Taliaferro tapped for N.J. Assembly seat

Adam Taliaferro, known for his against-the-odds recovery after a spinal-cord injury as a Pennsylvania State University football player, has been selected to fill former New Jersey Assemblywoman Celeste Riley's seat, Democratic officials said Thursday.

Taliaferro, a Gloucester County freeholder, received endorsements from the Democratic committees in Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland Counties to fill the Third District seat.

"This opportunity arose, and for me, it was truly an exciting opportunity to really expand what we've been doing on the freeholder level, to bring it up to the state level," said Taliaferro, 33, of Woolwich.

First elected to Gloucester County's seven-member Board of Freeholders in 2011, Taliaferro won reelection in November. He plans to step down from the county post to take the Assembly seat, which will be up again in this year's election.

"Our loss is going to be the entire Third Legislative District's gain," Freeholder Director Robert Damminger said. "If you could choose what you wanted in a son, it would be Adam."

Taliaferro, who works in state government affairs for Bristol-Myers Squibb, an international biopharmaceutical company, said health care and education were two issues he would keep close to him.

"He's a straight-up, very honest, very stand-up guy," said Bob Balicki, chairman of the Cumberland County Democratic Committee. "He just doesn't let anything get in his way."

Riley (D., Cumberland) vacated her seat midway through her third elected term to become the Cumberland County clerk, a position she won in November's election.

Taliaferro was paralyzed in 2000 as a Penn State football player as he made a tackle during a game at Ohio State. He was told he might never walk again but regained the ability to do so months later.

An alumni-elected trustee at Penn State, Taliaferro earned his law degree from Rutgers University and worked as a lawyer. He also founded the Adam Taliaferro Foundation, a nonprofit that assists student athletes who experience catastrophic injuries.