July 16, 2025 • 5 mins
In this episode, Craig Way sits down with three Texas Longhorns standouts — linebacker Anthony Hill, quarterback Arch Manning, and defensive back Michael Taaffe — for a rare and insightful roundtable at SEC Media Days. The trio opens up about stepping into leadership roles, building a lasting legacy, and the bond that fuels team chemistry. From Arch's growth heading into year two, to Taaffe's take on significance over success, to Hill’s perspective on rising culture, this conversation offers a candid look into the minds of Texas football’s future. Whether you're a die-hard fan or just love the game, this one’s a must-listen.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
So this is the unique opportunity here to visit with
Anthony Hill and Arch Manning and Michael taff All at
the same time.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
This is good.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
I like the perspective, and I'm going to start with
you and you've been down this road a little bit.
So what's the feeling like coming back to SEC mediaday
and get ready for another year.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
I mean it feels pretty good. This is my first
time here just doing media, so I'm just ready to
learn some new things, get to talk about myself and
have some fun.
Speaker 4 (00:24):
Man.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Yeah, well, all right, speaking the first times, everybody's going
to ask you Arch about the first time, this first
time that all that kind of stuff. How much does
how much having the first year out of the way,
now in the program and now getting ready to be
the quarterback of this team? How much had last year
help for this year?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (00:45):
I think last year helped a lot of getting in
some games and game like reps. It was huge when
we learned from Quinn. I think it's ready to take
off this year.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Do you guys refer to Bookie is like old head grandpa,
any of that kind of stuff. Yeah, and you're used
to that by.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
That, right, I guess I'm used to that.
Speaker 5 (01:05):
We used to make fun of David Benda all the
time last year for six years, and so now I'm
I'm glad that the uh the car was coming back
to me and I'm I'm getting called on I'm getting
called uh coach granddad.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
So yeah, it's a tumbling for sure.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Okay, all right, So on that subject, Michael, how important
is it for you and your role to be kind
of a bigger brother, Not necessarily an uncle or a grandpa,
but the guy that that that kind of provides some
of the guidance as well as the leadership stuff.
Speaker 5 (01:37):
Yeah, I think it's important for the university and the brand.
I always try to talk about being significant instead of successful,
because at the end of the day, if I'm successful
and I only bring that with me, then that does
no good and my name will die and have no remembrance.
But if I can try to be significant in this
locker room, then maybe a guy like Grayson Littleton, who's
(01:59):
a young, you know, stud, he can see what I'm
doing and that carries on down the line. And uh
burn Orange isn't just you know, something that's talked about
in twenty twenty five, but it's talked about in twenty
thirty five, and you know the standards, the standard at
the University of Texas.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
So I'm trying to hold that.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Yeah, you brought up the remembrance by how important is that?
Speaker 5 (02:22):
Yeah, I think that's really important just because you you
die and you don't carry any your money, you don't
carry any of your success, but your name gets remembered,
and so who are you going to be remembered as
when everybody's at your funeral? And I try to think
about that, not in a in a negative way, but
in a positive way. And uh, just trying to be
significant and you know, trying to shed light on everybody
(02:44):
that I can.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
And yeah, really as well said right, that's right. Following
that up, well, here's what I'm going to ask you,
because there's always going to be so much attention on
the way that this program has evolved. And now into
the what what's what's the biggest change you've seen from
that first year went in the big twelve for you
(03:06):
to last year. What's the biggest change you've seen to that?
Speaker 3 (03:08):
The biggest change I seen. The biggest change I've seen
is just the environment.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Man.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
I feel like we have a good culture we're getting
better every year, and some of the younger guys are
kind of taking the next steps even more than we took.
And we're just getting better every year, and we're just
finding new ways to learn how to win.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
And it's not like your a fresh face either. I mean,
here's third year. So how do you judge your role
in the leadership thing? For some of the young guys.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
It definitely changed.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
I kind of think about what guys like Murf Murph Bearing, Surreal,
Jay Ford. I kind of think about what they did
and try to make it into my own way and
my own type of style.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Arch. One of the things that I'm sure that everybody
in the assemble media will be asking you is all
about the lineage and family and not just your uncles
and your grandfather, but just the family overall and what
it means. How important is family to you with the
team and family with your meat family and your extended fan.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
Yeah, family means everything to me. I think our team
is really closest here. I can, you know, talk crap
with all these guys on and off the field and
go get dinner together. And so I think that's when
it comes to tight moments, you rely on each other
and play for each other, and that's why we're so close,
and that's why it's.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Like a family.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
So Michael, how good a crap talkers are?
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Yeah? I don't.
Speaker 5 (04:21):
I don't love to admit that people get under my skin.
But he can admit if he got under my skin
or not on on Tuesday when they caught a choice
route on me and he let me know.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
But do you see it the similar way with what
do you do?
Speaker 3 (04:35):
I'm in a box so I can hear a little
bit more, but I try to get after we compete.
We've been give peene since we were fish miss, so
I get to see it, see it a lot more.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
All right, one final thing here from the three here,
I'd like to get all of you to tell me
what is it you're looking forward to the most once
practice starts and you get ready for the coming season.
I'll start with you.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
An I just like taking it all the moments, man,
I really don't think about just one little thing. I
just want to go out there and focus on the
details every day in jes to get.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Better, Archie, make you thank selfishly enough.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
I'm looking forward to taking the reps with the ones
this year.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
It kind of means a lot. Yeah, I'm not gonna
take it for granted. Is it more of a comfort
thing now? But taking those reps.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
I think so.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Yeah, sir.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
You know we've got a spring and summer to build
up those reps and ready to go.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
For it in fall camp.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Okay, I have a feeling this is your last score
around this time, right.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
This is my last go round. I have no choice
this time.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
So what are you looking forward to the most once
you get practiced going, Michael.
Speaker 5 (05:31):
Yeah, I think football, at least dB wise, it's all
about confidence. And we have a pretty good opponent week one.
You know, that's going to challenge our defensive back room
with all those guys at Ohio State and so getting
to guard a Manda Man, Ryan Wingo, DeAndre Moore and
then Moseley Parker Livingston, that's gonna give me a lot
of confidence going into Week one. So I'm excited to
(05:52):
have them win some battles, but hopefully me win some
battles too,
So this is the unique opportunity here to visit with
Anthony Hill and Arch Manning and Michael taff All at
the same time.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
This is good.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
I like the perspective, and I'm going to start with
you and you've been down this road a little bit.
So what's the feeling like coming back to SEC mediaday
and get ready for another year.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
I mean it feels pretty good. This is my first
time here just doing media, so I'm just ready to
learn some new things, get to talk about myself and
have some fun.
Speaker 4 (00:24):
Man.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Yeah, well, all right, speaking the first times, everybody's going
to ask you Arch about the first time, this first
time that all that kind of stuff. How much does
how much having the first year out of the way,
now in the program and now getting ready to be
the quarterback of this team? How much had last year
help for this year?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (00:45):
I think last year helped a lot of getting in
some games and game like reps. It was huge when
we learned from Quinn. I think it's ready to take
off this year.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Do you guys refer to Bookie is like old head grandpa,
any of that kind of stuff. Yeah, and you're used
to that by.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
That, right, I guess I'm used to that.
Speaker 5 (01:05):
We used to make fun of David Benda all the
time last year for six years, and so now I'm
I'm glad that the uh the car was coming back
to me and I'm I'm getting called on I'm getting
called uh coach granddad.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
So yeah, it's a tumbling for sure.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Okay, all right, So on that subject, Michael, how important
is it for you and your role to be kind
of a bigger brother, Not necessarily an uncle or a grandpa,
but the guy that that that kind of provides some
of the guidance as well as the leadership stuff.
Speaker 5 (01:37):
Yeah, I think it's important for the university and the brand.
I always try to talk about being significant instead of successful,
because at the end of the day, if I'm successful
and I only bring that with me, then that does
no good and my name will die and have no remembrance.
But if I can try to be significant in this
locker room, then maybe a guy like Grayson Littleton, who's
(01:59):
a young, you know, stud, he can see what I'm
doing and that carries on down the line. And uh
burn Orange isn't just you know, something that's talked about
in twenty twenty five, but it's talked about in twenty
thirty five, and you know the standards, the standard at
the University of Texas.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
So I'm trying to hold that.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Yeah, you brought up the remembrance by how important is that?
Speaker 5 (02:22):
Yeah, I think that's really important just because you you
die and you don't carry any your money, you don't
carry any of your success, but your name gets remembered,
and so who are you going to be remembered as
when everybody's at your funeral? And I try to think
about that, not in a in a negative way, but
in a positive way. And uh, just trying to be
significant and you know, trying to shed light on everybody
(02:44):
that I can.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
And yeah, really as well said right, that's right. Following
that up, well, here's what I'm going to ask you,
because there's always going to be so much attention on
the way that this program has evolved. And now into
the what what's what's the biggest change you've seen from
that first year went in the big twelve for you
(03:06):
to last year. What's the biggest change you've seen to that?
Speaker 3 (03:08):
The biggest change I seen. The biggest change I've seen
is just the environment.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Man.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
I feel like we have a good culture we're getting
better every year, and some of the younger guys are
kind of taking the next steps even more than we took.
And we're just getting better every year, and we're just
finding new ways to learn how to win.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
And it's not like your a fresh face either. I mean,
here's third year. So how do you judge your role
in the leadership thing? For some of the young guys.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
It definitely changed.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
I kind of think about what guys like Murf Murph Bearing, Surreal,
Jay Ford. I kind of think about what they did
and try to make it into my own way and
my own type of style.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Arch. One of the things that I'm sure that everybody
in the assemble media will be asking you is all
about the lineage and family and not just your uncles
and your grandfather, but just the family overall and what
it means. How important is family to you with the
team and family with your meat family and your extended fan.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
Yeah, family means everything to me. I think our team
is really closest here. I can, you know, talk crap
with all these guys on and off the field and
go get dinner together. And so I think that's when
it comes to tight moments, you rely on each other
and play for each other, and that's why we're so close,
and that's why it's.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Like a family.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
So Michael, how good a crap talkers are?
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Yeah? I don't.
Speaker 5 (04:21):
I don't love to admit that people get under my skin.
But he can admit if he got under my skin
or not on on Tuesday when they caught a choice
route on me and he let me know.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
But do you see it the similar way with what
do you do?
Speaker 3 (04:35):
I'm in a box so I can hear a little
bit more, but I try to get after we compete.
We've been give peene since we were fish miss, so
I get to see it, see it a lot more.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
All right, one final thing here from the three here,
I'd like to get all of you to tell me
what is it you're looking forward to the most once
practice starts and you get ready for the coming season.
I'll start with you.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
An I just like taking it all the moments, man,
I really don't think about just one little thing. I
just want to go out there and focus on the
details every day in jes to get.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Better, Archie, make you thank selfishly enough.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
I'm looking forward to taking the reps with the ones
this year.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
It kind of means a lot. Yeah, I'm not gonna
take it for granted. Is it more of a comfort
thing now? But taking those reps.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
I think so.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Yeah, sir.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
You know we've got a spring and summer to build
up those reps and ready to go.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
For it in fall camp.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Okay, I have a feeling this is your last score
around this time, right.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
This is my last go round. I have no choice
this time.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
So what are you looking forward to the most once
you get practiced going, Michael.
Speaker 5 (05:31):
Yeah, I think football, at least dB wise, it's all
about confidence. And we have a pretty good opponent week one.
You know, that's going to challenge our defensive back room
with all those guys at Ohio State and so getting
to guard a Manda Man, Ryan Wingo, DeAndre Moore and
then Moseley Parker Livingston, that's gonna give me a lot
of confidence going into Week one. So I'm excited to
(05:52):
have them win some battles, but hopefully me win some
battles too,
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