How Dabo Swinney paid respect to Steve Taneyhill after South Carolina QB great's death
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CLEMSON — Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney remembered former star South Carolina quarterback Steve Taneyhill, who died at age 52.
“It really kind of just took my breath away a little bit,” Swinney said Dec. 15.
Taneyhill was a star for the Gamecocks from 1992-95, leading South Carolina to its first bowl game win. He is first in program history in passing attempts (58) and completions (39) in a single game and is first in career completions with 753 and passing touchdowns with 62.
Swinney remembered Taneyhill visiting Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in December 1991 when he was playing wide receiver in his junior year. Swinney knew Alabama wasn’t going to get him after seeing him in person.
“He had that long hair and all that swag,” Swinney said. “We all were in there going, ‘Oh, yeah. We ain’t getting him.'”
Swinney said he got to know Taneywell well when he coached at South Carolina high schools. Taneywell coached at Cambridge Academy in Greenwood, South Carolina, and Chesterfield High School, where he won three consecutive state championships from 2007-09. He was also coach at Union High School for four seasons (2012-15).
He was inducted into the USC Athletic Hall of Fame as part of the 2006 class. Taneyhill was also 2-2 against Clemson in South Carolina’s rivalry with the Tigers..
“Prayers with all the Taneyhill family, all the South Carolina people who loved him as a player cause he’s one of the greats in this rivalry, for sure,” Swinney said.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at DCarter@usatodayco.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Dabo Swinney reacts to Steve Taneyhill death. What Clemson coach said
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