Tag: Taaffe

ATLANTA – In the immediate aftermath of Texas’ 31-12 road victory over No. 10 Michigan, Longhorns’ cornerback Jahdae Barron was filled with emotion as he spoke about the win being for “the 512” – representing the area code of Austin, Texas.

Barron along with safeties Andrew Mukuba and Michael Taaffe have been a driving force for Texas’ defense, being able to fulfill a dream as Austin natives who are all able to suit up for their hometown program.

As the trio head into Wednesday’s Peach Bowl matchup with Arizona State (12 p.m, ESPN) looking to extend their collegiate careers together for another game, each player gave extended thoughts on what “the 512” means to them.

“What people don’t realize is going back to the Bam Performance days, we used to start and end every workout by saying 512,” Barron said of the trio who have trained with Austin native and former Colorado State and Green Bay Packers’ defensive back Bernard “Bam” Blake going back to their high school days.

“I would say it’s a brotherhood, there was a time when everyone was overlooking the 512 and then things just started clicking. Because Westlake and Lake Travis [High Schools] have always been hot but I’m saying that now more schools are getting love like LBJ, Connally and Manor,” Barron said.

Taaffe, a Westlake High product who unlike Barron and Mukuba was a walk-on to open his collegiate career, spoke about what the 512 means to him.

“That has a lot of meaning, because not a lot of people recruit the 512, not a lot of people bet on the 512 when it’s in the conversation of Texas High School Football, everyone talks about Dallas, they talk about South Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, North Shore, but they don’t talk about us,” Taaffe said.

“Westlake is kind of the exception, but they talk about us as well-coached and physical players, but they don’t instantly think about talent when they think about Austin and the 512. So just being able to get guys like Drew and myself and Jahdae is so cool because being honest with you, we always talked about this going back to our high school days.”

Mukuba, who spent his first three seasons with Clemson before transferring to Texas to play his final year with Taaffe, Barron and the Longhorns, spoke about wanting to create a legacy in his hometown with his childhood friends.

“When I think of 512, I think of honestly just Austin legends, that’s all I ever wanted to be, guys like Jahdae Barron, Michael Taaffe, those are the guys that come to mind when I think of 512,” Mukuba said.

Barron pointed to other Austin area greats as examples of players who have helped put the 512 on the map, along with the success that this year’s Texas team is having with the trio leading the way.

“We’ve always been hot, but things started clicking when Deuce Vaughn did his thing at Cedar Ridge and getting drafted, then Tahj [Brooks] doing amazing things, so everything is just clicking for the city right now,” Barron said.

“Myself, Taaffe and Drew, the three of us training together made this a reality out of nothing, I wasn’t supposed to be here, I signed with Baylor initially and then Drew going to Clemson and Taaffe as a walk-on. It’s hella guys in the City of Austin doing great things and that’s all we’ve wanted to do is put on for the city.”

After turning down scholarship offers from other programs to suit up for the Longhorns, Taaffe has round into one of the top safeties in the nation.

When asked why Central Texas high school football is overlooked, Taaffe gave extended thoughts while also jokingly expressing a desire that the trio could have played together when he was at Westlake.

“I think you’ve got all these four-and-five star guys in Dallas, in Houston, in East Texas and I don’t know if that’s because there’s not a lot of camps in Austin or whatnot,” Taaffe said.

“I wasn’t really big and all that recruiting stuff just because of my story as a walk-on, but when the pads come on, you got teams in Lake Travis, Westlake, Vandegrift, Dripping Springs, LBJ you have some many teams in the 512 and Central Texas that can play really good ball. Jahdae and Drew should have gotten over to Westlake so we could have balled out even more and really put the 512 on the map,” Taaffe said.

When made aware of Taaffe’s wish that the trio had played together for Westlake, Mukuba had his own alternate desire of how their high school days could have played out.

“Nah, I would say I wish they Jahdae and Taaffe would have come to LBJ to play,” Mukuba said while laughing at Taaffe’s suggestion.

As the three players are set to take on Arizona State, Taaffe was reflective when thinking about their journey and the fact that they get to take the field together as teammates for another playoff game.

“You know, for it to play out like this where we’re actually all playing really good ball as teammates is so cool, so 512, has definitely been put on the map, and we are definitely proud to be from the 512 and to represent the 512,” Taaffe said.