 Tauscher with the Green Bay Packers in 2009 | |||||||||
| No. 65 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Offensive tackle | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | (1977-06-17)June 17, 1977 (age 47) Marshfield, Wisconsin, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 320 lb (145 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Auburndale(Auburndale, Wisconsin) | ||||||||
| College: | Wisconsin (1995–1999) | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2000: 7th round, 224th pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Mark Tauscher (/ˈtaʊʃər/; born June 17, 1977) is an American former professionalfootball player who spent his entire 11-year career as anoffensive tackle for theGreen Bay Packers of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theWisconsin Badgers. Tauscher was selected by the Packers in the seventh round of the2000 NFL draft. He wonSuper Bowl XLV with them over thePittsburgh Steelers. He now provides studio commentary for NFL coverage onSky Sports in Britain.
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 theNational FFA Organization.
Tauscher made theUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison team as awalk-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 toRon Dayne'sHeisman Trophy-winning season in 1999. He considered not returning for his 5th year.
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft3+3⁄8 in (1.91 m) | 318 lb (144 kg) | 32+1⁄4 in (0.82 m) | 10 in (0.25 m) | 5.41 s | 1.86 s | 3.10 s | 4.84 s | 7.91 s | 27.0 in (0.69 m) | 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) | 22 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine[1][2] | ||||||||||||
During the 2000NFL Draft, Tauscher was selected by the Packers in the seventh round with the 224th choice overall.[3] He became a starter early in his rookie season, when long-timestarterEarl Dotson suffered a back injury atBuffalo.[4]
During the second game of the 2002 season, Tauscher suffered a sprainedmedial collateral ligament and a tornanterior 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 theHouston Texans. Tauscher suffered a tornanterior cruciate ligament and missed the remaining three games of the season.
After the 2008 season was over, Tauscher became anunrestricted free agent. Tauscher worked out for theKansas City Chiefs but the Packers eventually re-signed him four games into the2009 season due to the Packers offensive line struggling to protect quarterbackAaron Rodgers.[5] He became a free agent after the season again, but re-signed with the Packers on March 14, 2010.[6]
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 theDetroit Lions. He was placed on injured reserve on November 12, 2010.[7]
Tauscher was named Packers' 2008Walter Payton Man of the Year and voted Packers' 2008Ed Block Courage Award winner.[8]
He was released by the team on July 29, 2011.[9]
Tauscher was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame on July 21, 2018.[10]
Tauscher provides commentary and analysis on both theWisconsin Badgers football radio network and theGreen Bay Packers radio network. He co-hosts Wilde & Tausch, a Packers centric sports talk show with Jason (Jay Bird) WildeWilde (film) and appears twice weekly onWKTI radio in Milwaukee during the football season.
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.[11]
Tauscher married Sarah Helgeson, in early 2009. The couple resides inSun Prairie, Wisconsin.[citation needed]
Tauscher plays USTA tennis for the Madison Area League Tennis (MALT) division.[citation needed]
