South Carolina football legend Steve Taneyhill dead at 52
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Former South Carolina quarterback Steve Taneyhill, who played for the Gamecocks from 1992-95, has died at the age of 52.
The Gamecocks athletic department confirmed Monday that Taneyhill died in his sleep overnight, but no cause of death was given.
“Taneyhill was inducted into the University of South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006,” the Gamecocks said in a statement about his death. “In 1992, he was named Freshman of the Year by Sports Illustrated and Football News Freshman All-America.
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USC Steve Taneyhill taunts Clemson fans after USC beat Clemson 24-13 at Clemson in 1992. (Tim Dominick/The State/Tribune News Service)
“An exciting player, Taneyhill was known for his iconic mullet and ‘home run swing’ after touchdown passes.”
In 1994, his first season at South Carolina, Taneyhill led the Gamecocks to their first bowl victory in program history. They beat West Virginia in the Carquest Bowl.
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And when Taneyhill scored, he performed his famous “home run swing” in celebration, as stated in the description.
Taneyhill, a native of Altoona, Pennsylvania, set South Carolina records with 753 completions and 62 passing touchdowns over four seasons. He also finished second with 8,782 passes and seventh with a 60.5 completion rate.
In Taneyhill’s senior season in 1995, he racked up 3,094 passing yards with 29 touchdowns and nine interceptions while leading the SEC in completions (261), pass attempts (389) and completion percentage (67.1).
University of South Carolina quarterback Steve Taneyhill throws a pass during a 42-23 loss against the University of Georgia at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, on September 2, 1995. (Jamie Squire/Allsport)
For his performance as a Gamecocks star, Taneyhill was later inducted into the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006.
To date, Taneyhill is responsible for three of the first four games with the most passing yards in school history, including a 471-yard day against Mississippi State in 1995.
Taneyhill never made it into the NFL and joined the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 1997. However, he was released during the pre-season and did not play in the league even once.
He later became a high school football coach and led Chesterfield High School to South Carolina state championships for three consecutive seasons from 2007-09.
Steve Taneyhill, University of South Carolina Gamecocks Quarterback, throws a pass downfield against the University of Georgia Bulldogs during an NCAA Southeastern Conference college football game at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, United States on September 2, 1995. (Jamie Squire/Allsport)
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After his coaching days were over, he also purchased and operated businesses in Columbia and Spartanburg, South Carolina, South Carolina’s statement said.
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