Every month, the fellas over at Mercury Exteriors have sponsored a content piece that will shine light on a University of Texas athlete that might not have received the amount of credit that they deserve for their contributions in their respective sport.
We're calling it the Unsung Hero of the Month.
The October Unsung Hero of the Month is Junior Safety Michael Taaffe
*****
The Unsung Hero:
The phrase “Next man up” is commonly used for players to step up when the going gets tough and the team needs a spark. All it takes is one player to instill that mindset to change the outcome of a game. But what happens when a player instills that mindset for more than just one game? Well, then you get Michael Taaffe.
The former walk-on junior safety from Austin (TX) led the stout Texas defense through a number of high-intensity, marquee matchups this month and displayed an immense amount of leadership through it all both on and off the field. As a result, the guys at Mercury Exteriors chose him for the Unsung Hero of October.
Started from the bottom now we’re here:
Of course, we all know the ladder Michael Taaffe had to climb coming out of Westlake HS, and enrolling into the University of Texas. However, his leadership is what truly stands alongside his resiliency on and off the field.
After suffering their first loss of the season to the Georgia Bulldogs, concerns were starting to arise amongst the fans in Austin heading into week nine. However, Taaffe reflected on the loss in a very interesting way as well as the outlook of the remaining season.
If I could be like Mike:
This month we saw a number of Longhorns suffer setback injuries that held them out of games as well as more in the future. Safeties Derek Williams Jr. was reported as out for the remainder of the season and Andrew Mukuba was listed out against Vanderbilt, which means the phrase “Next man up” that was mentioned before would have to be emphasized going forward. Taaffe accepted the challenge with open arms.
Taaffe recorded his first sack of the season in the Red River Rivalry during the first quarter. In what most fans would agree was a slow start for the offense that day, Taaffe made sure the defense would hold their weight early, setting Oklahoma up for a 3rd and long.
Fast forward two weeks later and Michael Taaffe is having himself a day yet again. He became the only safety in the SEC last week to record a forced fumble, a pass breakup, and an interception all in one game earning him a top-five defensive grade amongst SEC safeties via Pro Football Focus.
Michael Taaffe posted an impressive stat line this past week against Vanderbilt:
- 1 Forced Fumble
- 1 INT
- 6 Tackles
- 3 Solo Tackles
Remember the name:
Michael Taaffe is having himself a season to remember being named Week nine’s SEC defensive player of the week following his career day at Vanderbilt and being named the Burlsworth Trophy Walk-On of the Week, which honors the most outstanding college football player in America who began his career as a walk-on.
In case you knew all that you could about Michael Taaffe just be sure to always give the junior his flowers for leading by example and establishing himself as a reliable piece on this elite defense, and one coaches like Sark and Blake Gideon can lean on to close the gap, after all, he did have a very high responsibility hosting a top HS recruit in his visit.
https://x.com/AnwarRichardson/status/1540014057910050821
Founded by proud UT graduates (Garner, B.S. Geology and Chris BBA and MBA from McCombs), Mercury Exteriors is dedicated to helping Texans improve their homes. Whether it is repairing damage caused by bad weather or upgrading the exterior of a home, Mercury is trusted by Longhorn fans across the state (disclaimer: we will also help Aggies, Red Raiders and Horned Frogs, as long as they behave themselves).
For a free estimate, please contact us at 512-729-ROOF (7663) or [EMAIL]info@mercuryexteriors.com[/EMAIL].
Last edited by a moderator:
