MT. PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) – In 1992 South Carolina joined the SEC. A cocky long haired QB from Altoona, PA joined Carolina that same year. “Here he was and he showed up with this jet black convertible 5.0 GT Mustang with USC QB as his license plate, so I didn’t like him. But it took […]
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) – In 1992 South Carolina joined the SEC.
A cocky long haired QB from Altoona, PA joined Carolina that same year.
“Here he was and he showed up with this jet black convertible 5.0 GT Mustang with USC QB as his license plate, so I didn’t like him. But it took about a day to embrace him because that’s just who he was,” said former USC RB Rob DeBoer.
The former Carolina running back shared the same backfield with Steve Taneyhill for three years in Columbia.
“He had an inherit leadership quality and style to him that made the others around him rally around and play better. That’s why we loved him. He would be the guy you’d hate and easy to hate if he was on the other team but because he was on your team you were forced to embrace and love him.”
James Island native Hank Campbell is remembered for one of the biggest tackles in Gamecock history in Carolina’s upset of Tennessee in ’92. Campbell remembers his former teammate and roommate fondly.
“We used to go play golf all the time. He had a lot of good connections, I had some good connections it was a good situation. I better not talk too much,” said Campbell. “There was a continued friendship, we were roommates, been up to Altoona seen his family, really almost like a second brother to me.”
After rewriting the Carolina record book, Taneyhill would go on to be a state championship winning high school head coach.
He spent one year on staff at West Ashley High School with Campbell. Steve carried the same confidence he played with into his coaching style.
“That type of mentality and attitude and atmosphere. Success breeds success and I feel like if you remember when Coach Taneyhill came on our junior year that was the best season West Ashley had ever had. We never even thought of having that kind of success, I think we went 7-5 that year. And so much of it was him bringing that confidence to the players and that translating onto the field,” former Wildcats full back Doug Glover said.
Whether in the huddle or on the sidelines, all three will remember Steve as a great friend and a leader.
“When it came to field repore, when he knew how to lead a game how to not panic. How to come through on fourth and whatever. When you needed the play he was the guy you wanted in control,” DeBoer said.
After losing a bout to cancer, Steve Taneyhill was 52 years old.
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Category: General Sports
