From farm field to football field

Growing up on his family’s dairy farm, Mark Tauscher never dreamed he would one day cap off an 11-year career with the Green Bay Packers, part of a team that brought the coveted Lombardi Trophy home to Wisconsin.

Tauscher grew up on his parents’ Wood County dairy farm near Milladore, Wisconsin, where the family milked around 70 cows, until the herd was sold in 1990.

“I have a lot of really fond memories, growing up on that farm with my sister and brother,” Tauscher said. “There was a big family right up the street from us and we would just get together and play sports — football, basketball, baseball, Wiffle ball. I always loved sports and wanted to play as many sports as I could.”

Tauscher graduated from Auburndale High School, where he started playing football and basketball in seventh grade.

“Until I started getting bigger as a junior and senior, football really wasn’t on my radar,” Tauscher said. “Auburndale was known for its basketball team, so that was always the goal — growing up, you went and watched the high school basketball team, with Tim Anderson leading it. That was always the sport you wanted to play growing up in Auburndale.”

As his high school graduation approached, Tauscher had planned to head to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point to play football there. Fate intervened and opened unexpected doors that led Tauscher on a path towards the National Football League.

“Our basketball team was really good and we ended up making it to the state tournament in 1995,” Tauscher said. “We played in the field house in Madison. Pat O’Connor, the Badgers’ walk-on recruiting coordinator, was there watching. He came up and talked to my coach after the game, which was the first contact I had with anyone from the University of Wisconsin. Two weeks later, they asked me to walk on, (the football team) and I decided to take it. The rest is kind of history.”

Joining the Badgers as a walk-on was an intimidating experience, but one Tauscher said his rural upbringing helped him prepare for.

“Coming from a small town, it was a huge transition,” Tauscher said. “The first six months were really hard. I was probably one of the last guys on the roster and you’re going against a bunch of starters. But I’m really glad I stuck it through.”

After red shirting his freshman year, Tauscher gradually started seeing playing time as a sophomore, eventually becoming a starter on the offensive line, blocking for Heisman Trophy winner, Ron Dayne. Tauscher experienced two Rose Bowl wins as a Badger starter in 1999 and 2000.

“My time at Wisconsin was unbelievable,” Tauscher said “I didn’t really ever anticipate going to the NFL; we had a lot of really good players. Then we won the Rose Bowl and I got invited to a couple of all-star games, one in Hawaii and one in California. And then you go to the combine and do all of that, then you go back to Wisconsin and wait.”

Tauscher was selected by the Packers in the seventh round of the NFL draft.

“I went later than I would have liked to go, but I got the opportunity to play for the team I grew up rooting for my whole life,” Tauscher said. “So obviously it worked out pretty well for me.”

Tauscher said the transition from college to the NFL was easier for him than high school to college. The experience was still surreal however for the central Wisconsin farm boy.

“The first time I walked into the locker room and saw Brett Favre, Frankie Winters, Vonnie Holliday — all the guys that I had just seen playing and grew up watching — that was crazy,” Tauscher said. “Then, to figure out that I was going to start blocking, trying to protect Brett Favre, the first couple of weeks it was kind of crazy. Then you figure out you’d better get to it, or you’re not going to be here very long.”

Tauscher recalled a memorable moment from his rookie season.

“We were playing the Carolina Panthers on a Monday night; Reggie White was playing for them and he really wanted to sack Brett Favre,” Tauscher said. “One of the first plays of the game we were running a key pass that I’m supposed to bring Reggie White along with me and Brett’s supposed to roll out and I got my hand up in his face a little bit. As I was walking back to the huddle, I’ll never forget Reggie, with that deep voice, say, ‘Get your hands out of my face, young man,’ and I just said, ‘Yes, sir.’ That was just one of those moments — I couldn’t believe I was blocking Reggie, with Brett right behind me. As a rookie, that was a pretty cool deal.”

Tauscher played 11 seasons with the Packers, retiring after the team won Super Bowl XLV, after suffering a season-ending injury during the season’s fourth week. After his football career, Tauscher joined the Badger Radio Network as a broadcaster.

A lifelong fan who earned the rare opportunity to wear the green and gold, Tauscher believes the spirit of community is what makes the team special.

“It’s not privately owned, it’s the people’s team,” Tauscher said. “Everybody feels a part of it.”

Tauscher credits growing up on the farm with laying the foundation for his success. He recalled being assigned to watch the barn cleaner chute at the age of 5, to ensure it did not plug up while running. Many spring and summer days were spent picking rocks and unloading and stacking small squares in the hay mow.

“I remember complaining to my dad when I was 8 or 9 about unloading hay on my birthday,” Tauscher said. “He told me the cows probably didn’t care it was my birthday, that you just have to go about doing your business every day.”

That idea stuck with Tauscher he said, particularly as he watched one of his sports idols recognized for showing up every day.

“I always admired Cal Ripkin Jr., that he never missed a game,” Tauscher said. “It was a good reminder … about the value of showing up. Growing up on the farm, you learned that you have to show up, work hard and deliver in your role every day. It wasn’t always fun at the time, but now looking back at it, I couldn’t be more thankful. Everything I’ve earned in life, I can relate back to having that foundation growing up. The more time passes, the more I appreciate the time we had as a family on that farm.”