Texas player honors flood victims at SEC Media Days

"Most of these girls were ... fighting for their lives," Taaffe told SEC Network on Tuesday. "Two of the initials on this tie are counselors ... that were going to attend the University of Texas next year and they had to turn from counselors ... to heroes and to saviors for 8-year-old girls."

Several communities in Texas saw devastating storms that delivered torrential rainfall, causing massive flooding which killed at least 132 people according to estimates from local officials.

Taaffe told reporters at SEC Media Days that he wanted to help rally the Texas community around those impacted by the floods, using football as his platform to reach the most people possible.

"I just wanted to share a light on something that's way more important than football," he said. "Because the game of football we always think is cool but this is way more important. This is talking about people's lives ... We've been praying continuously for those families and the community, and I want to help them any way I can."

And he has helped in more ways than just this one. Local burger chain P. Terry’s announced it was donating 100% of its profits from its 36 locations on July 10 to flood recovery efforts and victims. Taaffe showed up at one location to sign autographs and other memorabilia for fans and encourage fundraising.

That's the true mark of a sportsman and good human being. He's likely gained a lot of new fans nationwide for his humanitarian efforts.

Taaffe, a second-team All-American last year, will be looking to help lead the Longhorns back to the College Football Playoff in 2025 and improve upon the consecutive semifinal losses the team suffered in consecutive seasons (2023 and 2024).