(This story was updated to correct a misspelling/typo.)
COLLEGE STATION — Moments after Texas recorded a 17-7 win over Texas A&M on Saturday night, starting safety Michael Taaffe condemned a sign that appeared to mock the death of a former UT player.
Before Saturday’s game, a photo of a College GameDay sign that referenced the death of former Texas linebacker Jake Ehlinger and UT coach Steve Sarkisian’s well-documented alcohol problems surfaced on social media. The sign stated that “Jake Ehlinger should’ve joined Sark @ rehab” and listed a phone number for a California rehabilitation center.
Ehlinger, who joined the Longhorns in 2019 as a walk-on, died in May 2021. His family later released a statement saying that his death was a result of an accidental overdose of “what was believed to be Xanax laced with toxic drugs including deadly Fentanyl.”
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“I want to say I feel sorry for the person that posted that sign,” Taaffe said during a postgame press conference. “I feel sorry for him because I don’t know what he’s going through, how much he’s dealing with in life. To think that that was a good idea, to think that was OK, to think that was appropriate for anything, no matter what rivalry. I just wanted to make that clear.”
Taaffe then stated that “Jake Ellinger didn’t die because he overdosed. He got drugged. He got poisoned. He didn’t die because he overdosed. So I want everybody to know that he was poisoned and he loved this team so much and I wish that he could be a part of this, but he was drugged. He was not overdosed. He was not a drug addict by any means. I want to make that very clear.”
The Ehlinger family has not released any further details about Jake’s death so Taaffe’s claims could not be fully corroborated. But Taaffe and Ehlinger both attended Westlake High and he has constantly referred to Ehlinger as one of his closest friends. Throughout his time at Texas, Taaffe has found numerous ways to honor his late friend.
Before Saturday’s game, Taaffe was seen wearing a pocket square with Ehlinger’s jersey number.
“In rivalry games, fans try to get under your skin and I was aware of that. I’d be lying to say that it didn’t get to me a little bit,” Taaffe said. “It took a lot out of me to not do anything out of emotion. I try to preach to myself to not do anything based off emotions because that’s when you start making bad decisions, it’s when your emotions take over.
“It took a lot out of me to hold it in, but it just made this game personal. … (With) everything that was at stake, it made it that bit more personal. I always praise and honor Jake Ehlinger when I step on that field for what he taught me and how he led me and I’m so thankful.”
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