Posting a random Steeler every day until kickoff or I forget – Day 27: Mike Taylor

OT Mike Taylor (1968-1969)

Mike Taylor was taken with the 10th overall pick of the 1968 NFL Draft by the Steelers out of USC, where he had been a National Champion in 1967. He stayed in Pittsburgh for 2 seasons, then went on to play 4 more seasons in the league with the New Orleans Saints, Washington Redskins, and St. Louis Cardinals.

After leaving the Cardinals, he started an independent trucking business and eventually became a supervisor for the California-based Viking Freight Systems, which was later acquired by FedEx, where he stayed as operations manager until retirement in 2006. He then opened his own BBQ business and ran Po’Boyz Restaurant in Folsom, CA with his family, which was a sports bar and grill.

Taylor remained a Steelers fan throughout his life, and he accredited that to owner Art Rooney. In an interview, he reflected on his time there, saying, “Pittsburgh has great heart and it showed right away. I own fond memories of my brief time in Pittsburgh… In my opinion, the Steelers probably have the greatest fan base in the nation.”