USC assistant responsible for recruiting Steve Taneyhill reflects on time with Gamecock legend

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Former South Carolina quarterback Steve Taneyhill died this week, leaving Gamecock Nation mourning one of their legendary athletes.

Taneyhill, from Altoona, Pennsylvania, made an impact from the moment he stepped on campus in 1992.

Rich Bisaccia, currently the special teams coordinator and assistant head coach for the Green Bay Packers, was responsible for recruiting Taneyhill to South Carolina over 30 years ago when he was a Gamecock assistant working for head coach Sparky Woods.

Bisaccia was given the responsibility of recruiting Taneyhill and traveled to Pennsylvania to visit with the quarterback. When he returned to Columbia, he told recruiting coordinator Nick Gasparato they had to do whatever it takes to sign Taneyhill.

“When I got back from that visit with Nick, Nick’s like, we got no chance,” Bisaccia said. “Alabama just offered them, and Penn State’s trying to get them, and on and on. And I just said, well, I said, we’re going to get this kid. I’m going to do whatever we can, you know, to try to get him.”

“We just started a recruiting blitz, as you might call it,” Bisaccia continued, “as we did back in the day. Handwritten notes and phone calls on the same night every week at the same time. We had just gotten into the SEC, and I think that was appealing to him. And then the atmosphere when he came on the official visit was phenomenal.”

Tanneyhill went on to shatter multiple school passing records during his tenure, also being named Sports Illustrated’s Freshman of the Year in 1992.

Watch the full interview below:

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