Flint Northern, 1976
2025 Greater Flint African American Sports Hall of Fame Inductee
Category: Track & Field
Edward “Ed” Taylor was one of the fastest track runners to emerge from Flint Northern High School. He excelled in track, running both the 110-yard-high hurdles and the 220-yard low hurdles. Ed was named All-State in the 110-yard-high hurdles and was a member of the 1976 State Championship Track & Field team under the direction of coach Norb Bader.
In 1976, Edward earned All-Valley, All-City and All-State honors, and was a regional champion in both the High and Low Hurdles. He placed 2nd in the entire state in 110-yard-high hurdles with a time of 14.2 seconds and 2nd in the state meet with a time of 14.2 seconds in the 120-yard-high hurdles. He ran at track at Flint Northern for three years and was a varsity letter winner in his last two years before graduating in 1976. Ed then continued his academic and athletic journey at Eastern Michigan University.
As a member of the EMU Track & Field team, he earned a varsity letter in his freshman year. Ed accomplished this feat by earning 49.5 points during track and field events throughout the season, which placed him ninth out of 55 team members. In 1977, he was the anchor leg in the 440-meter shuttle hurdle relay team that broke an Eastern Michigan school record. In 1978, he was the lead off leg on the EMU 240-yard shuttle hurdle relay team that set a new EMU, Michigan collegiate and world record with a time of 28.64 seconds.
As of 2025, Ed still ranks in the top 12 on the Eastern Michigan all-time list in the 55-meter-high hurdles event with a time of 7.44 seconds and in the 60-meter-high hurdles event with a time of 7.94 seconds. Ed graduated from EMU with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in guidance and counseling.
Ed has spent a lifetime serving the public and making sure people in his community have a better quality of life. Ed also became the co-head coach for Flint Hamady’s varsity girls track & field team.
Edward Taylor, you are the true definition of being “Flint Strong!” You have made Flint proud, welcome to the Greater Flint African American Sports Hall of Fame!
