Synopses & Reviews
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.
Review
"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
Review
"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 Indiana University Press
Review
"A good, readable, and generally engaging descriptive history of an athlete who worked for social justice." --Choice Indiana University Press Indiana University Press
About the Author
Dawn Knight teaches English at Westfield High School in Westfield, Indiana.
Table of Contents
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