DIPRIMIO COLUMN – George Taliaferro and the Best of Cream & Crimson Athletics
10/13/2018 9:13:00 PM | Football
By: Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Memorial Stadium's bigger-than-life U.S. flag rippled at half-mast and Delroy Baker raised the jersey toward it for all to see.
And so they did.
Baker, a 6-6 and 316-pound mountain of an offensive lineman, was set to make his first start of the season, and fifth of his career Saturday against Iowa. But first the fifth-year senior had to make a statement that reflected the best of Cream & Crimson athletics past and present.
It was a simple gesture in an impromptu moment -- waving that No. 44 jersey -- that had nothing to do about football, and everything about a life well lived.
George Taliaferro deserved it – for the racism the former IU football All-American faced down, the adversity he overcame, the inspiration he provided, and so much more.
Baker showcased that No. 44 jersey, Taliaferro's old number, to honor the Hoosier legend who had passed away a few days earlier at age 91. He reflected on Taliaferro's message, delivered three years earlier, that will resonate with him forever.
"He said, don't give up on what you set your mind to," Baker said. "Nothing is impossible if you have the will and heart."
Some people go through life and change little. Others, such as Taliaferro, change everything.
In an era of rampant bigotry and stereotypes, Taliaferro refused turn-the-other-cheek acceptance. He did unto others as they did unto him, and sometimes a bit more. He lived with honor, broke barriers and created opportunity for others long after his playing days ended.
"I had my pick of colleges," Baker said. "He didn't. It was a point in time that if he hadn't gone through everything, with all the stones cast and words said, then I wouldn't be able to be here. It was very inspiring."
At first senior safety Jonathan Crawford was going to run out with the jersey, but passed it on to his older -- and bigger -- teammate.
"I had no problem doing it," Baker said. "I felt it was a big moment because of how much (Taliaferro) meant to the university, and pretty much the world."
Baker said he first met Taliaferro when he spoke to the team Baker's sophomore season.
"When he talked to the team, it was about the entirety of how he came to the university and what was going on at the time. What stuck out to me was he was such a trailblazer. He didn't get deterred. That meant a lot to me. I came from Florida. It's a long way from home and sometimes I'd get deterred.
"Then I'd think, that was petty of me. I don't have to worry about the serious things he had to worry about, like getting killed. The fact he was so strong in his approach. He knew how to go about it the right way. It was very impactful."
It was so impactful, in fact, that after Taliaferro's death, Baker tweeted, "RIP GT had such an awesome story! Blessed to have made his acquaintance."
"The first thing I did when I woke up and heard that he had passed," Baker said, "that I had to tweet out. It was tough."
Taliaferro was a do-it-all player, leading IU in rushing twice and passing once. He led the Big Ten in rushing in 1945, with 719 yards, when the Hoosiers went 9-0-1 and won the conference championship. He earned All-America honors three times and, in 1981, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
In 1948, he became the first African-American player to be drafted by an NFL team (the Chicago Bears selected him in the 13th round, although he never played for them) and later became the first to play quarterback. He went on to make All-Pro three times. He rushed for 2,266 yards, threw for 1,633 yards, caught passes for 1,300 yards and totaled 37 professional touchdowns.
But those are just numbers.
"I'm so impressed by the kind of man he was," IU coach Tom Allen said.
Taliaferro's success was due, in a lot of ways, to a love story.
He fell early, and hard, and endured rejection he never faced on a football field.
Viola Virginia Jones wasn't a love-struck fool, you see. She made Taliaferro earn his marriage, turning down his first proposal (she was just 17 and in no mood to settle down), waiting four years to accept his second, then breaking off the engagement after a fight before finally saying, "I do."
She later had a career as impressive as her husband's as a long-time Monroe County judge. Their 67-year marriage produced four daughters – Linda, Renee, Donna and Terri.
IU honored Taliaferro with a pre-game video, a moment of silence, lowering all university flags to half-staff, replacing the traditional helmet logo with No. 44, and putting Taliaferro's photo on the cover of the game program along with a pair of game-program stories about him. Redshirt freshman linebacker Thomas Allen, the son of the Hoosier coach, switched his number from 44 to 10, then had the first interception of his college career.
For the younger Allen, not wearing No. 44 was a no-brainer.
"I asked dad if I could not wear it for this game. When you think of everything he's done for this university and the NFL, it's amazing.
"With everything he went through, the least I could do was not wear his number."
During last week's Big Ten Teleconference, Tom Allen spoke to Taliaferro's impact.
"He was just such a classy person. Unfortunately, I didn't get to know him as well as I wish I would have. But everything I know…and I did have a chance to meet him a few times, and he just exuded class and grace. And everything that he went through.
"What he means to our program is hard to even put into words because to be able to break the barriers that he broke through as a player at that time of our country's history was an unbelievable thing. He did it with such grace, and such courage, and he just embodied everything we want in our program. We want toughness, we want confidence, we want guys who know what you believe and why you believe it and are willing to stand up for those convictions, and that's what he did. That's how he lived his life, and he did it in a way that was so respectful, and he had a reason to maybe not be that way with how he was treated, but he chose not to. And with love and caring about people, that's what sticks out to me. On top of that, he was a phenomenal athlete that did great things on and off the field. So a pretty special man."
Special enough that, even on a day when IU lost 42-16 to Iowa in Homecoming misery, the best of Cream & Crimson athletics shown through for all to see.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Memorial Stadium's bigger-than-life U.S. flag rippled at half-mast and Delroy Baker raised the jersey toward it for all to see.
And so they did.
Baker, a 6-6 and 316-pound mountain of an offensive lineman, was set to make his first start of the season, and fifth of his career Saturday against Iowa. But first the fifth-year senior had to make a statement that reflected the best of Cream & Crimson athletics past and present.
It was a simple gesture in an impromptu moment -- waving that No. 44 jersey -- that had nothing to do about football, and everything about a life well lived.
George Taliaferro deserved it – for the racism the former IU football All-American faced down, the adversity he overcame, the inspiration he provided, and so much more.
Baker showcased that No. 44 jersey, Taliaferro's old number, to honor the Hoosier legend who had passed away a few days earlier at age 91. He reflected on Taliaferro's message, delivered three years earlier, that will resonate with him forever.
"He said, don't give up on what you set your mind to," Baker said. "Nothing is impossible if you have the will and heart."
Some people go through life and change little. Others, such as Taliaferro, change everything.
In an era of rampant bigotry and stereotypes, Taliaferro refused turn-the-other-cheek acceptance. He did unto others as they did unto him, and sometimes a bit more. He lived with honor, broke barriers and created opportunity for others long after his playing days ended.
"I had my pick of colleges," Baker said. "He didn't. It was a point in time that if he hadn't gone through everything, with all the stones cast and words said, then I wouldn't be able to be here. It was very inspiring."
At first senior safety Jonathan Crawford was going to run out with the jersey, but passed it on to his older -- and bigger -- teammate.
"I had no problem doing it," Baker said. "I felt it was a big moment because of how much (Taliaferro) meant to the university, and pretty much the world."
Baker said he first met Taliaferro when he spoke to the team Baker's sophomore season.
"When he talked to the team, it was about the entirety of how he came to the university and what was going on at the time. What stuck out to me was he was such a trailblazer. He didn't get deterred. That meant a lot to me. I came from Florida. It's a long way from home and sometimes I'd get deterred.
"Then I'd think, that was petty of me. I don't have to worry about the serious things he had to worry about, like getting killed. The fact he was so strong in his approach. He knew how to go about it the right way. It was very impactful."
It was so impactful, in fact, that after Taliaferro's death, Baker tweeted, "RIP GT had such an awesome story! Blessed to have made his acquaintance."
RIP GT had such an awesome story! Blessed to have made his acquaintance ???? #Legend https://t.co/UMnChSuWGc
— Delroy Baker Jr. (@BigBake_71) October 9, 2018
"The first thing I did when I woke up and heard that he had passed," Baker said, "that I had to tweet out. It was tough."
Taliaferro was a do-it-all player, leading IU in rushing twice and passing once. He led the Big Ten in rushing in 1945, with 719 yards, when the Hoosiers went 9-0-1 and won the conference championship. He earned All-America honors three times and, in 1981, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
In 1948, he became the first African-American player to be drafted by an NFL team (the Chicago Bears selected him in the 13th round, although he never played for them) and later became the first to play quarterback. He went on to make All-Pro three times. He rushed for 2,266 yards, threw for 1,633 yards, caught passes for 1,300 yards and totaled 37 professional touchdowns.
But those are just numbers.
"I'm so impressed by the kind of man he was," IU coach Tom Allen said.
Taliaferro's success was due, in a lot of ways, to a love story.
He fell early, and hard, and endured rejection he never faced on a football field.
Viola Virginia Jones wasn't a love-struck fool, you see. She made Taliaferro earn his marriage, turning down his first proposal (she was just 17 and in no mood to settle down), waiting four years to accept his second, then breaking off the engagement after a fight before finally saying, "I do."
She later had a career as impressive as her husband's as a long-time Monroe County judge. Their 67-year marriage produced four daughters – Linda, Renee, Donna and Terri.
IU honored Taliaferro with a pre-game video, a moment of silence, lowering all university flags to half-staff, replacing the traditional helmet logo with No. 44, and putting Taliaferro's photo on the cover of the game program along with a pair of game-program stories about him. Redshirt freshman linebacker Thomas Allen, the son of the Hoosier coach, switched his number from 44 to 10, then had the first interception of his college career.
For the younger Allen, not wearing No. 44 was a no-brainer.
"I asked dad if I could not wear it for this game. When you think of everything he's done for this university and the NFL, it's amazing.
"With everything he went through, the least I could do was not wear his number."
During last week's Big Ten Teleconference, Tom Allen spoke to Taliaferro's impact.
"He was just such a classy person. Unfortunately, I didn't get to know him as well as I wish I would have. But everything I know…and I did have a chance to meet him a few times, and he just exuded class and grace. And everything that he went through.
"What he means to our program is hard to even put into words because to be able to break the barriers that he broke through as a player at that time of our country's history was an unbelievable thing. He did it with such grace, and such courage, and he just embodied everything we want in our program. We want toughness, we want confidence, we want guys who know what you believe and why you believe it and are willing to stand up for those convictions, and that's what he did. That's how he lived his life, and he did it in a way that was so respectful, and he had a reason to maybe not be that way with how he was treated, but he chose not to. And with love and caring about people, that's what sticks out to me. On top of that, he was a phenomenal athlete that did great things on and off the field. So a pretty special man."
Special enough that, even on a day when IU lost 42-16 to Iowa in Homecoming misery, the best of Cream & Crimson athletics shown through for all to see.
?? Remembering George Taliaferro https://t.co/2upFJNitJ6
— Indiana Football (@IndianaFootball) October 9, 2018
Players Mentioned
FB: Inside IU Football with Curt Cignetti - Week 4 (Illinois)
Thursday, September 18
FB: Under the Hood with Indiana Football - Week 4 (Illinois)
Wednesday, September 17
FB: Mikail Kamara Media Availability (9/16/25)
Tuesday, September 16
FB: Kellan Wyatt Media Availability (9/16/25)
Tuesday, September 16