The Sam Acho Podcast

Sam Acho: Welcome to the Sam Acho
Podcast, where we talk about faith,

family, football, and finances.

We go first.

We give space and we grow hope.

And today, as usual, we have
a very, very special guest.

Clif Marshall: Today, Sam, we have
Michael Taf, a college football

player from the Texas Longhorn.

Michael attended Westlake
High School in Austin, Texas.

He played cornerback and
wide receiver in high school.

He helped lead Westlake to back to
back state championship titles, and on

November 5th, 2020, TAF committed to rice.

However, he was also offered a
walk on spot at Texas and decided

to accept the Longhorns offer.

After proving his worth, Michael
was granted a full scholarship.

By Texas head coach Steve Kian in 2022.

During tap, during TAFs, uh, 2022
season, he earned AP All American Honors.

This season, he has considered one
of the top safeties in the country

and a projected NFL draft pick.

So Michael, welcome to
the Sam Acho podcast.

Michael Taaffe: Yeah.

Thanks for having me on, guys.

I really appreciate it.

Sam Acho: No, we're
glad to be on with you.

And, uh, one thing we do, we talk about
adversity, but we also talk about joy.

And the first question I have,
Michael, is what coach in your career,

collegiately high school, peewee,
has impacted you the most and why?

Michael Taaffe: Yeah, that's a, that's a
tough question just because every coach.

In my journey and my steps, um, chasing,
you know, perfection on the football field

and knowing that I'll never achieve that.

Um, but helping me try to chase that
perfection has, has made an impact.

Um, the first two people
I would mention is my, uh.

DB's coach at Westlake and my defense
coordinator, um, uh, coach Jones and

Coach Salazar, just everything that
they did, like, they were always

demanding perfection outta you.

And, um, they got all that
little kid talk outta you.

You know, when you know, they tell
you to keep your eyes on your man

and you want to go try to look at the
quarterback when your guy's running a

double move and you're like, no coach.

I know what to do.

And he's grabs your helmet and he looks
at you straight in the eyes and he's like.

No, you listen to me, you
respect, um, people that are

trying to coach you and lead you.

And that's kinda what, what made me
who I am now today, um, going into

my next steps, but also Coach Gideon.

Um, he was a long time, you know, great
Longhorn player here, um, but also just

a great coach for me the last four years.

Uh, he just got a job as a DC at Georgia
Tech, so I won't be with him this

year, but I got a good coach coming in.

That's a legend in the 40 acres.

But, uh, but yeah, coach Gideon just
taught me everything, how to be a

man before, how to be a good football
player and, um, you don't see a lot

of that and this day and age in D one
football, so couldn't thank him enough.

Clif Marshall: Michael, you were a
walk-on to start your career at Texas.

I mean, as a matter of fact,
you passed up a full athletic

scholarship to Rice to be a walk-on.

Why did you bet on yourself?

Michael Taaffe: That's a good question.

That's a question I ask myself every day.

Um, you know, I think just the
motivation, and Sam definitely can

hit on this, but the motivation that
you have when you put on that burnt

orange, it's just a, I can't explain it.

It's a sense of pride that nobody
else in the country gets to wear that

certain particular burnt orange color.

Um, and you represent so much.

Greater than yourself.

You represent the great state of Texas.

You represent, um, the pride of being
a fifth generation Longhorn and myself.

Um, you just represent so much more
than yourself and, um, we weren't,

everybody knows we weren't in a
great spot as a university, as a,

as a team on the football team,
uh, when I joined the, the squad.

And so.

My mission was to try to get Texas
back to where it always belongs.

And that's the top of the pedestal,
that's national Championship

talk every single year.

And um, so when I was going, I was
like, nothing's about me right now.

I'm working for such a greater purpose.

And, and it pushed me.

Sam Acho: Hmm.

Michael, it's interesting, so I, I, you
talked about Coach Gideon, I played with,

with Blake Gideon for three years, and
I know you went a couple of those years.

One of those years we went
to a national championship.

Blake actually had an interception
in the national championship game.

You talk about going to Texas
and having it go back to the top.

I played for Mac Brown and he always
said that it's a 40 year decision.

Not a four year decision why?

Or not even why, but what has been
the impact that the University

of Texas has had on you during
your time at the university?

Michael Taaffe: Man being able to, to.

Have conversations like this.

Um, I'm so blessed to be in a room
sitting with Cliff Marshall and Sam Acho.

Um, and I don't think, to be honest,
I don't think I would've had that

opportunity if I went elsewhere.

Um, but the platform that Texas
offers is just so incredible.

Um, and, and having these conversations,
having conversations with CEOs of really.

Um, insane businesses that I would never
think I would have an opportunity to do.

And all they want to talk about
is football and, and yourself.

And I'm like, guys, I
wanna talk about y'all.

I wanna learn about what y'all do.

Y'all have, you know, y'all
have the game of life.

Y'all have crushed it.

Um, and so everything that,
uh, Texas offers networking

wise has been such an impact.

But also on the field, I think the
brotherhood that I've, um, that I've made.

With all my, my teammates
from year one to year five.

It's so cool.

And, uh, y'all both know this, but how do
you get a team from all over the country,

from all over different backgrounds?

I, I grew up in a two family household
and a lot of the guys on my, on my

defensive back squad, they didn't
have a father or mother growing up.

It's like, how do y'all become friends?

And that's through football, that's
through faith, that's through communion.

And um, it's so cool.

And I wouldn't get that
opportunity if I wasn't at Texas.

Clif Marshall: You mentioned your faith.

I just wanna know how does
your faith play into your life?

Not only as a football
player, but just as a person.

Michael Taaffe: Yeah, it's everything.

Um, as a person, first
it reminds me who's my.

Everything, who's my identity?

Um, because a lot of times y'all both
know this, a lot of times being in

the football platform, everybody tells
you how great you are or everybody

tells you how terrible you are.

Um, and lucky enough, I was a All
American last year, so right now

everybody's telling me how good I am,
how they can't wait to see me on the

field, this, this, this, this, this.

But God's telling me, Hey, no, I'm on top.

And you should serve me.

And that helps me be a, a family
man first, because now I'm not

expecting people to tell me,
Hey, you're so good at this.

You're so good at this.

I'm like.

No, I'm just as broken as
every single one of y'all.

Uh, and, and my faith is the only
reason that I have that, that

approach on the football field.

Um, I think, Sam, you probably could
attest this more, you know, just being

in that national championship talk and,
and not finishing the mission, but it's.

It's the number one thing that keeps
me going when everybody on Twitter is

saying that you're not good enough.

You shouldn't be on the
field, you're a walk-on.

Um, and it just helps me keep
going to know that no matter what

people are saying, God knows my
ultimate plan and everything that

I do, I'm gonna give him the glory.

Sam Acho: Hmm.

How does it help you?

Like how, because I'm,
there's people listening.

It's like, man, that sounds awesome,
but man, they, they probably

struggle with the same thing.

How does your faith help
you keep the main thing?

The main thing?

Michael Taaffe: Yeah.

Uh, it's tough.

It's, it's, it's a.

Ongoing battle every single day.

Um, but knowing that what it says in the
word that nothing on this earth is gonna

matter in, in eternal life, um, nothing
on this earth is, you know, permanent.

It's all temporary.

Um, and so I can be a really, really
good football player, um, but.

The end of the day all that's gonna happen
is I'm gonna be in the record books.

Maybe some people will remember
me, maybe some people won't.

Um, and that's, that's okay.

That's, I know that because of my faith
and how it helps me is I go every single

day knowing that, like I said earlier,
I'm gonna try to chase perfection.

I know that I'm not gonna get
it because God and Jesus is the

only one that has walked on this
earth and lived a perfect life.

Clif Marshall: a great word, Michael.

Um, on this podcast, we like for
our guests to share kind of their

testimony or in other words, a test
that they've been through in life that

has become their testimony because
I believe that pain has purpose.

And God doesn't cause pain, but he
can use pain to draw us closer to him.

Can you describe, uh, for our listeners
the greatest adversity that you've had

in your life and how at the end of that
it's really helped you as a person?

Michael Taaffe: Yeah, for sure.

Um, adversity's, the, the number one thing
in, in my life, I think, um, just starting

on the football field, uh, before, not
a lot of people know this, but before.

The whole walk on and had to make
it from the bottom to the top.

Uh, in high school I was placed on
the freshman B team my first year and

I, you know, my goal was to go D one.

And so that was the worst
team you could be on.

And then my sophomore year I
was placed on the JV B team.

So, not varsity, not JBA, but JVB.

And I'm sitting here still only
thinking about my goals, not

thinking about what's in front of me.

I'm, all I'm thinking about is my goals.

And I'm like, if you wanna go D one
football, uh, how are you gonna go play

D one if you can't even beat out varsity
or JBA team guys on your own team?

Um, and this is such a small community
compared to what the nation, you

know, is, is competing against.

And so for me it was, it was tough to
climb from JVB team to, to varsity, to

state championship, to now, um, being a,
a guy on the University of Texas roster.

But I think it was, it goes back to
my faith and what I believed in and,

um, how I approached the game of life.

Um, so it taught me a, a ton.

It taught me that.

Nothing that you do in this
life is, is worthwhile.

Everything that you can
dream of you can accomplish.

Um, and anything that I was
exposed to in my life is everything

that I want to accomplish.

Um, and so all those dreams I think
are attainable and that's how I live

my life because of my adversity.

Um, on the flip side, uh.

Life.

Two of my best friends
passed away, uh, in 67 days.

So Jackson Coker, he's the reason why I
wear, uh, number 16 on the football field.

And then Jake Gallinger was poisoned,
uh, of fentanyl and got laced.

Um.

When he was just taking a, a
pill that he takes every single

night to, to go to sleep.

And so for me, uh, to answer your
question, to be, to be honest, I don't

know the good that has come outta that.

Uh, and that's something that
I struggle with every day in

my faith is like, I don't know.

I, I still don't know.

And I try to go back in the word and
it gives me comfort and it makes me

understand that it's not my plan.

My perfect plan doesn't exist.

It's God's perfect plan.

But that's something that, um.

The good that's come outta that
individually for me is knowing that

when I step on that field, I've got 16
and 48 with me every step of the way.

And you don't want to touch the
line, you wanna go be selfish.

They're the first ones, not my teammates.

They're the first ones telling
me in my head, Hey dude,

go back and run full speed.

You didn't.

You BS that rep.

And that's really cool to know that
I got angels looking down on me.

Sam Acho: Hmm.

Clif Marshall: Wow.

Sam Acho: Michael, you, we
recently saw each other at at

SEC Media Day and two things.

Number one, you had a
clean looking suit on.

You also had this burnt orange
tie with initials on the tie.

My first question is, what was
the meaning behind that tie?

Michael Taaffe: Yeah.

Um, everybody knows what happened
in the, the Texas flooding.

Um, so one of those camps was Camp
Mystic an all girl faith-based camp.

Um.

In 27, uh, 27 people died.

26 girls one Um, camp director,
he was a, a Texas fan.

He had season tickets on the 50 yard
line, uh, for all, all, all home games.

Um, and he was the camp director.

His name was Dick Eastland, but.

You know, there was two counselors
that should be recognized as

heroes that, that passed away.

Two girls that were actually going to
attend the University of Texas next year.

Um, so they were getting ready.

They were, I already had
their, their dorm picked out.

They were going through Rush.

Um, and for them, all they
wanted to do was go serve.

Go serve Christ and be
a, a leader in this.

Can't miss a community.

Um.

And they woke up and they turned
from having to be counselors to

having to be heroes and saviors.

Um, and so I wanted to remember them.

Now, the other, uh, let's see,
24, 25, uh, initials on that, on

that tie, were 8-year-old girls.

Um.

Sam Acho: Mm

Michael Taaffe: That man, they thought
the worst thing that would happen to them

in the, at this camp, uh, was maybe I,
you know, hit my knee, uh, on the ground

and I, I scraped my knee and I gotta
go see the nurse to get a bandaid, but

they woke up at 4:00 AM eight years old.

Um, I don't know what I was doing
at eight, but not, not thinking

about having to, to save my life.

And they had to go try to
fight for their life and.

That is so much more important than
football, than SEC than anything

that we do on our platform.

And I wanted to show the
country, um, that those girls

should be remembered as heroes,

Sam Acho: Hmm.

Well thank you for sharing.

Another question you mentioned
earlier about Jake Inger,

um, and not understanding why

Michael Taaffe: right?

Sam Acho: recently you were, uh, nominated
for the Allstate A FCA War Full Trophy

and the Allstate a FCA Good Works team.

Part of the reason, I believe is
because of some of the work you're

doing with Fentanyl awareness.

What have you done in
response to the tragedy?

With Jake.

Michael Taaffe: Yeah, ever since
it's happened, everything that I've

done has tried to be action oriented.

Um, I've tried to do everything that
I can to spread the awareness because

it's a, it's an interesting, um.

Thing that's going on in, in our lives
where people are, are taking these pills

that they think are safe or are doing
these drugs that, you know, they're just

trying to have fun and, and no, I don't,
I don't condone drugs, but I know that

people are human beings and they mess up.

And the worst thing that they think is,
oh man, maybe this, you know, will, will

make me not feel good in the morning.

Um, but they, they end up not waking up.

Um, and it's because
people poison the drugs.

And so it's so relevant in my
day-to-day life with all my buddies,

you know, that are in that atmosphere.

And so everything that I want to do
is try to spread awareness so that

nobody else has to answer a phone
call and say, Hey, your son, your

brother, your friend didn't wake up.

Clif Marshall: Michael, I wanted
to ask you, um, Sam and I, we talk

often about Proverbs 27 17 and
that says, as iron sharpens iron.

So one man sharpens another who is
in your inner circle, um, at Texas.

How do you grow in your faith every day?

Is it a, a, a teammate or is it a group of
teammates that lead a Bible study together

or a church service that you go to?

How do you grow in your faith
amongst your teammates at Texas?

Michael Taaffe: Yeah,
that's a great question.

Um, so we just recently started a player
led Bible study, um, and me and Trevor

Goby, he's a o lineman, left tackle.

Um.

We've really jumped on it and
tried to start it ourselves.

And it's been so cool the turnout that
all of our players and our teammates

have wanted to join, have asked to join,
um, have just showed up and listened.

Um, and we, we start it every single
day as, Hey, we're not perfect.

Um, we're gonna fail.

And that's all right.

We're, we're in this together.

We're trying to figure
out how to, how to get.

To where we're all going.

Um, how to, how to live a life, how
to walk in the light of the Lord.

Um, and so we started like that.

And we also started with
no matter who you are.

What you've done, who you say you are,
or, um, what people say about you.

I hope this is a place where you can just
come rest, rest in God's word, rest in

God's love and his mercy, um, because
that's who he is as a father for us.

And then we talk about
everything that's on our mind.

Um, why did I miss this
tackle to, to lose the game?

Why did I throw this interception?

Why did I drop this pass?

Why is everything good going in my life?

Why does it feel like, you know, we're.

We're ranked number one when
we haven't earned it yet.

Everything that, you know,
football players have to

go through time management.

We, we talk about it and we hit on it.

Sam Acho: Talk about the Bible study.

What is your life verse?

Michael Taaffe: Yeah.

Um, that's a great question.

I want, I want to hear from
y'all, um, after I, I answer,

but mine's collation 3 23.

Um, and it goes something
like work hardily.

For God and not for man because
God gives you the inheritance.

Um, and actually Jake's mom was the
first person to share that to me.

Yeah.

So we're going to our first.

Yeah, first fall camp.

And she sent it to me and she said,
Hey, Mookie, uh, that's my nickname.

Um, she said, Hey, Mookie, if, if
you live your life like this verse, I

guarantee you good's gonna come out of it.

Um, and she always says, I love
you, like, like my own son.

And, um, go get 'em.

So it's, it's an awesome verse.

I try to live by every day.

Sam Acho: That's so good.

We gotta share ours before we share ours.

How'd you get the nickname, Mookie?

How'd you, where did Mookie come?

Michael Taaffe: Yeah, it's pretty funny.

So, uh, another coach that
totally impacted my life was Coach

Dodge, my head coach at Westlake.

He was a famous Texas, uh,
Texas high, high school coach.

But so Mookie was always
my nickname growing up.

Um, my dad came up with it and
so the Ehlingers were uh, like

our best family friends and
Coach Dodge hadn't known it yet.

Um, but we were sitting at the
Sugar Bowl watching Sam play

Sam Ehlinger um, play Georgia.

I think that was 2019 Sugar Bowl.

And it was our family, the
Ehlingers and Coach Dodge.

And we were just eating at a place before
the game, and Miss Ellinger was like, Hey,

Mookie, can you pass me the, the ketchup
or the salt and pepper or something?

And Coach Dodge was like, Mookie.

Like, what's that?

And we explained it to
him and he loved it.

And so ever since, uh, that, like,
he would go on radio, um, shows, he

would go, every little news article,
he would say, Mookie, Mookie, Mookie.

And he wouldn't call me Michael.

He would just call me Mookie.

And, uh, coach Dodge is such a
family oriented guy that, um, it

got to Texas and Coach Sark got a
hold of it and Coach Gideon and the

radio, uh, host got a hold of it.

And so it's just gone from there.

Sam Acho: Hmm.

That's so good.

Uh, well, I'm gonna share my life,
life verse and then Cliff's gonna

share his, and, uh, we have a
segment we call the CliffNotes.

And so usually when we end the show,
we love to share some CliffNotes

that we heard and learned from you.

And so I'll start with my
life verse, my life verse.

You said yours was.

I think Colossians 3 23
minus Romans four 20 to 22.

And it says, um, for he did not
waver at the promise of God through

unbelief, but he strengthened his faith.

He gave glory to God and he was fully
convinced that what God had promised he

was also able to perform and therefore
it was accounted to him as righteousness.

verse is talking about Abraham
not wavering at at God's promise.

And so for me, that verse
has meant everything to me.

Whether I was in high school, I went
to a small high school in Dallas, I

had 80 or 90 people in my graduating
class from going from there to Texas

and not knowing if I'd make it or not,
and then all of a sudden getting to

Texas and getting a chance to play.

And then the dreams of the NFL and the
dreams of being a husband and a father.

It's like there's so many times of doubt,
but it's like, nah, he didn't waver.

And so for me, Romans four
20 to 22 is my life verse.

Cliff, what is your.

Clif Marshall: Great question, Sam.

I was in the NFL Michael
when I was 23 years old as a

strength and conditioning coach.

Probably the youngest coach
in the NFL, but I was also a.

Very young believer, and I'll never
forget one of the Bengals players that I

was training in the weight room one day
said, cliff, what is your life verse?

And I didn't have one.

I knew a few verses, but I didn't
necessarily have a life verse.

So I began searching for that and
I came up on Proverbs three, five

and six, and it says, trust in the
Lord with all your heart and do

not lean on your own understanding.

Acknowledge God in all you do, and
he will make your path straight.

And I've leaned on that verse throughout,
throughout the, um, throughout my

life in good times and also in bad.

And it's really brought me, um,
great perspective and fulfillment.

Michael Taaffe: Oh man.

I love that.

That was, uh, me and
Jada's verse last year.

Uh, JDA Baron.

That's awesome.

I love it.

Every time.

Time that we would, um, you know,
either make a great play or make a

bad play, we would grab each other's
helmets and just say Proverbs.

Um, and that's, wow.

That's, that's awesome that,
that verse is so impactful.

So I appreciate y'all sharing that.

Sam Acho: That's so good.

Well, before we let you go, Michael
Cliff, I gotta hear from you.

What are the cliff notes?

The lessons learned from?

Our time with Michael Taf.

Clif Marshall: Well, the Clif note
that I wrote down is, is a great

one for all of us, and, but it's
specific to Michael's journey.

Uh, specific to Michael's story,
it's, uh, the Clif note is God

doesn't call the qualified.

He qualifies the called And the reason
that I share that with you, Michael,

is because as you shared with us
today, being on the JVB team becoming

a college football, All-American right?

As you look back on that, how
do you explain that story?

It's your hard work, it's your dedication,
it's your faith, but more importantly,

it's a story of God choosing you.

be because God doesn't call the qualified.

He qualifies the called.

And he's qualified you to play at
the highest level at one of the

greatest schools in the country.

And I pray this year you have great
success for the Texas Longhorns

because I know that you'll give God
all the glory, honor and praise.

Michael Taaffe: Man.

Wow.

That was, say, say that line again.

God doesn't,

Clif Marshall: The Clif note is
God doesn't call the qualified.

He qualifies the called

Michael Taaffe: hmm.

Clif Marshall: because many people
looked at you when you were a

sophomore in high school on the JVB
team and said, you're not qualified.

You're not big enough, you're not
fast enough, you're not athletic

enough, and if you fast forward to the
2024 season, you're named a college

football All-American So that is
the Clif note I have for you today.

Michael Taaffe: Man, I love that.

Um, really appreciate that.

And, um, you know, both of y'all pouring
into my life and Sam especially, um.

What you've done for me and, um, what
you've taught me as a man, being on

Bible study calls with me when I was
in high school to, to speaking to

our football team last year, and, um.

You know, you taught us gratitude.

Everything that I learned from
your, your speech was gratitude.

And we play such a great game
that if you're not grateful,

then dude, you don't belong here.

Um, and then everything that y'all
have taught me today, and it's been

so fun to, to hear from y'all and,
um, get to share my testimony, my

story a little bit, and, um, just know
that this is all because of God and.

And everything that he
is done in our lives.

So really appreciate y'all, and it's
been super motivating to hear everything

that y'all have, uh, offered and
to know y'all as, as human beings.

Thank.

Sam Acho: No, it's been great
for us as well, Michael.

Um, I don't have much else to say.

I feel like Cliff said it all at the end.

Usually I try to send our guests off with
this encouragement, but hearing what Cliff

said, I was like, man, cliff, you got it.

So Cliff, you.

You, you just give, give, give
us that line one more time.

Um, and then, and then we'll,
we'll then, we'll then we'll close.

Clif Marshall: God doesn't
call the qualified.

He qualifies the called.

Sam Acho: Michael Taf, you are called.

Uh, thank you, Michael for joining the Sam
Macho Podcast featuring Cliff Marshall.

Thank you for your faith.

Thank you for your courage.

Thank you for the type of man that you
are and the man that you are leading.

Thank you for your, uh, clarity that even
though there's a lot of like, kind of

like, I don't know what's happening, you
have clarity in who's making it happen.

And so thank you for, um, picking
up the call when God called you.

Um, we appreciate you.

I appreciate you.

I'll be rooting you on this season.

Clip's gonna be rooting you on as well.

Um, and we can't wait to see you soon.

Michael Taaffe: Thank you guys so much.

Hook 'em and God bless.

Sam Acho: God bless and thank y'all
so much for joining the Sam Acho

podcast, featuring Cliff Marshall.

Check us out at at the Sam
Macho on social media, but even

more so go to sam macho.com

to listen to this
episode and so much more.

We'll see y'all soon.