Otis Taylor Dies at Age 80; Chiefs Legend Won Super Bowl IV and 2 AFL Championships

Former star Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver, Super Bowl IV champion and two-time All-Pro Otis Taylor has died at the age of 80.

Taylor's family confirmed his passing, per Dave Skretta of the Associated Press.

Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt released a statement following the news.

"The Kansas City Chiefs organization is saddened by the passing of Otis Taylor. My family and I would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to Otis' wife Regina, his sister Odell and the entire Taylor family as we mourn his passing. Otis was a Chief throughout his 11-year career, and he played an integral part in the early success of our franchise. He became a Kansas City icon with his signature touchdown in Super Bowl IV, as he helped the Chiefs bring home our first Lombardi Trophy. He was one of the most dynamic receivers of his era, and he helped revolutionize the position. Off-the-field, he was kind and dedicated to his community. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. Otis' legacy will live forever as a member of the Chiefs Hall of Fame."

Taylor played for the Chiefs from 1965-75, catching 410 passes for 7,306 yards (third-most in team history) and 57 touchdowns (also third-most). He added 161 yards and three more scores on the ground.

Taylor also eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark twice during an era where doing so wasn't nearly as commonplace as it is today.

His first time occurred for the 1966 AFL champion Chiefs, when he snagged 58 passes for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns.

He added 57 catches, an NFL-high 1,110 yards and seven touchdowns for the Chiefs in 1971, when he finished tied for second in the NFL MVP race with Dallas Cowboys quarterback behind Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman Alan Page.

Taylor notably starred for the 1969 Chiefs, which defeated the Minnesota Vikings 23-7 to win the franchise's first-ever Super Bowl in January 1970.

In that game, Taylor caught six passes for 81 yards, including a 46-yard touchdown in the third quarter for a 22-7 edge against the heavily favored Vikings.

Taylor had some great playoff performances during his career. Of note, his five receptions for 78 yards and one touchdown against the Buffalo Bills guided the Chiefs to a 31-7 win in the 1966 AFC title game.

He had a fantastic rapport with Len Dawson, the late, great Chiefs quarterback who once said this of his top wideout.

"Otis made my job easy," Dawson remarked (h/t Chiefs reporter Matt McMullen). "If you got the pass to Otis, you knew he'd catch it."

Taylor spent 11 seasons as a scout for the Chiefs following his playing days.

In 1990, Taylor was diagnosed with Parkinson's and associated dementia.

Per Skretta, Taylor's family "filed a lawsuit against the NFL claiming it was legally responsible for health issues he experienced beginning with seizures in 1969."

"With Taylor bedridden and largely unable to talk in recent years, the lawsuit sought financial help for his care, which was overseen for more than a decade by his sister Odell, a licensed vocational nurse, along with his wife, Regina, and son Otis Taylor III," Skretta wrote.

Many condolences and remembrances poured in on Twitter after news of his passing.

Taylor's tremendous legacy lives far past his playing days. He'll always be remembered as one of professional football's top game-breakers and playmakers before and after the AFL-NFL merge in 1970. Taylor was also an AFL star who capped that league's era with a massive upset in Super Bowl IV.