Indiana Football: Hoosiers to honor George Taliaferro with statue, naming rights

Indiana President McRobbie announces plans on how they will honor Indiana football great George Taliaferro.

Indiana University is set to honor Indiana football great George Taliaferro with a statue as well as naming rights to part of Memorial Stadium, per release.

President Michael McRobbie announced this weekend that Memorial Stadium’s North end zone entrance will be renamed the “George Taliaferro Plaza”, honoring the late Taliaferro. McRobbie also announced plans to build a statue of the Hoosier legend in the newly named plaza entryway.

Taliaferro, who passed away Oct. 8, 2018, spent his college years in Bloomington from 1945-1948, while leading the Hoosiers to their only undefeated season in school history (1945, 9-0-1).

A 1981 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, Taliaferro was a three-time All-American at Indiana who broke many racial barriers in the sport as he was the first African-American drafted into the NFL.

A Pro Bowler in three of his six NFL seasons, he totaled 2,266 rushing yards, 1,300 receiving yards, 1,633 passing yards and 37 touchdowns while playing for four different teams.  In addition to becoming the first African-American to be drafted, he also became the only player in history to play seven different positions (quarterback, running back, wide receiver, cornerback, punter, punt and kick returner).

Taliaffero along with Indiana University President, at the time,  Herman B. Wells helped desegregate Bloomington in the late 40’s, leading to multiple changes in the campus structure.

“The thing I liked most about football was hitting people,” he said in an interview, “It allowed me to vent my frustrations with being discriminated against in the United States.” The quote, and more, can also be found in this New York Times article published at the time of his passing.

A university that struggled to accept him as a student or player, now celebrates his career, both on and off the field.