Longhorns Wire is continuing the series of jersey numbers to match the days until the Texas kicks off the season. On Thursday we find ourselves remembering number 79.
Terry Tausch, Offensive Tackle (1978-81)
Tausch joined the Texas Longhorns team in 1978. During his time in Austin he would be named Consensus All-American in 1980-81. Football News also named him an All-American in 1979. Tausch would be inducted into the Texas Hall of Honor in 2001. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 1982 NFL Draft.
After playing for the Vikings from 1982-88, he joined the San Francisco 49ers in 1989. As a member of the Niners, Tausch won a Super Bowl ring before hanging up the cleats. Tausch passed away suddenly back in March of 2020. He was survived by his wife and two sons, who both played football at the collegiate level.
“I always remember Coach (Leon) Manley, who was a really tough offensive line coach, and everyone knew that Coach Manley respected Terry so much and just loved him,” Sampleton added. “He would never get on Terry. He got on everyone else, but Terry Tausch, and that’s just the kind of respect a lot of people had for Terry. He was an amazing player, and he played in the NFL and was an All-American at Texas, but I think the thing I remember most about Terry is his work ethic, how he treated everyone around him, and his ability to gain the respect of coaches, teammates and fans, alike. I saw that in him from the time I was in middle school through now. He was an amazing person, and I wish his family the best, along with all of his fans and supporters in New Braunfels.” – former teammate Lawrence Sampleton to TexasSports.com
Accomplishments:
- Two-time Consensus All-American (1980, 1981)
- Two-time All-Southwest Conference (1980, 1981)
- Second round pick in 1982 NFL Draft
- Super Bowl Champion
- Eight-year NFL career (90 games, 66 starts)
- Texas Hall of Honor inductee in 2001
Currently Matt Frost wears number 79.