The team was ranked in the top 5 all season and had four All-Americans. Taylor was also named the Most Valuable Player of the 1971 Michigan football team that went undefeated in the regular season (but lost 13-12 to Stanford in the 1972 Rose Bowl game). During Taylor's years they had excellent offensive linemen such as Dan Dierdorf, Reggie McKenzie, and Jim Mandich. 'It was every kid's dream,' says Taylor, remembering what it was like to score the winning touchdown. Taylor ran around the end and into the end zone, and Michigan won to cap an undefeated regular season. In the last two minutes of the 1971 Michigan-Ohio State game, Michigan was trailing, 7-3, when Bo Schembechler called Taylor's number. He rushed for 1,297 yards in his senior season (1971) and was selected as the team MVP. He also set the school record in average rushing yards per game at 102 yards per game. He finished his U-M career second to Tom Harmon with 32 career touchdowns and 194 points. His 587 carries was also a school record at the time he graduated. His record was broken six years later by Rob Lytle. Taylor broke the Michigan career rushing record with 3,072 yards in three seasons. He was an All-Big Ten selection three times and a first team All- Big Ten selection two times (19). After graduating from high school, Taylor attended the University of Michigan where he became one of the most accomplished football players in school history.

His mother moved the family to Barberton, Ohio. Born in Hoxie, Arkansas, Taylor spent his early years in Memphis, Tennessee until his father's death in 1954 when Taylor was five years old.

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