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PACKERS SIGN OT MARK TAUSCHER, STARTER ON BADGERS' ROSE BOWL CHAMPS
posted 06/21/00
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| Mark Tauscher |
The Green Bay Packers have signed versatile Mark Tauscher, a starter at offensive tackle for the University of Wisconsin's repeating Big Ten and Rose Bowl champions in 1999, to a multi-year contract, it was announced today by Andrew Brandt, the team's director of player finance/football operations.
The Packers' first selection in the seventh round of this year's NFL draft (the 224th player chosen), Tauscher was the Badgers' fastest lineman last season (he was timed at 5.03 seconds in the 40-yard dash), when he replaced the departed Aaron Gibson at right tackle and collected the imposing total of 64 knockdowns. He also graded 83.2 percent for blocking consistency as the Badgers amassed 5,006 yards, the third-best figure in the school's history.
The 6-foot-3, 314-pound Auburndale, Wis., native, originally a walk-on at UW, started all 12 games in 1999 and played a key role as the Wisconsin led the Big Ten in rushing with a 275.4 yards-per-game average, second-best in school annals. In addition to helping the Badgers defeat Stanford in the Rose Bowl, he also was invited to play in both the Hula Bowl and the East-West Shrine Game, becoming the only Badger to play in a pair of postseason all-star games.
Tauscher, capable of filling in at any position along the offensive line, also was an Academic All-Big Ten Conference selection for the second year in a row in '99 and won the school's 'Wayne Souza Award' (shared with teammate Demetrius Brown), given annually to the offensive players who contribute to the best of their abilities on and off the field.
Something of a Cinderella story as a walk-on, he was redshirted as a freshman in 1995. He then performed on the scout team as a reserve tackle in 1996 before seeing limited playing time behind Chris McIntosh at left tackle in 1997, working primarily as a blocker on the field goal and placement units.
A valuable backup in 1998, he saw action at both tackle positions, also performing in a three-tackle alignment later in the year. He received playing time when Gibson was moved to the opposite side of the line to form a tandem with McIntosh, Tauscher then replacing Gibson at right tackle in that formation.
Poetically, Tauscher leaves behind UW positional records (since 1990) in the vertical jump (27 inches) and pro agility drill (4.73 seconds).
"He's a tremendous story and an intriguing prospect because of his versatility," Packers Executive Vice President/General Manager Ron Wolf said of Tauscher upon drafting him. "We feel he can play either right guard or right tackle, which adds to his chances of really and truly making our football team in the long run."
Before enrolling at UW, Tauscher earned all-conference honors in both football and baseball at Auburndale (Wis.) High School.
Tauscher is the fourth of the Packers' 13 draft selections to be signed, joining nose tackle Steve Warren of Nebraska, their third round pick; linebacker Na'il Diggs of Ohio State, the first of three fourth-round choices; and defensive tackle Ron Moore of Northwestern Oklahoma State, the second of their five selections in the seventh round.
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