When You Think of Longview Football, You Think of One Name: Bobby Taylor

Earl Campbell was the bruiser. Lovie Smith was the hitter. Reggie McNeal the great runner + thrower. But when you talk about the most athletic players to ever play high school football in East Texas, the list almost always starts with one name: Bobby Taylor.

Speed, quickness, big hitter, other-worldly athlete -- all proper descriptions of the best football player to ever step foot in Longview High School.

Where He Came From

If anyone was destined to be a great athlete, it was Bobby Taylor. All you had to do was look at his father. Robert Taylor won a gold medal in the 4x100 meter relay and silver in the 100-meter dash in the 1972 Olympics in Munich.

Good genes? You bet. And it showed at Longview High School.

A three-year starter on the Lobos, Taylor was the most feared defender in East Texas from 1989-1991. That carried over to the basketball court, where his athleticism really showed in leading Longview to a state title in 1992.

He was inducted this year into the Texas High School Hall of Fame and is the only player to ever have his jersey retired at Longview High School.

After High School

Taylor attended Notre Dame, where he was a consensus first-team All-American as a senior. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 1995 NFL Draft.

He played 10 seasons in the NFL, nine for Philadelphia. He finished with 19 career interceptions and returned two for touchdowns. Taylor flirted with a comeback in 2010, but never got on with a team.

Taylor had plenty of memorable moments on the field, especially against the Dallas Cowboys and receiver Michael Irvin. The two loved to trash-talk. Taylor was on the field when Tim Hauck's horse-collar tackle of Irvin ended his career.

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