Remembering Roosevelt “Rosey” Taylor

He was most known for starring with the Chicago Bears but Roosevelt "Rosey" Taylor finished his NFL career with the Redskins & started in the '72 Super Bowl.

Older Redskins fans will recall the Redskins playing in their first Super Bowl, concluding the 1972 season losing in Super Bowl VII to the Miami Dolphins 14-7.

A starting safety for the Redskins that day Roosevelt “Rosey” Taylor died at the age of 82 on May 29.

Taylor came to the Redskins for his final NFL season after playing the previous three with the San Francisco 49ers and beginning his career with eight seasons playing for the Chicago Bears.

In 1963, Taylor was first-team All-Pro leading the NFL with 9 interceptions (one for a touchdown), started all 14 games, and had three fumble recoveries, helping to lead the Bears defense to the NFL championship.

Leading the Bears defense, as their defensive coordinator was George Allen, who would later become the head coach of the Washington Redskins (1971-77).

Allen’s 1971 Redskins had started quickly winning their first five games, but a pile of injuries, resulted in the Redskins finishing 9-4-1 and losing in the playoffs at San Francisco.

Taylor started that playoff game for the 49ers, and coupled with Allen’s memories of Taylor in his Bears’ championship defense, Allen brought Taylor to Washington replacing Richie Petibon.

In that 1972 Redskins’ season, Taylor started all 14 games intercepting one pass for 17 yards.

Taylor helped anchor a strong middle of the field as the Redskins were 11-1 clinching the division title, resting some key players the final two weeks of the regular season.

The Redskins defense was dominant in their two NFC playoff wins, yielding only 6 points in their 16-3 win over Green Bay and 26-3 win over defending champion Dallas in the NFC title game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8w4j4nBMcRI

(Taylor is shown making two plays in this brief game summary)

Super Bowl VII was the final game in the career of Roosevelt Taylor.

Taylor enjoyed a 12-year career, starting 152 of his 166 career games.

“Rosey” intercepted 32 passes for 486 yards and three touchdowns, including a 96-yarder for the Bears in 1968.

The 5-foot-11 186 pound Taylor, played his college football at Grambling State U.

Undrafted, Taylor was signed by the Bears in 1961.

Taylor earned his way to two NFL Pro Bowls (1963, ’68) and was also voted 2nd Team All-Pro (1964,’65).

Voted to the Grambling State U Hall of Fame in 2010, Taylor was also voted into the 100 Top Chicago Bears in 2019.

Ivan Lambert is a lifelong die-hard Washington Redskins fan, raised in Berryville, Virginia. He is married and the father of two fine young men. He is currently a sports correspondent for The Ledger in Lakeland, Florida and can be found on Twitter @IvanLambert18