Taliaferro
Breaking Barriers from the NFL Draft to the Ivory Tower
Published on 1. April 2010
Book
Paperback/Softback
200 pages
978-0-253-22224-4 (ISBN)
Description
George Taliaferro was a star player on Indiana University's first great football team of 1945-two years before Jackie Robinson broke baseball's racial barrier. Four years later, he became the first African American drafted by the NFL when the Chicago Bears expressed their interest in him. Rather than play for his childhood dream team, Taliaferro opted to honor the contract he had previously signed with the Los Angeles Dons of the All American Football Conference. Taliaferro would eventually go on to play in the NFL for teams such as the New York Yanks, Dallas Texans, Baltimore Colts, and Philadelphia Eagles. More than a biography of one individual, this is a story of inspiration and historic achievement.
Reviews / Votes
"Dawn Knight's short biography of Indiana University football star George Taliaferro is one of those books that crosses over into unfamiliar territory and is a pleasure to read... Knight... brings a style to the text that makes this a highly recommended read for young men and women interested not just in sports but in life." -Indiana Magazine of History "Knight paints a portrait of a young man who overcame the obstacles of racism, the military draft, and the death of his father. His vehicle for climbing over obstacles was athletic prowess and inner strength." -Jim Baumgartner, College Football Hall of Fame "A good, readable, and generally engaging descriptive history of an athlete who worked for social justice." -ChoiceMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Bloomington, IN
United States
Illustrations
43 b&w photos
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 11 mm
Weight
300 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-253-22224-4 (9780253222244)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Previous edition
Book
09/2007
Indiana University Press
€23.51
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Person
Dawn Knight teaches English at Westfield High School in Westfield, Indiana.
Content
Table of Contents Foreword by Tony Dungy Chapter 1: October 2005 Trick or Treat Chapter 2: 1944 - 1945 Taliaferro's Football Roots Chapter 3: 1945 - 1946 Adjusting to Life at Indiana University Chapter 4: 1945 - 1946 Indiana University Football Chapter 5: 1946 - 1947 Army Days Chapter 6: 1947 A Volatile Time for Professional Football Chapter 7: 1947 - 1949 Back at Indiana University Chapter 8: 1949 - 1955 Integrating Professional Football Chapter 9: 1955 - Present Life After Football Chapter 10: 1949 - Present Integration of the NFL Bibliography Index