Mark Tauscher

Mark Tauscher (/ˈtaʊʃər/; born June 17, 1977) is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He won Super Bowl XLV with them over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Wisconsin. He now provides studio commentary for NFL coverage on Sky Sports in Britain.

Mark Tauscher
Tauscher with the Green Bay Packers
No. 65
Position:Offensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (1977-06-17) June 17, 1977
Marshfield, Wisconsin
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:315 lb (143 kg)
Career information
High school:Auburndale (WI)
College:Wisconsin
NFL Draft:2000 / Round: 7 / Pick: 224
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:134
Games started:126
Player stats at NFL.com

Early years

While attending Auburndale High School (Auburndale, Wisconsin), Tauscher won three varsity letters in football and baseball along with two varsity letters in basketball, and went to state for basketball in 1992-93. In football, he was a two-time All-Conference honoree, while earning Honorable Mention All-State and team MVP honors as a senior. In basketball, he won All-Conference honors. He was also a member of the National FFA Organization.

College career

Tauscher made the University of Wisconsin–Madison team as a walk-on in 1995. After seeing little action his first two years, Tauscher earned a letter in 1998 and became a starter at right tackle the following year. He contributed significantly as a blocker to Ron Dayne's Heisman Trophy-winning season in 1999. He considered not returning for his 5th year.

Professional career

Green Bay Packers

During the 2000 NFL Draft, Tauscher was selected by the Packers in the seventh round with the 224th choice overall. He became a starter early in his rookie season, when long-time starter Earl Dotson suffered a back injury at Buffalo.[1]

During the second game of the 2002 season, Tauscher suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament and a torn anterior cruciate ligament. As a result, he underwent surgery and missed the rest of the season. He made a successful comeback, however, and started every game since his return in 2003. However, his streak would come to an end during the 13th game of the 2008 season vs the Houston Texans. Tauscher suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and missed the remaining three games of the season.

After the 2008 season was over, Tauscher became an unrestricted free agent. Tauscher worked out for the Kansas City Chiefs but the Packers eventually re-signed him four games into the 2009 season due to the Packers offensive line struggling to protect quarterback Aaron Rodgers.[2] He became a free agent after the season again, but re-signed with the Packers on March 14, 2010.[3]

Tauscher started at Right Tackle in the Packers' first four games of the 2010 season until he suffered a shoulder injury in a Week 4 matchup against the Detroit Lions. He was placed on injured reserve on November 12, 2010.[4]

Tauscher was named Packers' 2008 Walter Payton Man of the Year and voted Packers' 2008 Ed Block Courage Award winner.[5]

He was released by the team on July 29, 2011.[6]

Tauscher was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame on July 21, 2018.[7]

Sports broadcasting

Tauscher provides commentary and analysis on both the Wisconsin Badgers football radio network and the Green Bay Packers radio network. He co-hosts Wilde & Tausch, a Packers centric sports talk show with Jason Wilde and appears twice weekly on WKTI radio in Milwaukee during the football season.

Personal life

Tauscher founded the Trifecta Foundation which stands for Tauscher's Reading Initiative for Every Child to Achieve. He states that he found reading to be very challenging as a young child and credits a third grade teacher and a Pizza Hut "Book It" program with helping build his confidence.[8]

Tauscher married Sarah Helgeson, in early 2009. The couple resides in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

Tauscher plays USTA tennis for the Madison Area League Tennis (MALT) division.

References
  1. Tauscher: 'It has been a lot of fun' Archived February 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  2. Don Walker (October 12, 2009) "Packers sign Tauscher". Journal Sentinel
  3. Packers bring back tackle Tauscher
  4. "Spencer Havner back with Packers, Mark Tauscher on I.R." Fox11online.com. Archived from the original on July 11, 2011.
  5. Packers Ed Block Courage Award Archived October 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  6. "End of the line: Tauscher released" Archived February 12, 2015, at Archive.today. ESPN. Retrieved February 12, 2015
  7. "Ryan Longwell, Mark Tauscher to be inducted into Packers Hall of Fame". Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  8. "Trifecta Foundation". Archived from the original on February 9, 2012. Retrieved September 11, 2012.
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