23 Facts About Brice Taylor

Brice Union Taylor was an American football player, coach and track athlete.

Brice Taylor played college football as a guard at the University of Southern California, where he was the first All-American in football at the university in 1925 and the first African-American player for the USC Trojans.

Mr Taylor served as the head football coach at Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina in 1927 and from 1932 to 1933, Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana from 1928 to 1931, Bishop College in Marshall, Texas from 1934 to 1935, and Samuel Huston College in Austin, Texas from 1936 to 1938.

Brice Union Taylor was born on July 4,1902, in Seattle, Washington.

Brice Taylor was a descendant of both African slaves and the Shawnee Indian chief Tecumseh.

Brice Taylor was the youngest of ten children of Cyrus Taylor, a bricklayer.

Orphaned at age 5, due to a fire in the family home, Brice Taylor was taken in and raised by the DiJulio family of Seattle.

Brice Taylor enrolled at the University of Southern California, where he became a member of the Omega fraternity and remained an active member throughout his life.

Brice Taylor started as a fullback on Gus Henderson's 1924 Trojan team.

Brice Taylor played all but four minutes of USC's eleven games that season, a school record that stood for decades.

Brice Taylor was named USC's first All American football player in 1925.

Brice Taylor was a sprinter, hurdler and relay runner on the USC track team that won the IC4A meet at the University of Pennsylvania.

Brice Taylor won the 100-yard dash with a 9.8 time, won the 220-yard high-hurdles and was the lead runner on the mile relay team that broke the world record that day.

Brice Taylor was selected for the US Olympic relay team for the Olympics held in Paris in 1924 but due to a sprained ankle, he was not able to compete.

In June 1927, Brice Taylor was hired as the head athletic coach at Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina.

Brice Taylor served as head coach for the Southern Jaguars football team from 1928 to 1931.

Brice Taylor led the Jaguars to their first undefeated season in 1931.

Brice Taylor later became a high school football coach and teacher at Jefferson High School in Los Angeles, California and an associate pastor at the First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles.

Brice Taylor died on September 18,1974, in Los Angeles, after having a stroke two weeks prior.

Brice Taylor was survived by his wife, Dora Jones Taylor and their three children; two sons, Cryus and Henry, and a daughter, Dora Ada.

Mr Brice Taylor was honored as Teacher of the Year by the City of Los Angeles in 1969 and received the University of Southern California General Alumni Association Service award in 1970.

Brice Taylor was inducted into the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995.

Every year, the Brice Taylor Award is given to a USC alumnus for outstanding civic service in their community.