The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
No. 5/5 Football’s Taaffe nominated for Burlsworth Trophy
11.05.2024 | Football
The junior defensive back was nominated for the Burlsworth Trophy, which is presented annually to the most outstanding football player who began his career as a walk-on and has shown outstanding performance on the field.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas junior defensive back Michael Taaffe has been named a nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy, the Burlsworth Foundation announced Tuesday afternoon. The Burlsworth Trophy is given annually to the most outstanding football player who began his career as a walk-on and has shown outstanding performance on the field.
Taaffe was chosen as the Burlsworth Trophy's National Player of the Week on Oct. 29 and the Southeastern Conference's Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 28.
The Austin, Texas, native is a former walk-on and fourth-year defensive back for the Longhorns who has played in 35 career games with 18 starts. During his time on the Forty Acres, Taaffe has racked up 113 total tackles (61 solo), 5.5 tackles for loss, one sack, four interceptions, five pass break-ups, one forced fumble and one blocked punt.
Taaffe has sparked a Longhorn defense that leads the nation in several statistical categories through eight games this season. UT leads the nation in passing yards allowed (135.8 ypg), team passing efficiency defense (90.77) and total defense (241.3). The Horns also rank second nationally in scoring defense (11.5 ppg) and first down defense (113). Texas leads the SEC while ranking 11th nationally in interceptions with 12. Texas also sits seventh in the country in 3rd down conversion percentage defense (0.284).
Heading into this weekend's tussle with Florida, Taaffe has accumulated 39 total tackles (20 solo), 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, four pass break-ups, one quarterback hurry and one forced fumble. He ranks second on the team in pass break-ups and third in tackles. He's the only Longhorn to record an interception and a forced fumble in the same game this season after doing so in Texas' win at No. 25/25 Vanderbilt on Oct. 26, earning the Burlsworth's Trophy National Player of the Week and the SEC's Co-Defensive Player of the Week. Taaffe forced two turnovers to go along with six tackles and a pass breakup against the Commodores. Taaffe led a Longhorn defense that held Vanderbilt to just 269 total yards, including 155 passing and 114 rushing. The Commodores didn't have a drive longer than 43 yards until their last one of the game and two of their three touchdowns came following Texas turnovers inside the 40-yard line. In the 34-3 win vs. No. 18/16 Oklahoma on Oct. 12, Taaffe logged a three-tackle effort and corralled a momentum-changing sack for a loss of 13 yards in the second quarter. In a primetime conference matchup vs. No. 5/4 Georgia on Oct. 19, Taaffe dazzled with a career-high nine tackles (seven solo) and a pass break-up.
The Burlsworth Trophy Award Show will honor the three finalists and announce the 2024 winner on Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. CT at Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Ark.
Taaffe and No. 5/5 Texas host the Florida Gators at 11 a.m. CT Saturday, Nov. 9, inside Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The game will broadcast on ABC with Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Jesse Palmer (analyst) and Katie George (sideline) on the call.
