George Taliaferro was born 8 January 1927 in Gates, Tennessee and died 8 October 2018 in Bloomington, Indiana. He moved at a young age with his family to Gary, Indiana, where he attended Gary Roosevelt High School. Taliaferro came to Indiana University where he was an All-American football player. After college he became the first African American player drafted by the National Football League. Later, he worked for Indiana University as an administrator. During his lifetime, he was an outspoken advocate for equal rights.