Texas Longhorns' Michael Taaffe Makes Emotional Statement About Jake Ehlinger

Texas Longhorns safety Michael Taaffe delivered some emotional words about Jake Ehlinger after being the Texas A&M Aggies.

Zach Dimmitt | 5 Hours Ago

Nov 30, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian embraces defensive back Michael Taaffe (16) after the Longhorns' 17-7 victory in the Lone Star Showdown against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Sara Diggins/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images / Sara Diggins/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

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COLLEGE STATION -- Michael Taaffe fought back tears as he defended the name of Jake Ehlinger following Saturday's 17-7 win over the Texas A&M Aggies in College Station.

Ehlinger, a former Texas Longhorns linebacker who died of an "accidental drug overdose" in May 2021, became a topic of conversation Saturday morning after an unknown participant at ESPN's College GameDay held up a distasteful sign that mocked his death. The sign quickly went viral on social media and angered fans from both teams.

When speaking to the media after the game, Taaffe, who was close with Ehlinger, delivered an emotional statement about his late friend while calling out the person who created the sign.

"I feel sorry for the person that posted that sign," Taaffe said. "I feel sorry for him, because I don't know what he's going through or how much he's going through in life to think that was a good idea, to think that was okay, to think that was appropriate for anything. ... Second thing is, just so everybody knows out there, Jake Ehlinger didn't die because he overdosed. He got drugged. He got poisoned. He didn't die because he overdosed. So I want everybody to know that he was poisoned, and he loved this team so much, and I wish that he could be part of this, but he was drugged. He was not overdosed. He was not a drug addict by any means. So I want to make that very clear."

Taaffe admitted that seeing the sign got to him a bit, but he made sure to keep his emotions in check.

"I'd be lying to say that it didn't get to me a little bit," Taaffe said. "It took a lot out of me to not do anything out of emotion. I try to preach to myself to not do anything based off the emotions, because that's when you start making bad decisions. It's when your emotions take over. And so, took a lot out of me to hold it in. But, you know, it just made this game personal, even more personal, with everything on the line."

Taaffe was clearly playing motivated. He finished with three total tackles, a tackle for loss, a pass breakup, and an interception. He nearly had two picks after getting his hands on a pass that flew through his grasp in the middle of the field.

Taaffe and the Longhorns will now head to Atlanta to face the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship.