Overcoming all odds
Adam Taliaferro comes back from a devastating injury to embark on a life of helping others
After a career-ending football injury playing for Penn State, Adam Taliaferro was told he would most likely never walk again.
Three months later, he walked out of Magee Rehabilitation Hospital in Philadelphia. That was 16 years ago, and since then, the Gloucester County resident and politician has embarked on a life of helping others.
“Personally, I have been blessed tremendously throughout life… When I got injured, that was the first time I realized that in order to get through tough times you need people that care and are willing to help,” Taliaferro said.
He had a strong family support system with his parents and brother, but his injury called for assistance beyond what they could provide. He found tremendous support through Penn State, Magee Rehab and the entire South Jersey community. The experience also opened his eyes to the fact that not everyone has access to the same kind of care.
“Some people aren’t fortunate to have that same kind of support,” Taliaferro said, “and we all need to do our part to give back to those who aren’t as fortunate as us.”
A year after his 2000 injury, Taliaferro started the Adam Taliaferro Foundation, conceived by his high school coach Larry Ginsburg, Dave Maxwell and Kathy Moscufo. The foundation provides financial and emotional support to individuals who have suffered life-altering spinal injuries. It was originally a charity to help those injured in sanctioned athletic events, but as the foundation grew, the focus changed to helping anyone who has sustained a catastrophic injury.
“We’ve been blessed to have a group of passionate people on the board that have made the foundation what it is today,” Taliaferro said. “Our board president Tom Iacovone, along with Gus Ostrum, have led our organization to places not even I imagined when we first started. I get praised due to the foundation’s work, but without the great people on our board — which is entirely voluntary — none of this work would be possible.”
Outside of his foundation, Taliaferro is also helping the community by another means — politics. He served on the Gloucester County Board of Chosen Freeholders from 2011–2015 and has served in the General Assembly since then.
“Nobody in politics accomplishes anything on their own,” Taliaferro said. “I feel like I sometimes oversimplify politics, but I truly believe it’s about being there to help people in need.”
He is grateful to have worked with great people on the Freeholder Board and now, at the state level, is honored to serve with Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assemblyman John Burzichelli.
“They both have accomplished a tremendous amount, and I look forward to working with our team to continue to represent our district’s interests in Trenton,” Taliaferro said. “Access to quality education and healthcare, along with supporting our agriculture community, are passions of mine and I will be focusing on those priorities with hopes of helping to find solutions to the issues we face in New Jersey.”
Gloucester County Living profiled Adam Taliaferro as part of its Men of Gloucester County 2016 series. For more information about the Adam Taliaferro Foundation, visit www.taliaferrofoundation.org.
