NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, CFL stats



 Philadelphia Soul

Soul's Unsung Hero: Tommy Taggart

July 10, 2015 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Philadelphia Soul News Release


PHILADELPHIA (July 10, 2015) - The Philadelphia Soul acquired a handful of top players from the former AFL team, the Pittsburgh Power, earlier in the year. One of those players was FB Tommy Taggart. Tommy is in his fifth year in the League after spending time with San Jose, Dallas, and New Orleans as well. He may be new to the City of Brotherly Love, but it no newcomer to the game of football.

Taggart started his football journey in fourth grade. He continued on to play at the University of Oklahoma, during two of the school's most successful years. Not only did they appear in the Fiesta Bowl back-to-back years (2007-08), Sooner quarterback Sam Bradford was a proud recipient of the Heisman Trophy in 2008.

"The biggest difference from my past football experience to the AFL is back then I used to play defense, which is very different than playing offense," said Taggart. "When I first got into the League it was just ending when guys played both way. Coaching then made us practice both sides, but I had an opportunity to sit for my first game ever playing defensive line or start playing offensive line, so I decided to play and it has been the journey ever since."

Since joining the Soul for the 2015 season, he is No. 3 in the League in rushing yards. He currently has 236 rushing yards and eight touchdowns for the season. He is joined by a strong offensive group that currently has the second highest offense in the League with a total of 115 touchdowns.

"It is rare to find a group of guys that match so well and are friends off the field," says Taggart. "We truly play like brothers on the field. The Soul has been a great place to succeed and play well which makes everything so enjoyable."

Tommy along with offensive linemen: Shannon Breen, Adam Smith, and Neal Tivis are all a part of the group that have provided outstanding pass protection for Raudabaugh all season. These unsung heroes have attributed to quarterback Dan's record-breaking season. Raudabaugh is currently leading the League in passing with 3,985 yards and 84 touchdowns. He is also the leading contender for MVP and Offensive Player of the Year.

"Tommy is the best blocking fullback in the League and Dan's numbers this season are definitely a reflection of that," said Soul General Manager Tom Goodhines. "Adding a guy like Tommy to our pass protection has been exactly what we were hoping for and are proving to be the real difference makers for Dan and our entire team this year."

Philadelphia Soul Assistant Head Coach, Phil Bogle also has great things to say about Taggart as far as a player and person.

"He has been a great addition to our team and brings veteran leadership," said Bogle. "On pass protection he has been key and brings another element with his run game. He's like a coach on the field and we couldn't ask for better leadership out of him."

During his time at the University of Oklahoma, Taggart was teammates with two new Philadelphia Eagles, Sam Bradford and Demarco Murray. All three past teammates ironically ended up in Philadelphia to continue playing the sport they are passionate about.

"Sam is a great guy, everything he has gotten in life he has earned, I respect him a lot and he is a great leader," said Taggart. "DeMarco plays really hard as well, he's definitely someone you would want on your team."

Taggart split time with two universities, starting off at Midwestern State University before transferring to the University of Oklahoma. Named All-Conference his redshirt freshman season at Midwestern State University. The Texas native is looking to break his career high of 12 touchdowns in a regular single season in the last four games left.

The Soul play the Cleveland Gladiators for the second time this season at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday, July 11. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. and will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.


• Discuss this story on the Arena Football League message board...

Arena Football League Stories from July 10, 2015


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Philadelphia Soul Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central