M Club Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 1987
Clif Taylor played fullback for former head coaches Billy J. Murphy and Fred Pancoast from 1970 through 1973. But Taylor was far more than a big blocking back, he also lettered as a sprinter for the Tiger track team. A native of Memphis and a graduate of South Side High School, Taylor was an all-state running back and won the state championship in the 100 and 200 yard dashes. His time of :9.7 in the 100 yard dash was a new state record. A knee injury in fall camp forced Taylor to miss his entire freshman season but he returned for the 1971 season to share playing time at fullback. The speedster had 39 rushes for 117 yards and three touchdowns during the season. Taylor had 104 yards and two touchdowns in the win over North Texas State. The Tigers received a bid to the Pasadena Bowl in 1971 after winning the Missouri Valley Conference title. As a junior, Taylor rushed for 196 yards and two scores and caught 16 passes for 183 yards under Pancoast. During the 1973 campaign he became the starter at fullback and rushed for 471 yards and seven touchdowns on 120 attempts and totaled 14 pass receptions for 69 yards. Taylor finished the season as the team’s second leading scorer. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 1974 NFL draft. He played for two seasons with the Bears and one with the Green Bay Packers before retiring due to injuries.
