It is well known just how much Michael Taaffe cares about football and the team he represents. After Texas's loss to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff Semifinals last season, the Longhorns' safety was overwhelmed with emotion, and everyone got to see what this team meant to him.
Now, as one of the veteran leaders of the Horns, Taaffe has once again shown everyone why he is a special person, both on and off the field.
While attending the 2025 SEC Media Days, Taaffe wore a unique tie. It was burnt orange, which wasn't the intriguing part. The tie featured 31 sets of initials. Those initials belonged to the 31 victims of the recent flash flood in central Texas that destroyed Camp Mystic.
Texas S Michael Taaffe says the tie he wore today to SEC Media Days is a tribute to the Camp Mystic victims. Those are the initials of the campers, counselors and director who passed away in this month’s tragic flood. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/CRiy6pDTYZ
— Danny Davis (@_dannydavis) July 15, 2025
SEC Media Days are frequently a chance for players to show off their leadership skills, especially for players who have been sheltered from the media for a large part of their collegiate career, like Texas quarterback Arch Manning.
While Taaffe has frequently been the face of the Longhorns' squad, he still could have made this trip and the day about himself. Instead, he made sure that nobody had the chance to forget the tragedy that recently struck his home state of Texas.
Taaffe grew up just outside of Austin, TX, and attended Westlake High School (yes, the same one as Sam Ehlinger, Drew Brees, and many other football stars). Camp Mystic is just a three-hour drive from his home.
The young linebacker is the definition of selfless, making his final Media Day about others instead of himself. The Longhorns are beyond fortunate to call him a teammate, and head coach Steve Sarkisian is lucky to call him a leader.