Homegrown Hero Mark Tauscher: From farm boy to Super Bowl champion

 

Dan Hansen

Correspondent

Published 4:00 p.m. CT Dec 21, 2021

GREEN BAY, WI – Thousands of Wisconsinites, especially sports fans, fondly remember Mark Tauscher for his college and professional football success.

Some remember Tauscher from the University of Wisconsin as a key blocker for Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne, and member of winning Rose Bowl teams. Probably most remember him as the starting offensive right tackle for a decade with the Green Bay Packers, including much of the season that led to their win in Super Bowl XLV.

However, many remain unaware that Tauscher, born June 17, 1977, spent his first 13 years living – and working – on his family’s central Wisconsin dairy farm near Auburndale.

Speaking to approximately 150 attendees during the recent Alltech Dairy School at Lambeau Field, Tauscher was quick to credit his early years on the farm for helping him develop the teamwork and discipline that would later enable him to successfully meet the challenges of college and pro football.

“I think of the stuff I did on the farm that helped me realize the importance of teamwork, of sacrificing your own needs for the greater good,” he recalled. “If you’ve grown up on a farm you know there’s nothing but sacrifice.”

Tauscher’s first chore on the farm, about age 5, was to make sure the manure pit didn’t get plugged. “I don’t think there’s any industry that demands what farming does,” he emphasized.

He recalled the day he helped bale hay on his eighth birthday. After baling hay all day until 9 o’clock that night, he came home to not much of a birthday celebration. “When I complained, my dad said, ‘do you think the cows give a rip about when your birthday is,’” he related.

“Getting up early in the morning to lift weights, that’s nothing. Going through two-a-days in the heat is nothing. I baled hay, I picked rocks. When times got tough, I was fortunate to able to lean back on some of those experiences,” he stressed.

“My dad loved farming and sports, and always made the extra effort to get us to baseball and basketball games. My love of sports came from him. That combination of sports and farming has been a big part of my life.”

From high school to college

Tauscher lettered in football, baseball and basketball at Auburndale High School, earning three varsity letters in football and baseball along with two varsity letters in basketball. In football, he was a two-time All-Conference honoree, while earning Honorable Mention All-State and team MVP honors as a senior.

His basketball team competed at the state tournament in 1992-93, where, ironically, Tauscher caught the eye of a UW–Madison football scout.

"At that time, I was basically committed to going to the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point because no Division 1 schools had recruited me."

On Thursday morning there just happened to be a walk-on coordinator for the Badger football team at the game. “That coach came up to me and told me I moved well for a big body, and might be able to make it as a walk-on player with the football team.”

After meeting with Head Coach Barry Alvarez, Tauscher was invited to try to make the team as a walk-on.

“Getting noticed because of our high school basketball team was one of the most important moments in my life. Had I gone to Stevens Point, would I be here talking to you today, have had a professional career or be in the Packers’ Hall of Fame? No."

Tauscher made the team as a walk-on in 1995. “For me, going to Madison was like going to New York City. Making the transition to pass blocking on the Division 1 college level was hard,” he said. There were times he thought “this isn’t for me, but luckily I had coaches and others who told me to stick with it and give myself a chance.”

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 was a key blocker for Ron Dayne’s 1999 Heisman season. 

After his fourth year playing football, Tauscher had earned his college degree, and planned to go to another school to get a teaching certificate. Then he was informed he had a fifth year of football eligibility, and was asked if he’d be willing to come back and fight for a starting spot.

“I couldn’t have said yes any quicker,” was his reply. “I just knew in my heart I had put in all the work and that I could play. Once I got the opportunity, I ran with it and our team had a ton of success.”

Transitioning to the pros

Even though both he and the team had a successful year, Tauscher never considered himself a candidate for the NFL draft. “Not once did I think I was going to play in the NFL,” he said. But one of his coaches said pro scouts were asking about him, and said, “I think if you want this you can do it.”

Another important moment in Tasucher’s life and football career came a few weeks later when he and other linemen were playing hacky sack with a football before practice. “We were standing in a circle kicking the ball, and if you miss the kick you got booted out,” he said.

On that day Packers’ General Manager Ron Wolf just happened to walk by and started watching this hacky sack routine.

The following spring Wolf drafted Tauscher in the seventh round, with the 224 overall pick in the draft. “I was eating lunch after one of the practices, when Ron Wolf came up to me and told me he drafted me because he saw the way I moved my feet during the game of hacky sack.”

Tauscher became a starter early in his rookie season, when Earl Dotson suffered a back injury at Buffalo. During the second game of the 2002 season, Tauscher suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL) and a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) that required surgery and kept him out of action for the rest of the season.

He made a successful comeback in 2003 and started every game until late in the 2008 season when he suffered another torn ACL. After the 2008 season Tauscher became an unrestricted free agent, and worked out for Kansas City,  but the Packers resigned him four games into the 2009 season because their offensive line was struggling to protect Aaron Rodgers. 

The Packers re-signed him again in 2010, and he started the first four games until a shoulder injury put him on injured reserve, effectively ending his football career.

Life after football

Tauscher was named Packers' 2008 Walter Payton Man of the Year, and voted Packers’ 2008 Ed Block Courage Award winner. He was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame on July 21, 2018. 

One of the things Tauscher feels led to his success was the friendships he forged both on and off the field in Green Bay. Together, he and two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Chad Clifton started 10 seasons together and blocked for a pair of MVP quarterbacks in Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers.

In 2009, Tauscher married Sarah Helgeson. They have a son and daughter, and live near Madison. 

Tauscher has also turned his attention to broadcasting, providing commentary and analysis for the Badgers and Packers, and co-hosts a sports talk show on a Milwaukee radio station.

He also founded the Trifecta Foundation which stands for Tauscher's Reading Initiative for Every Child to Achieve. 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.

Rose Bowl Recall: Mark Tauscher

Jake Kocorowski

Dec 29, 2019

The Wisconsin Badgers return to Pasadena when they face the No. 6 Oregon Ducks on Jan. 1 in the 106th edition of the Rose Bowl Game.

To commemorate the accomplishments of the program both past and present, AllBadgers.com presents its "Rose Bowl Recall" series. We've asked former players about either one moment or one experience that stands out from their time out west. It could be from the game itself, it could be from one of the various annual pregame festivities that take shape, or it could be from after the clock strikes zero on the scoreboard.

Be sure to check out our previous installments of the series with fullback Bradie Ewing, kicker Vitaly Pisetsky, and safety Scott Nelson.

On Sunday, a familiar face in the Wisconsin sports (and now sports talk) landscape reminisces about two events that pop out to him.

Interviews have been lightly edited for clarity.

Offensive tackle Mark Tauscher

A former walk-on turned future 11-year pro at the next level, Tauscher became part of two Rose Bowl teams during his time at UW. You can now hear the former lineman on the weekday airwaves with the ESPN Wisconsin radio show "Wilde and Tausch," from the booth as an analyst during Wisconsin football home games in the fall, as well as the Packers Radio Network game day shows and on ESPN's radio waves. 

Here are two moments/experiences Tauscher told AllBadgers.com on Dec. 20 from his 2000 Rose Bowl experience against Stanford. The first came from a pregame event, while the other took place late in the game with the Cardinal driving into Wisconsin territory. The defense ultimately held on a 4th-and-12 from the UW 47-yard-line when the defense forced quarterback Todd Husak to slip. Badgers Ben Herbert, Wendell Bryant and Co. brought the pressure to clinch the program's second consecutive Rose Bowl victory.

"Well there'd be two for me. One was my last year, kind of just being in a float and being a part of the whole kind of pomp and circumstance, which I think is one of the things that separates the Rose Bowl from some of the other bowls. Just how big it feels. Then I think, the best feeling you have is when you seal the game up. In my case, it was with the defense sacking Todd Husak, their quarterback.

"When that happened, I think that's when everybody was kind of, 'Here we go,' and being able to say you won out in Pasadena, won a Big Ten championship and won a Rose Bowl. Growing up in the '80s and '90s, that was always something that was a big deal, and when that moment hits, you see everybody kind of realizing all the work that you put in, and here you go, you've accomplished something that's really hard to do."

AllBadgers.com: Do you remember what float or floats you were on?

"No, but what I remember, and I actually got the sign off of the side [of the float] because ... my name is spelled correctly, but it had me as an outside linebacker. So I actually have it in our Park Bank ESPN Madison studios. I put that up because it just made me laugh. 

"I just remember when I went up there, I was like, this will be the only time in my life I'll be an outside linebacker. I'm going to keep this, and it was part of something that you know, who knows if you're ever going to be in a float again at Disney. Doubtful but it was kind of a cool deal for me growing up watching the Rose Bowl and then being able to be on a float in the parade there was really cool."

AllBadgers.com:  If you're on the sideline watching that sack/stop, what do you remember from your emotions and letting that all sink in that you've won the Rose Bowl?

"You just want to hug everybody. You know your time, that is going to be it. This is it for your time at Wisconsin in a place that has meant so much, and to be able to win your last game in that environment, it was really just sheer joy. That was the thing that was just evident with everybody on that sideline. I always end up looking back and seeing Coach Alvarez and [offensive line coach] Jim Hueber. Through all the Rose Bowls, the three Rose Bowls that we've one -- the two that I was a part of -- just the emotions and just the joy that everybody on that sideline had. That's stuff that you can't find anywhere else."

For Mark Tauscher, Packers Hall of Fame is culmination of remarkable path to, in NFL

Mark Tauscher played 11 seasons for the Packers.

By Jason Wilde
July 22, 2018

GREEN BAY — Today, Marco Rivera calls his good friend and former teammate Mark Tauscher “an incredible human being” and “the definition of a diamond in the rough.”

These are remarkably heartfelt compliments considering the culture the Green Bay Packers’ offensive line built in the early 2000s — a band of brothers who loved each other, but usually showed that love by giving one another endless grief, with no one immune from the teasing.

But having played alongside him on the line and taken him under his wing upon Tauscher’s arrival as a rookie seventh-round pick in 2000, Rivera had a front-row seat to see the player Tauscher became. So Rivera couldn’t help but break with the line’s no touchy-feely ethos and speak from the heart about his pal.

Of course, that only lasted a fleeting moment. Because then Rivera had to share his memory of the first time he laid eyes on Tauscher. And, well, let’s just say Rivera wasn’t especially impressed.

“I remember when he came through the door, I was like, ‘Wow … who’s the pudgy kid?’” the three-time Pro Bowl right guard recalled as Tauscher prepared to be inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame on Saturday night. “I’m like, ‘Whew, this is going to be a short stay.’”

Rivera was wrong, of course. Tauscher went on to an against-the-odds 11-year career at right tackle — five years of which included lining up right next to Rivera.

Big first impression

And Rivera learned just how far off he’d been about the baby-faced kid from the University of Wisconsin during the first practice of training camp that first summer, when Tauscher lined up against Vonnie Holliday, an athletic, hulking defensive end, during 1-on-1 pass-blocking drills.

“Lo and behold, we go to camp, we’re doing pass sets 1-on-1, and Vonnie was our first-round pick two years before. And here comes Mark and here comes Vonnie, and I’m thinking, ‘Oooh, this is going to be bad,’” Rivera recounted. “But the ball is snapped, Mark takes his set, Vonnie comes in … and Mark puts the brakes on and puts Vonnie on his back.

“Vonnie, of course, didn’t want to take that. So he wanted to go again. And Mark, he didn’t just do it once. He did it twice. Right then and there, I knew we had something. I knew he was going to be OK.”

Tauscher turned out to be more than just OK. While two ill-timed major knee injuries in 2002 and 2008 — just as he was poised to hit free agency — cost him financially and forced him to endure two arduous rehabilitations to get back on the field, he far exceeded the local-boy-makes-good narrative.

Although he was never elected to the Pro Bowl, he developed into one of the league’s top right tackles and was crucial to the offensive line’s dominance in 2003 and ’04, when the unit kept quarterback Brett Favre safe (19 sacks allowed in 2003, a franchise-record low 14 sacks allowed in 2004) and paved the way for halfback Ahman Green’s record-setting 2003 season (a franchise-best 1,883 rushing yards, 2,250 total yards from scrimmage and a combined 20 touchdowns).

“I’m proud of people who take advantage of their God-given ability. And Mark is one of those people,” said Pro Football Hall of Fame general manager Ron Wolf, who drafted Tauscher and counts the selection among the smartest calls he made during his nine-year tenure as GM. “I always thought that Mark had been in the Pro Bowl. And I didn’t realize until somebody corrected me a couple years ago that that wasn’t the case. Mark Tauscher had Pro Bowl ability.

“The interesting thing is, in order to play in the offensive line, the one thing you have to have — other than size, certainly — is you have to have balance. And this was the thing Mark had that was just unbelievable. Oh, the balance he had. In fact, when one goes to practice, one knows right away who’s going to make it and who’s not going to make it — who’s a good pick and who’s not a good pick. And you could tell right away early that offseason — and this was without pads — that we had a guy that probably should have been taken in the second round, without a doubt: Mark Tauscher.”

Auburndale to Green Bay

During his acceptance speech Saturday night inside the Lambeau Field atrium, Tauscher retraced his unlikely path to the NFL — from getting no Division I offers coming out of Auburndale High School; to his footwork catching the UW walk-on coordinator’s eye during a WIAA state basketball tournament game; to nearly calling it a career before a serendipitous meeting with UW coaches at the Kentucky Derby led to him returning to the Badgers for a fifth season of eligibility; to his one year as a starter coinciding with blocking for Heisman Trophy-winning running back Ron Dayne; to how his fancy feet playing hacky sack drew Wolf’s attention during a scouting visit to Madison.

Tauscher’s big break in the NFL came early — and suddenly. When veteran right tackle Earl Dotson had trouble with his chronic back problems during training camp, Tauscher saw far more snaps with the starters in practice and preseason games than any seventh-round pick could have hoped for. That work foreshadowed an unexpected opportunity.

“I was getting set to start my first preseason game, and Brett had just signed a $100 million contract,” Tauscher said. “I can remember coach (Mike) Sherman saying, ‘Are we really going to put a rookie seventh-round pick in front of our $100 million investment?’ I said, ‘Man, I sure hope so.’”

Despite the confidence they showed in him, Sherman and offensive line coach Larry Beightol fully expected Dotson to be fine by the time the season started. While Dotson was indeed back for the regular-season opener, his back locked up during the first quarter of the Packers’ Week 2 game at Buffalo, and Tauscher was summoned from the bench.

“Earl goes down and I look over my shoulder, and here comes Mark Tauscher — fresh-faced, clean-shaven … and his eyes are as big as saucers,” Rivera recalled with a chuckle. “He gets in the huddle, Brett’s giving the play, and I’m like, ‘Kid, it’s going to be OK.’ The first play, you would think the coaches would call a run play with a rookie tackle in the game. Nope. They call a five-step drop for Brett.

“I remember the first set: I have a three-technique (defensive tackle), ‘Tausch’ has a wide defensive end. So I’m blocking my guy, and I can’t see what he’s doing. So I’m waiting for the fans to start screaming, ‘Sack! Sack!’ And I look, and Mark’s getting the job done. The kid put a good game together.”

As the years went on, Tauscher developed not only into a top player but one of the team’s veteran leaders. Protecting Favre early in his career and Aaron Rodgers late, he developed close friendships with both quarterbacking greats, along with linemates from both the start of his career (left tackle Chad Clifton, left guard Mike Wahle, center Mike Flanagan and Rivera, all of whom were in attendance Saturday night) as well as the youngsters he mentored as he approached the end of the line (Pro Bowl guard T.J. Lang and Bryan Bulaga, who also were at the induction).

While Favre wasn’t able to attend Saturday night, he was certain Tauscher’s speech would hold the audience’s attention — and draw laughs, which it did.

“He doesn’t need any tips on speaking,” said Favre, who delivered a pair of induction speeches not too long ago — for his 2015 Packers Hall of Fame induction and 2016 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement. “He’s a hell of a lot smarter than I ever was or will be. And, you’ve got to be careful getting in a little matching-wits contest with him because you walk away and you’re the one who looks like a dummy. And as knowledgeable as he is, he can enter into any conversation and hold his own.”

And that’s what Tauscher did on the field, too — he held his own, playing in 134 career games before a shoulder injury early in 2010 landed him on season-ending injured reserve for the team’s Super Bowl XLV run. Today, he stays connected to the team and the game through his radio work while having invested in a number of Madison-area business ventures. He and his wife, Sarah, live in Sun Prairie with son Max and daughter Eleanor.

Dad was ‘my inspiration’

Most of Tauscher’s family, including his mother, Dianne, and brothers Craig and Pat, were in attendance Saturday night, with one notable exception — his father, Dennis, who died in 2013. Denny Tauscher not only ran the family dairy farm and spent two decades as a sportswriter at the Marshfield News-Herald, he also coached many of his sons’ sports teams and instilled in his middle son the importance of a strong work ethic.

“If I had to choose only one person I would want to share this with today, there’s no question who that would be — of course, my dad,” Tauscher said near the end of his speech. “My dad was a hard grinder — there for every sporting event, my inspiration to keep pushing me to limits I didn’t know I could meet. The amount of time he spent taking us to games and practices was incredible, and now as a parent myself I look back at how he did it in awe.

“There’s no doubt he’d be here today, loving this more than anybody. As children, we all want to make our parents proud. And I’d have to say we accomplished it.

“It’s hard to grasp how unlikely it is that a seventh-round pick, a UW walk-on from a Wisconsin town of 600 ended up having an 11-year career in the NFL and now is a Packers Hall of Fame inductee. This is a dream come true.”

Ryan Longwell, Mark Tauscher to be inducted into Packers Hall of Fame

48th induction banquet to be held in July

December 12, 2017

The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame Inc. announced today that it will induct former Packers players Ryan Longwell and Mark Tauscher at the 48th Hall of Fame Induction Banquet, to be held Saturday, July 21, 2018, in the Lambeau Field Atrium.

Placekicker Ryan Longwell entered the NFL in 1997 as a free agent, first signing with the San Francisco 49ers and coming to Green Bay off waivers later that year. Longwell’s 1,054 career points during his nine seasons (1997-2005) with the Packers stood as the team’s all-time scoring mark until 2015. He connected on 226 field goals and 376 extra points during his Packers career, leading the club in scoring in nine consecutive seasons. His 964 points from 1997-2004 were the most in the NFL over that span, and he holds Packers records for most consecutive games scoring, with 144 games from 1997-2005, and most consecutive PATs made, with 156 (2001-05). Following his tenure with the Packers, he spent time with the Vikings and Seahawks before choosing to retire with the Packers in 2013, at which time he ranked No. 13 on the NFL’s all-time scoring list, with 1,687 career points.

Offensive tackle Mark Tauscher, selected in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft, played in 134 games with 132 starts during his 11-year Packers career (2000-10). A Wisconsin native and University of Wisconsin alumnus, Tauscher made an immediate impact in his rookie year, taking over the right tackle position in Week 2. He started each game the rest of the season and was named to the Football News all-rookie team. Tauscher formed a longtime, reliable tackle tandem with fellow 2000 draftee and now-Packers Hall of Famer Chad Clifton, setting the standard for a consistent offensive line. Among Tauscher’s most significant contributions were helping pave the way for club records in rushing (2,558 yards) and average per carry (5.0) in 2003, and a franchise record for fewest sacks allowed (14) in 2004.

Information about tickets for the banquet, which begins with a cash bar at 4:30 p.m., with dinner and program to follow at 7:00 p.m., is still being finalized and will be released in the near future at www.packershalloffame.com.

The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame Inc. Golf Classic is set for Monday, July 9, 2018, at The Bull in Sheboygan Falls, Wis. Please contact Holly Borga at 920/965-6986 or at hollyb@packershalloffame.com for more information.

The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame Inc. is a nonprofit corporation independent of the Green Bay Packers that guides the Hall as a historic national sports venue and educational resource to the Green Bay community and the state of Wisconsin. The Hall raises funds through its annual induction banquet, Golf Classic and other events to preserve the history of the Green Bay Packers and expand its archives. Historic memorabilia donated by individuals to the Hall may qualify as tax-deductible gifts.

Originally established in 1967 as a temporary display in the concourse of the Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena, the Packers Hall of Fame moved into its own facility in 1976 near Lambeau Field. In 2003, it was relocated to the lower level of the Lambeau Field Atrium, and it was closed in November 2013 for renovations. The Packers Hall of Fame reopened in August of 2015, and is now located on the main floor of the Atrium across from 1919 Kitchen & Tap. Groups interested in booking tours and those seeking additional information may visit the Hall online at packers.com/lambeau-field/hall-of-fame/visit.html.

Mark Tauscher: Packers lineman proved to be one of the best

By Raymond Rivard
August 10, 2017

Mark Tauscher was the definition of hard work and overcoming the odds.

The former Green Bay Packer who was one of the best ever to wear #65 for the Green and Gold, was a fan favorite throughout his career and was well-liked by the media. In fact, Tauscher has gone on to his own broadcasting career in retirement.

To top it off, Mark Tauscher was a homegrown product of Wisconsin, attended UW-Madison and continues to live in his home state.

As part of our numbers countdown, we stop today at #65, a number that has been worn by Tauscher, as well as Ron Hallstorm, Mike Douglass, and current player Lane Taylor.

In high school at Auburndale, Tauscher was the hard working farm boy who took his talents to the fields and courts around central Wisconsin while excelling in football and basketball.

He was all-conference twice, an honorable mention all-state selection and team MVP as a senior while playing football.

But with no scholarship offered to Tauscher, he was a walk-on at UW-Madison.

He didn’t play his first two years, but made inroads as a junior and senior on the Badgers’ heralded offensive line. He was part of the unit that blocked for Ron Dayne during his Heisman Trophy-winning season.

Like his pre-college days when he didn’t attract much attention, Mark Tauscher was relatively ignored as a pro football prospect.

But it was the Packers who pulled the trigger on him in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft, selecting him with the 224th overall pick.

Right tackle Earl Dotson, an injury-prone lineman late in his career, was hurt early in 2000, and the hungry Tauscher, a rookie, was thrown to the wolves as the starting right tackle assigned to help protect Brett Favre and to open holes for the running game.

He would stay at the position for the next 11 years, playing in 134 games for the Packers and earning a Super Bowl ring in 2010, despite his final years being injury-riddled.

His final season would be that 2010 championship year. Though he began that year as the starter, he dropped out after the first four games – one of many starters who went down that year.

Ironically, that’s when another rookie, Bryan Bulaga, took over the right tackle position.

Mark Tauscher retired after that 2010 season.

Though Mark Tauscher came from the depths as a college player and again while playing as a pro, he proved that hard work and dedication were what he needed to make an impact.

His career is a testament to his devotion to the game.

He was by far one of the best of those who have worn #65 for the Green Bay Packers.

Mark Tauscher helps remodel veteran family's bathroom

By Emily Friese
October 12, 2016

MADISON (WKOW) -- A veteran family in need of a hand received help from the Green and Gold Tuesday.

Adam Guess, a third generation veteran, wanted to remodel his bathroom shower to help make things easier for his daughter Anna, who has special needs.

To make that wish come true, The Green Bay Packers and Tundraland Home Improvements teamed up to surprise Guess. They remodeled the bathroom to include a bigger shower, equipped with a seat and removable shower head.

Former Packer Mark Tauscher was able to help give the family not one surprise, but two. Tauscher showed up to help with the project.

"You come in and make this family's life a lot easier and better," Tauscher said. "I think that's a great thing."

Guess says the renovation will make life a lot easier for him and Anna.

"It'll be more comfortable for her, but for me it'll save my back," Guess said. "Giving her a shower is one of the harder things to do, and I'm not getting any younger here."

Paul Lukowski, Tundraland's Director of Sales, says the company looks forward to the moments they can give back.

"[It's] very rewarding, we get to build people's dreams," Lukowski said. "When it comes to this type of work for us, what we're trying to do is basically change the world by doing one good thing at a time."

Packers Hall of Famer Leroy Butler and Tundraland also provided a free bathroom makeover to a veteran widow in De Pere.

Badgers, Packers Superstar Mark Tauscher named Fourth of July Grand Marshal

June 21, 2012

The Greenfield 4th of July Parade and Celebration Committee is announcing former University of Wisconsin and Green Bay Packers football star Mark Tauscher as the honorary parade grand marshal.

Tauscher will also be assisting with flag-raising ceremonies, enjoying the 5th Quarter performance featuring his alma mater University of Wisconsin band and appear as a special contestant in Greenfield Park & Rec's special event, "Are you smarter than a 5th grader."

Tauscher's was a star offensive tackle for the University of Wisconsin, with his best years coming in 1998 and 1999. He contributed significantly to Ron Dayne's Heisman Trophy-winning season in 1999.

Tauscher was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round (224th pick overall) of the 2000 NFL draft. His illustrious career with the Packers spanned a decade from 2000 to 2010. Career highlights include Superbowl Champion (XLV), Packers Walter Payton Man of the Year (2008) and Packers Ed Block Courage Award (2008).

Tauscher was born in Marshfield, Wis. on June 17, 1977.

"Tausch" is a life-long Wisconsinite and continues to be a huge fan of Badgers and Packers football.

As honorary parade marshal, Tauscher will proudly wave to fans knowing that Greenfield will be the only parade in Wisconsin to feature the University of Wisconsin Marching Band "and" Bucky Badger.

The Independence Day activities in Greenfield are hosted by the Partners of Greenfield Park and Recreation.

Partners of Greenfield Park and Recreation are a nonprofit community support group run in conjunction with the Department of Parks and Recreation. Partners of Greenfield Park and Recreation assist the Department of Parks and Recreation in the beautification of green space, purchasing park amenities, and development of park site activity areas for the benefit of the Greenfield community.

Partners of Greenfield Park and Recreation are a great avenue for individuals and organizations to make a positive difference in the promotion of public recreation in the city of Greenfield.

The Greenfield 4th of July Parade (12:15pm start) and Celebration will run from 11am to 11pm on Wednesday, July 4th. The parade and celebration are free of charge.

Tauscher's message to students: Be ready for your opportunity

February 25, 2012

Written by Tim Froberg

NEW LONDON — With no scholarship offers, Mark Tauscher decided to play Division III football at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

But a different sport altered his future and started a path that led Tauscher to more than a decade of playing for the Green Bay Packers.

Tauscher's Auburndale basketball team advanced to the 1995 WIAA state boys' basketball tournament in Madison. The Apaches lost to Oostburg, the eventual Division 3 state champion, but a recruiter who worked with the UW football team, Pat O'Conner, liked the fluid movements of the 6-foot-3, 280-pound Tauscher. He urged Badgers coach Barry Alvarez to give him a chance as a walk-on.

Tauscher was ready for the opportunity and ran with it.

Meeting opportunities, establishing self-confidence and developing a strong work ethic were among the messages the former Packers offensive tackle shared Thursday morning with the New London High School Future Farmers of America Club.

"I always try and tell kids that you never know when your opportunity is going to come, so do the right things to be ready for it," Tauscher said. "Had our high school basketball team not been good enough to make state, I probably wouldn't have been here today talking to these kids."

Tauscher retired from the NFL after the 2010 season. He spent 11 years with the Packers — 10 as a starter — and was a reliable, rock-solid player at right tackle, protecting franchise quarterbacks Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers.

A no-frills, regular guy with a sharp mind and a quick wit, Tauscher keeps busy with speaking engagements, while overseeing his TRIFECTA (Tauscher's Reading Initiative for Every Child to Achieve) foundation and raising a family in the Madison area.

The 34-year-old said retirement from football has been an adjustment.

"This first year was a tough transition," he said. "You never want to stop playing, but time catches up to you. I have a lot of ideas and possibilities, but to be honest, I haven't quite figured out what I'm going to do next. Right now, I'm just enjoying the little things. I have a 15-month-old son (Max) and he's a riot."

Tauscher's presentation was part of National FFA Week, and he could relate to the high school students he spoke to. Tauscher grew up on a farm near Auburndale and was an FFA member.

"His presentation was great," said Erika Fleming, a New London senior and an FFA officer. "It's good to hear from someone who has been in FFA and who has achieved so much. Most kids don't appreciate or understand what FFA is like. They think it's kind of old-fashioned, but it really isn't. So, it's really cool to hear someone so modern talk to us."

Tauscher answered a variety of questions from the students and hung around afterwards to sign autographs.

Some of his best responses were:

On whom he most preferred blocking for, Favre or Rodgers:
"I always tell people, (the Badgers') Brooks Bollinger, because we ran the ball all the time. I don't know. Both were great. Aaron is probably the best quarterback in the game. And although Brett's time has passed, you haveto remember where this franchise was before he got here. You're talking about 20-some years of great quarterbacking for the Green Bay Packers, so I think we've all been spoiled a little."

On his toughest player to block:
"I'd say Michael Strahan. He was not only strong and talented, but he really understood the game. I really respected how he played."

On closing his career as part of the 2011 Super Bowl championship team:
"I can't tell you how exciting it was to reach the pinnacle like that. I think it would have been even sweeter had I been in the game, but to be out there celebrating with confetti raining down and your family there, I just can't tell you how fortunate I am."

On his welcome-to-the-NFL moment:
"It was my first year and Reggie White had come out of retirement to play for Carolina. I was a rookie who didn't know much about anything and there he was lining up across from me. I was doing a pretty good job of blocking him, but at one point my hands hit his face mask. I can't do his voice justice, but he says to me in this deep, gravelly voice: 'Son, get your hands out of my face.' I was like, 'Yes, sir.' ''


On his toughest loss with the Packers:
"There were three of them: the loss to the Giants in the 2007 NFC championship game, the fourth-and-26 loss to Philadelphia (in the 2003 playoffs) and losing to the Rams (45-17) in the 2001 playoffs. Brett (Favre) had six interceptions that day. It was a complete disaster. That was the worst beat-down I've been a part of."

On longtime Packers receiver Donald Driver:
"He's a great player and an even better person. I always felt I had in common with him because we both entered the NFL as seventh-round picks."

On team chemistry in the NFL:
"That's why they pay head coaches so much. You get 53 guys in a locker room and you've got 53 different personalities. If you have 53 hotheads, you're going to have a rough stretch."

On weight-training advice for high school students:
"Having a great bench press is good, but I'd say work more on your legs and your core. I'll take a kid who can squat a truck over someone with a huge bench press."

Mark Tauscher thanks fans

Tauscher took pleasure in toiling anonymously as Packers lineman

"The state of Wisconsin should be very proud of him. He was dedicated to the game. He had a great desire to play." - Ron Wolf, former Packers general manager on Mark Tauscher

By Tom Silverstein

August 4, 2011

Green Bay - In a sport in which touchdown spikes, sack dances and camera poses are as common as the endorsements to which they may lead, Mark Tauscher wanted only one thing during his career with the Green Bay Packers.

He wanted to be invisible.

Anchoring the right tackle position for more than a decade, Tauscher's goal every Sunday was to remain as anonymous as possible, at the same time taking great pains to make sure the guy across from him remained so, too.

Last Friday, the former University of Wisconsin player got the news that the Packers, unable to pass him on his physical because of a shoulder injury, were letting him go. Just as quietly as Tauscher entered the NFL in 2000, his association with the Packers ended.

The news came from general manager Ted Thompson, and Tauscher accepted it as the kind of business decision that happens every day in the National Football League. No hard feelings, no tears, no fanfare.

If this is it, Tauscher has few regrets.

"I think what I always wanted was to get the most out of my abilities and you knew when I went out there to play I was going to give everything I had," he said. "I feel like I can say that and sleep pretty well at night."

In this state, Tauscher is as homegrown as dairy cows, cheese curds and tailgate parties. Born in Marshfield and a graduate of Auburndale High School, Tauscher progressed from walk-on to starter at UW before landing with the Packers.

Among Wisconsin natives, only linebacker John Anderson (146) played more regular-season and playoff games for the Packers than Tauscher (134). Of those who played for both Wisconsin and the Packers, Tauscher ranks No. 1 in games played for the Packers.

"The state of Wisconsin should be very proud of him," said former Packers general manager Ron Wolf, who drafted Tauscher in the seventh round in 2000. "He was dedicated to the game. He had a great desire to play. The game was important to him."

Tauscher, 34, isn't completely sure that he's ready to call it quits. He's still working on strengthening the shoulder and hopes to be back to 100% fairly soon.

Whether there's a team out there that wants him or one for which he wants to play will be determined later. Right now, Tauscher is helping tend to his infant son and thinking about whether he should put his master's degree in educational administration to use or even consider a job in coaching.

"I'm just worried about what I can control and that's getting healthy and then trying to figure out what my next step is going to be, whether that's playing or not playing," he said. "I'll have to figure that out.

"It really just comes back to how I'm feeling that's going to be the factor. How that plays out, I don't really know."

Many fans want to know if there's a chance that Tauscher would return to the Packers when he's healthy, but there was no talk of that in his discussion with Thompson. The Packers are loaded with young linemen, and Thompson needs to find out whether they can play.

Tauscher can certainly relate to that. A seventh-round draft choice in 2000, people gave him an ice cube's chance in hot coffee of making it past the first round of cuts. One guy who did give him a chance was Wolf, even though Tauscher had been a starter at Wisconsin for just one season.

"They had all these other top guys, but once you went to a Wisconsin practice and watched the pre-drills you'd see his athletic ability," Wolf said. "They had these foot drills they did with soccer balls and he was phenomenal.

"He had exceptional footwork and balance and strength."

Tauscher lasted until the seventh round because he had a terrible looking body. He was wide and pudgy and poorly defined and that likely turned off a lot of scouts. But Wolf saw through that.

Then the best thing that could have happened to Tauscher did when he arrived at Packers training camp in the summer of 2000. He was the only lineman signed to a contract for the three-day rookie pre-camp workouts.

So while the other rookies worked in groups, Tauscher worked by himself with offensive line coach Larry Beightol. The one-on-one tutoring was perfect for the eager Tauscher, but even better because it allowed Beightol to see how much potential the rookie had.

Tauscher knew he arrived when in a one-on-one blocking drill later in camp, he took enormously strong end Vonnie Holliday and threw him on the ground.

"I laugh at Vonnie about this, that Vonnie helped me get my foot in the door," Tauscher said. "There was a lot of hooting and hollering and everybody was asking what's going on. That's when I thought, 'I can get this thing done.' "

Tauscher took over the right tackle starting job from Earl Dotson in Week 3 of his rookie season and became a fixture on the offensive line. He was so steady and reliable that players used to go up to his teammates after games and say, 'I can't believe I couldn't beat that guy.' "

He was reliable and so technically sound that he did not commit a holding penalty until his seventh season. Among the players he had frustrated over the years were Reggie White, Julius Peppers, Michael Strahan, DeMarcus Ware and Jevon Kearse.

"You try to be as invisible." Tauscher said. "You want to do everything well, but in the grand scheme of things, if you don't give up sacks and pressures and don't get penalized you're going to be a pretty successful player.

"And you show up. I had a (57)-game streak, those are things you take a lot of pride in, not being penalized and being able to be counted on."

If Tauscher doesn't play another snap, he'll have more than made his mark in Green Bay and certainly with the Super Bowl XLV team even though he spent the last 16 games on injured reserve.

Coach Mike McCarthy asked Tauscher to hang around so he could lend his expertise to the offensive line and keep everyone loose as he always had done. Tauscher agreed and attended Friday and Saturday meetings.

"From what I know, the guy hasn't changed from the moment he got here to the moment he left," said Tauscher's successor, first-round pick Bryan Bulaga. "That speaks volumes about him. When the rookies came in my class, he was a great guy to us.

"You just saw the type of person he was. That's how I remember him, how helpful he was and his humor."

Tauscher, who served as the team's union rep, won't be along for the ride when the Packers go to the White House, which is a disappointment given his interest in politics. But he said it's enough to have the big, gaudy Super Bowl ring the club gave out in June to remind him of everything he accomplished.

"I completely understand it and I'm not the least bit upset about it," he said. "You have to be able to roll with the punches, and I think it will be a great time for those guys."

Tauscher: A Tremendous Performer

By Bob McGinn

July 29, 2011

You'd almost have to go back to Sept. 1, 1986, when coach Forrest Gregg purged quarterback Lynn Dickey and tight end Paul Coffman, to recall a day like Friday in the annals of the Green Bay Packers.

Among the big names terminated was Mark Tauscher.

This isn't meant to be a full-blown analysis of Tauscher's career in Green Bay. This blog really isn't the vehicle for that.

Instead, let's just recall Tauscher by some of the numbers by which offensive linemen are measured.

To do so, it's inevitable that Tauscher has to be compared to Chad Clifton, his friend and fellow tackle. They were drafted together in 2000, they became starters together in 2000 and they were the team's starting tackles until the fourth game last season when Tauscher's season, and presumably career, ended with a torn rotator cuff against Detroit.

We know how really good Clifton has been for a really long time. Finally, he was selected for the Pro Bowl in 2010 after having been an alternate twice before. Tauscher never made the Pro Bowl, and if he ever was chosen as an alternate the club never released it.

Because of injury, Clifton has played more games than Tauscher. Counting playoffs, Clifton has played in 171 games, starting 166, whereas Tauscher played in 142 games, starting 140.

Clifton's margin in starts of 26 is a significant number when you start examining raw totals in various categories, as we shall do.

OK, let's start by looking at sacks allowed during each of their careers. If I've learned anything on this beat, it's that responsibility for sacks is what you think it is maybe 65% of the time. There are all kinds of variables that affect sack responsibility, and over the years I've done my level best to ascertain who truly was responsible for every sack allowed by the Packers.

SACKS ALLOWED: Tauscher 20 1/2, Clifton 37.

OK, let's move to "bad" runs. I started this in the late 1990s in an attempt to measure run blocking. I defined a "bad" run as a gain for 1 yard or less in non-goalline or non-short yardage situations. Why didn't I just say no gain or worse? Just an arbitrary decision.

BAD RUNS: Tauscher 82, Clifton 106 1/2.

OK, let's move to penalties. This total is for penalties that were accepted. Penalties that were declined or offsetting were not counted.

PENALTIES: Tauscher 28, Clifton 77.

The above three categories measure pass blocking, run blocking, poise and discipline. They do not consider that Clifton played LT and Tauscher played RT, and that by and large Clifton played against somewhat better opponents at RDE/ROLB than Tauscher did playing against LDE/LOLB.

But considering how well Clifton has played and continues to play, seeing how those numbers favor Tauscher are rather startling.

Clifton was blessed by better health. His one terrible injury was the separated pelvis that he suffered in Tampa Bay in 2002. Tauscher, on the other hand, suffered three: the torn ACL in New Orleans in 2002, the torn ACL in Houston in 2008 and the torn rotator cuff against Detroit in 2010. Each had other physical problems that kept them out of games.

Each year since the early 1990s, scouts from the division teams have picked an all-NFC Central and then all-NFC North team for the JS. Here's how Tauscher fared on those teams at RT:

2000: T3 behind Korey Stringer.

2001: 2nd behind Big Cat Williams.

2002: Injured.

2003: T1 with Mike Rosenthal.

2004: 2nd behind John Tait.

2005: 1st (unanimous).

2006: 2nd behind Fred Miller.

2007: 1st (unanimous).

2008: 2nd behind Tait.

2009: 3rd behind Phil Loadholt.

2010: Bryan Bulaga was the GB rep at RT.

So, in nine seasons, Tauscher was first three times, second four times and third twice. He was never fourth or fifth.

The point of all this should be rather obvious. Tauscher was one hell of a football player.

Over his 11 seasons, I must have talked to more than 100 scouts and assistant coaches about Tauscher's game. Some guys just could never get over the way he looked in a uniform. Over time, some almost grudingly came to admit that he was a solid player.

It's true. Tauscher didn't look exactly cut on the field. But he possessed remarkable athletic ability, remarkable powers of concentration and remarkable intangibles that made him a worthy successor to Earl Dotson at the position and a proud predecessor for Bulaga.

Tauscher was an acquired taste. One needed to see him play every game over a period of years to appreciate him. A four-game segment of a season or hurried off-season tape work wasn't enough.

When the waiting period is up, Tauscher will have his induction night into the team's Hall of Fame. That will be well-deserved, of course, but it might be a little too slick for No. 65.

Mark Tauscher doesn't need his name on a plaque or the Pro Bowl that now is skewed by fan voting to know what he accomplished. He just wanted to play the game well, and play it well he did.

Tauscher eager to get off and running

By Jim Polzin

September 12, 2010


Green Bay offensive tackle Mark Tauscher (65) beats Chiefs defensive tackle Ron Edwards to a loose ball in a 2007 game at Kansas City.

PHILADELPHIA — Like many of you, Mark Tauscher was camped out in front of a TV when the Green Bay Packers opened the season a year ago.

Chances are, you got a lot more enjoyment out of the Packers’ 21-15 win over the Chicago Bears than Tauscher did. Watching the game at home with his wife and some friends was pure torture for Tauscher, a former University of Wisconsin athlete who was out of football while undergoing rehab for his injured knee.

“It was tough,” Tauscher said earlier this week. “That’s kind of when reality set in. … It was really weird. I kind of had an understanding of the situation, so that made it a little bit easier. But it was definitely tough to watch.”

You can imagine the mixed emotions tugging at Tauscher. These were his teammates — some of whom are among his closest friends — winning a game against one of the team’s hated rivals. Naturally, he felt happy for them.

But to watch the game play out on a big screen instead of being there manning his usual spot at right tackle? And not knowing when he’d get back on the field — or which team he’d be playing for if he did? Naturally, he felt sorry for himself.

And his attempt to be a neutral observer? Well, that failed miserably.

So here we are, 364 days later, and Tauscher is back where he belongs. When the Packers begin the 2010 season today against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Tauscher will be making his 129th career start at right tackle for a team many are predicting will end up in the Super Bowl.

“This,” Tauscher said, “is obviously a better scenario.”

Road to recovery

Tauscher tore the ACL in his left knee during a game against the Houston Texans late in the ’08 season. The timing couldn’t have worse for the Auburndale native, who went into the offseason as a free agent.

In March of last year, Tauscher contacted the UW strength and conditioning staff and began rehab work under the watchful eye of assistant director Scott Hettenbach and athletic trainer Henry Perez-Guerra.

Tauscher worked out five days a week at the Kohl Center. On the weekends, he did more work on his own.

“It was difficult because he didn’t know if the Packers were going to bring him back, but he really never wavered,” Hettenbach said. “It was low-key — he didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.

“His whole thing was to be ready when a phone call comes, whether it was the Packers or somebody else.”

The phone eventually rang and it was indeed the Packers, who were in desperate need of some help before their franchise quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, ended up in a full body cast. Tauscher re-signed with Green Bay Oct. 12 and replaced overmatched right tackle Allen Barbre in the starting lineup less than four weeks later at Tampa Bay.

To say Tauscher’s return saved the Packers’ season would be a huge stretch, but there are numbers to support the argument his presence provided a major boost to a struggling offensive line.

The Packers were 6-2 in Tauscher’s eight starts. More importantly, after allowing 41 sacks in the first nine games of the season, Green Bay allowed 10 in the final seven. All of those seven games included Tauscher and left tackle Chad Clifton, who missed four games with an ankle injury early in the season, as the bookends of the offensive line.

“There was certainly a benefit to having him back,” Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said of the 6-foot-3, 320-pound Tauscher, a seventh-round draft pick in 1999. “I think he contributed, obviously. You’re playing a team sport, you’ve got 11 guys, you hope that as the season goes on your football team’s going to get better, you’re going to see improvement from everybody.

“I think all those things add up. He certainly may have made a difference, but you certainly hope that the other guys around him rallied a little bit and got better as well.”

Tauscher’s biggest impact might have come in the locker room. He’s popular among his teammates — especially Rodgers — and served as a calming influence upon his return, according to his teammates.

“It was nice having him back, just having another veteran in the group,” center Scott Wells said. “We were a very young offensive line last year when he wasn’t there. Even when he wasn’t playing (after rejoining the team), just talking to the guys that were playing and giving them some pointers (was great). It was almost like having a player-coach.”

Fresh outlook

Tauscher, who turned 33 in June, enters his 11th season with a new lease on his career. He signed a two-year contract worth more than $8 million in the offseason and, unlike most years when he dreads the start of training camp, actually looked forward to it this time around.

“This is as good as I’ve felt in a couple years,” he said. “I feel refreshed. I feel like a young 30-year-old.”

It shows, according to Packers offensive line coach James Campen.

“I’ve never had that type of surgery,” Campen said. “(Packers assistant offensive line coach Jerry) Fontenot has had it and others have had it, and they say the next year is better, much better. And certainly from a mental standpoint he feels much better. Certainly his movement and just look at him — look at his physique, I’m sure you guys can see that, too — he’s in shape and he looks good.

“He looks as good as he ever has. His weight’s down, so I’m sure he’s very confident.”

The entire offensive line is confident. The starting group — Tauscher, Clifton, Wells and guards Daryn Colledge and Josh Sitton — got an abundance of reps during training camp and played well. Rodgers wasn’t sacked in the preseason — he attempted 53 passes — and led the No. 1 offense to seven touchdowns on 13 possessions.

“I think the biggest thing is, there’s a lot of maturity in that room,” Campen said. “And the maturity has come from the younger guys growing up and obviously the guys in the middle recognizing that what transpired the first eight, nine games and seeing it shift over and performing pretty good the last half of the season.

“I think that just knowing what that was like and felt like and the criticism — which were all just and correct — they don’t want to go back to that.”

Tauscher doesn’t want to go back, either. He certainly feels much more comfortable at right tackle than he does in front of a TV.