Every team has a heart, and for the Texas Longhorns, the heartbeat is represented by the jersey No.16. Michael Joseph Taaffe, the Austin kid who once dreamed of rushing out of DKR Stadium’s tunnel, is now one of Texas football’s most famous figures. Taaffe is a former walk-on who is now an All-American. He is the epitome of every coach’s ideal with his resilience and leadership.

“Every player would come back, and I’d say, ‘Hey, how’d it go? How was 7-on-7?'” Sarkisian said. “They always would bring up Michael Taaffe. ‘Taaffe got another interception today. Taaffe did this, did that.’ And I’m like, who? I knew him … but I didn’t really know him.”

Who are Michael Taaffe’s parents?

Behind the All-American safety lies a strong Austin-based family that keeps on pushing Michael despite the

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