Tomorrow football plays its biggest game of the year, but today, take some time to watch this heartwarming story that was on NBC’s Today Show about a bond built and the walls taken-down in a 1944 high school football game in Gary, Indiana between all-black Roosevelt High and all-white Horace Mann High.
The story of Carl Biesecker and George Taliaferro will bring tears and also show you the power of this great game.
It will also educate you about Mr. Taliaferro, who two years before Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s diversity barrier, was the first African-American drafted by the National Football League. Taliaferro, who was drafted in the 13th round by the Chicago Bears, played six seasons in the NFL with the New York Yanks, Dallas Texans, Baltimore Colts and Philadelphia Eagles. He never played for the team that drafted him, because he chose to play for the Los Angeles Dons of the All-America Football Conference that was formed in 1946 and through 1949 tried to challenge the NFL.
In one online interview, Taliaferro says he played seven positions during his NFL career, which he says is a record. He rushed for 2,266 yards and 15 touchdowns during his pro career with 95 receptions for 1,300 yards and 12 TDs.
After high school, was a three time All-American running back at Indiana University, which earned him induction into College Football Hall of Fame.
Maybe on the day that the Pro Football Hall of Fame announces its Class of 2015, we should make a push to get the three time NFL Pro Bowler to be nominated by the Veterans Committee for induction into Canton.
