Steve Taneyhill, the former South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback whose on-field confidence and unmistakable style made him a fan favorite in the 1990s, has died. He was 52.
The University of South Carolina athletic department confirmed to ESPN on Monday, December 15, that Taneyhill passed away overnight in his sleep. No cause of death has been announced.
A native of Altoona, Pennsylvania, Taneyhill played for the Gamecocks from 1992 to 1995 and left a lasting imprint on the program during a pivotal era.
He arrived in Columbia as a highly touted freshman and quickly made noise, earning Freshman of the Year honors from Sports Illustrated and Football News in 1992.
Taneyhill’s junior season became one of the most important in school history. In 1994, he led the Gamecocks to their first-ever bowl victory, a win over West Virginia in the Carquest Bowl that helped elevate the program’s national profile.
Known as much for his swagger as his arm, Taneyhill became synonymous with his long, flowing mullet and his signature “home run swing” celebration after touchdown passes.
Statistically, his impact still stands out decades later. Taneyhill finished his career with school records for completions (753) and passing touchdowns (62). He remains second all-time at South Carolina in passing yards with 8,782 and ranks among the program’s leaders in completion percentage.
His senior year in 1995 was particularly productive, as he led the SEC in completions, attempts, and completion percentage while throwing for more than 3,000 yards and 29 touchdowns.
Some of Taneyhill’s single-game performances remain etched into the record books. He posted eight 300-yard passing games during his career, including a 471-yard outing against Mississippi State in 1995, one of the highest totals in school history. To this day, he accounts for three of the top four passing-yardage games ever recorded by a Gamecock.
After college, Taneyhill signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 1997 but was released during the preseason and never appeared in an NFL game.
He later found success on the sidelines, coaching high school football and guiding Chesterfield High School to three consecutive South Carolina state championships from 2007 to 2009.
Taneyhill was inducted into the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006.