25 best NFL players of all time from the SEC

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GREEN BAY, WI – CIRCA 1965: Running back Jim Taylor #31 of the Green Bay Packers carries the ball during an NFL football game circa 1965 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Taylor played for the Packers from 1958-66. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

Jim Taylor

Fullback, LSU Tigers

There will be a few Bayou Bengals making this list. The first one is former Green Bay Packers fullback, Jim Taylor. Before there was Billy Cannon in Baton Rouge, there was Taylor. He was an All-American running back for the 1957 LSU Tigers before being a second-round pick by the Packers in 1958.

Taylor would go on to spend nine of his 10 NFL seasons in Green Bay, making five Pro Bowls, winning four NFL Championships and what would be later known as Super Bowl I over the AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs.

Taylor would play his final NFL season for the expansion New Orleans Saints in 1967. He would finish his NFL career with 8,597 rushing yards and 83 rushing touchdowns. As a pass catcher, Taylor had 225 career receptions for 1,756 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns.

In a 10-year NFL career, Taylor would become the first player of the Vince Lombardi era in Green Bay to earn Canton enshrinement in 1977. He was a highly productive and physical player in his prime. His numbers aren’t particularly gaudy today, but he was probably the best running back in football during his day not named Jim Brown.

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