Gamecock Legend Steve Taneyhill Passes Away

In 1992 South Carolina entered the SEC and it did not go well. Started the season 0-5 with losses to Georgia, Arkansas, and Alabama by big scores and close losses to Kentucky and East Carolina. Enter Steve Taneyhill. The long hair, cocky freshman from Altoona Pennsylvania would take over at the quarterback position and the Gamecocks would go on to win 5 of the next 6 games including wins over top 15 Mississippi State, #16 Tennessee and a signature 24-13 win over Clemson on the road.

Taneyhill would go on to become one of if not the greatest quarterback in school history with his name at the top of the list of several records and very close to the top in several more. He also led the Gamecocks to their first bowl win in school history in the 1995 CarQuest Bowl.  Most Gamecock fans will likely most remember Taneyhill for his antics on the field. The home run swing after touchdowns, signing the paw at Clemson, and his long flowing wonderful mullet are things that will always live in Gamecock lore. The first game I ever attended as a kid Steve Taneyhill was the quarterback. He was one 0f my heroes.

Steve Taneyhill made the Gamecocks relevant during his time there. Kept them from becoming Vanderbilt.

After college Steve Taneyhill became a high school football coach were he coached Gaines Adams at Cambridge Academy in Greenwood, then won 3 state titles at Chesterfield.  I met Steve Taneyhill in 2012 when he was named the head coach at Union County High School and I was working at WBCU in Union. Over the next four years we would spend a lot of time together in his office talking about football. We did a weekly UCHS Coach’s show that would take us about 20 mins then would spend triple that talking college football and the NFL. We talk mostly Gamecocks and Tigers and about his Steelers and my Redskins. We would watch film and have a lot of laughs. Through those meetings we developed a friendship.

I asked him once to come and be the guest speaker at the Union County Gamecock Club’s annual Tiger Burn, because who better to speak at a anti-Clemson event than the man the Tigers probably despised the most.  He agreed to be the guest speaker for the price of two cases of beer, which I agreed to on the condition that I be allowed to bring them over to his house to watch the game that Saturday, a term he also accepted. We had a great time watching the Carolina/Clemson game that year with a lot of other coaches and friends, even if Desahun Watson beat them on one leg. Going over that day led to more invitations for big events including the Kentucky Derby, etc.

During his time at Union he led the Jackets to a state title game appearance and another upperstate appearance in his four years. After that he fell victim to small town politics and his contract was not renewed at Union and Taneyhill was out of coaching.  He was in the post office one day and asked my mom if she knew a notary and she told him I was, he called me and asked me to come over to his house and I did. He showed me some papers I witness his signature on some documents were he was buying a bar in Five Points in Columbia. That bar, Group Therapy, became Taneyhill’s group Therapy and led him to more ventures in Columbia and then one here in Spartanburg.  I was invited to and attended the grand opening and the one year anniversary of Taneyhill’s Group Therapy and also got to tailgate with him on several occasions in Columbia.

It was always so cool to me that I got to know and be friends with my favorite Gamecock of all time. I had him on my radio show here in Spartanburg and one time after he was on he had the bright idea that we should have a football show together. So we pitched the idea and of that was the beginning of Tyler and Taneyhill a show we did every Thursday night for two football seasons. He had the connections to get us the best guests. Big name former players, media folks, and of course he has great insights as a former QB and coach. It was the most fun I’ve ever had in my career in radio that is almost been going on for 20 years.

We still talked on occasion especially if South Carolina won a big game like the win last year over Clemson on the road.

Steve Taneyhill loved football, loved his Gamecocks and Steelers, hunting, bragging about hunting, and just always seemed to be a guy who loved life and loved to have fun. He was my favorite player ever. I loved joking with him about the mullet and his inability to grow one as he got older. Hard to believe he’s gone and I sure will miss my friend, but man do I have some good stories to tell because of him. RIP Steve thanks for the memories and the friendship, and Go Cocks!