Michael Taaffe Praises Texas Longhorns' Pete Kwiatkowski: 'The Leader We Need!'

Texas Longhorns junior safety Michael Taaffe said that Pete Kwiatkowski has been the voice of reason when things on the field seem daunting.

Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive back Michael Taaffe (16) celebrates with teammates against the Clemson Tigers during the CFP National playoff first round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Texas Longhorns secondary has been consistently rising to the occasion week in and week out, being the highest-rated scoring defense in the Southeastern Conference with just 13.29 points allowed through 14 games so far this season.

The Longhorns have been able to establish this dominance through playmakers such as senior defensive back and Jim Thorpe Award winner Jahdae Barron, and second-team AP All-Americans senior defensive lineman Alfred Collins, sophomore linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., and junior safety Michael Taaffe, to name a few. But arguably the most important key to the secondary's success is the man behind the wheel: defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski.

Prior to the team's appearance in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchup, Taaffe spoke with the media on Friday and revealed one of his favorite quotes that Kwiatkowski has embedded into their approach.

"Practice execution equals game reality," Taaffe said. "He says that one quite a lot. [It] kinda helps us practice like we should play every single week."

Kwiatkowski joined the Texas staff alongside head coach Steve Sarkisian back in 2021, and has since developed a valuable connection among some of the veteran players, like Taaffe, who have been with the program since he arrived.

Taaffe said that Kwiatkowski's nurturing and poised composure during stressful situations has been a key factor in the way that the defense handles itself, especially this season as the Longhorns took on an entirely new conference of opponents.

"PK, the type of guy he is, is he's so calm to where he can get on our tails if we're not doing what we need to do, but if things are freaking out, if they just completed a 50-yard bomb and it's a two-minute situation and we call a timeout and everybody's freaking out, 'Oh no, are they going to score and beat us,' PK is the one that's not freaking out," Taaffe said. "He's the one that's calming everybody down. He's the leader that we need. He's saying 'Alright, here we go, we're going to go [do] this next call, everybody just calm down and do your job, execute, let's get off the field, let's win this game.' He shows up in big games and calls the right calls and puts us in a great spot."

A former walk-on, Taaffe has certainly proved that Kwiatkowski's mentorship can sculpt a starting mentality. Taaffe currently has the second-most tackles on the season with 63, over half of them solo, and has five tackles for a loss of 24 yards, two sacks for a loss of 15 yards, and two interceptions.

Kwiatkowski and the rest of the Longhorns defense will have another challenge awaiting them as they face the Arizona State Sun Devils in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff in Atlanta, Georgia on Jan. 1 in hopes of making it one step closer to the national championship.

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