will be honored with Awards of Excellence in its third year of existence: assistant coaches Monte Kiffin and Bill McPherson; athletic trainers Steve Antonopulos, Dean Kleinschmidt and Bill Tessendorf; equipment managers Bill Hampton Sr., Don Hewitt and Richard “Dick” Romanski; film/video directors Tom Atcheson, Bob McCartney and Dave Levy; and public relations personnel Dan Edwards, Harvey Greene and Frank Ramos.

Each “helped drive the accomplishments of their profession, individual NFL Clubs and the sport of pro football,” and are being identified for Awards of Excellence under a program the Pro Football Hall of Fame launched in 2022 to recognize significant contributors to the game.

The 2024 winners were announced March 27 on “The SiriusXM Blitz” broadcast with hosts Bruce Murray and Rich Gannon. Kiffin and his son, University of Mississippi head football coach Lane Kiffin, joined the show to reminisce about Monte’s 50-plus-year career in coaching.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame will recognize the 15 recipients in Canton with an evening reception June 26 and an awards luncheon June 27 emceed by Hall of Famer Dan Fouts.

The five groups presenting the Awards of Excellence created their own selection committees and set their own criteria for choosing their class members. The Hall of Fame does not participate in any nominating or voting.

Taylor and Dennard participated in a 54-minute “Gridiron Icon” podcast with Taylor; find it at youtube.com/watch?v=nCxK86mS4Cs.