Former Chicago Bears star defensive back Roosevelt “Rosey” Taylor died at the age of 82, the team announced Friday.
The team didn’t provide a cause of death.
“Today we lost a Bears great with the passing of Roosevelt Taylor,” the Bears said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with Rosey’s family and loved ones.”
Taylor, a native of New Orleans and an alum of Grambling State University, spent the first nine seasons of his NFL career with the Bears (1961-69) and never missed a game. During that span, he appeared in 118 contests (108 starts) and recorded 23 interceptions and four defensive touchdowns.
Known for his ballhawk abilities, Taylor was named first-team All-Pro and earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl after leading the league with a career-best nine interceptions in 1963. He also helped the franchise beat the New York Giants at Wrigley Field to win the league championship that same year.
Taylor was named second-team All-Pro in 1964 and 1965, and was voted to his second Pro Bowl in 1968.
After starting the first six games of the 1969 season, Taylor — along with a fifth-round draft pick in the 1971 draft — was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for offensive lineman Howard Mudd. He started 30 out of 34 games in two-plus seasons with the 49ers and retired after spending one year with the Washington Redskins in 1972.
Taylor’s son, Brian, appeared in eight NFL games with Chicago and the Buffalo Bills, rushing twice for seven yards as a member of the 1989 Bears team. Taylor and his wife, Claudia, also were parents to two daughters.
