Before making one of the NFL's most iconic catches in Super Bowl history, John Taylor was making catch after catch for Delaware State.
The former San Francisco 49ers great is one of seven inductees in the 10th class of the Black College Football Hall of Fame.
The Class of 2019 also includes Emerson Boozer (Maryland Eastern Shore), Hugh Douglas (Central State), Rich "Tombstone" Jackson (Southern), Frank Lewis (Grambling State), Timmy Newsome (Winston-Salem State) and head coach Arnett "Ace" Mumford (Jarvis Christian College, Bishop College, Texas College and Southern University), the BCFHOF announced Thursday.
"On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we congratulate the Class of 2019," BCFHOF Co-Founder and 2011 inductee Doug Williams said in a statement. "To be inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame in its first 10 years is quite an honor. Just take a look at those historical names."
That esteemed group includes Taylor's running mate in San Francisco, Jerry Rice (Mississippi Valley State, Class of 2010). Taylor finished his college career with an even higher yards-per-reception average -- 24.3, an NCAA record for nearly 20 years.
The 2019 class will be honored on Feb. 16, 2019 in the BCFHOF induction ceremony at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia, hosted by NFL Network's Steve Wyche and Charles Davis. The Inductees will also be recognized at the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta on Dec. 15. More information can be found at www.BlackCollegeFootballHOF.org.