’09 TX K Nicholas Tausch (6/17/08 Notre Dame LOI)

[irishunclebill]

Kicker
Jesuit High School ( http://www.jesuitcp.org/) (Dallas, TX)

Links of Interest:
Rivals Profile (http://notredame.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=79409&sport=1)

Height: 6 foot-1
Weight: 180 lbs.

Combine
Forty:
Bench Reps:
Bench Max:
Squat Max:
Shuttle:
Vertical:
GPA:

Star Ratings
Rivals.com: **
Scout.com:

Rankings & Accolades

Statistics
2006-
2007-

Schools of Interest
Notre Dame

Multimedia

[irishunclebill]

Nicholas Tausch

http://i28.tinypic.com/se1sae.jpg

[irishunclebill]

Nick’s coach believes that if Dustin Hopkins does not commit to ND shortly after his upcoming unofficial visit to South Bend that the Irish will then offer Nick. The coach also believes that if Nick is offered by ND, he will commit as soon as the offer is given. If this guy is right you might as well pencil in at least one scholarship kicker in this class.

Chris Sailer who is the Kicking guru for High School Football lists Tausch as the #2 PK prospect in the country behind only Hopkins. So again if Nick Tausch’s coach is correct, ND will land one of the top 2 Place Kickers in the country for the Class of 2009.



Chris Sailer Kicking's Comments on Nicholas Tausch:

Nicholas is a great young kicker. He is strong and very smooth. One of the top talents in the Class of 2009. Kicks effortlessly off the ground and gets huge hang time on his kickoffs. Great young kicker and great young man.

[irishunclebill]

Little Trivia Question for you ND Football Alumni geeks.

Dallas Jesuit was a pretty consistent feeder school to ND in the 1970's, especially at one particular postion.

Anybody know what position?

[SoCalDomer]

kicker?

[irishunclebill]

kicker?

Nope. BTW, Is that a word?

[Pete]

OLine

[Doomsday Device]

As a bit of trivia, Nick's dad is Terry Tausch who played guard for the Longhorns in college, and then spent several years in the NFL with the Vikings.

[irishunclebill]

OLine

Getting closer.

[IrishR#1]

Defensive end?

[irishunclebill]

Defensive end?

Wrong side of the line.

[SoCalDomer]

Getting closer.

Punter? :bigsmile: that's not closer?

[IrishChieftain777]

Tight end?

[irishunclebill]

Tight end?

DING! DING! DING!

See link:

http://www.tdjesus.com/getschool.php?school=Jesuit%20Prep&city=Dallas&state=TX


Recruits from Jesuit Prep (Dallas, TX)
Class Name Position Height Weight
1972 Linehan, Paul RB 6-0 195
1972 Weber, Robin TE 6-5 240
1973 Unis, Tom S 5-10 180
1974 Harden, Tony RB 5-10 175
1975 Grindinger, Dennis TE 6-6 230
1977 Grindinger, Tom TE 6-4 212
1978 Ammon, Matt TE 6-4 225

[Svoboda]

From the Chris Sailer 6th Annual National Kicking & Snapping Spring Event held May 17-18, 2008:
Kickoff Results - Class of 2009
Place Name State Avg. Dist. Avg. H.T. Best Kick
1st Dustin Hopkins TX 71.4 4.05 76 / 4.07
2nd Mike Bowlin CA 69.0 3.92 69 / 3.97
3rd Nick Tausch TX 66.8 4.04 66 / 4.29
4th Nicholas Marsh CA 65.2 3.99 68 / 4.10
5th Eric Strack FL 66.0 3.82 68 / 4.02

Field Goal Results - Class of 2009
Place Name State Score
1st Anthony Fera CA 13
2nd Jeff Budzien WI 12
Tied 3rd Dustin Hopkins TX 11
Tied 3rd Jacob Laville CA 11
Tied 3rd Andy Wilder AZ 11
Tied 6th Nick Tausch TX 10
Tied 6th Eric Duale OH 10
Tied 6th Harrison Waid CA 10
Tied 6th Mitch Ewald IL 10
Tied 6th Robb Post CA 10
Tied 6th Colton Schmidt CA 10

http://www.chrissailerkicking.com/index.php?act=GetClip&aid=79
http://www.chrissailerkicking.com/index.php?act=GetClip&aid=82

[Svoboda]

Some tidbits on ND visiting Tausch and the upcoming season.

http://texashsfootball.com/board/index.php?showtopic=38947&st=0&p=495363&#entry495363

[Svoboda]

Tausch is looking like a possibility as I've been told Hopkins may be favoring Florida State. Just another tidbit on Nicolas, his dad is Terry Tausch, who played guard in the NFL for the 49ers and Vikings. His dad played at Texas and was drafted in the 2nd round, pick 39 in 1982.

[IrishKnight1023]

We'll find out soon enough.

[SpanishElite]

ahh kickers. There an odd bunch.... but man do we need them.

[SouthernIrish]

Doesn't sound too good with Hopkins. HOLY CRAP!! Can you see a 5 10 175 TE playing today??!! ND had 2 of them!

[irishunclebill]

Doesn't sound too good with Hopkins. HOLY CRAP!! Can you see a 5 10 175 TE playing today??!! ND had 2 of them!

Seeing conflicting reports on Hopkins, I'm not ready to write him off yet. Hopefully this is resolved by tomorrow at the latest.

[Svoboda]

Tausch was offered today. He committed on the spot. Welcome to the family, Nicholas!

[NDGirlzRock]

Yes....it's confirmed on BGI!!! Welcome to the ND family.....smart decision!!!

[irishunclebill]

I guess his Coach knew what he was talking about. :hcti:

[IrishKnight1023]

Nicce....now the kicker and punter situation got wrapped up quickly.

[SouthernIrish]

DAMN, that was fast!! Glad that is over. Let Hopkins go to F$U if he wants. He can kick another wide right.

[irishunclebill]

One and Done (http://www.blueandgold.com/content/?aid=5524)

Free from B&G.


June 17, 2008

One And Done

by JOHN HAYNSWORTH


While much of the buzz surrounding Notre Dame’s recruitment of a kicker has involved Clear Lake’s (Houston, TX) Dustin Hopkins, Jesuit Prep’s (Dallas, TX) Nicholas Tausch has been content to sit patiently and wait for Hopkins or the Irish to make their move. In a phone call to Charlie Weis this afternoon, Notre Dame made its move for the Dallas kicker, and he immediately accepted his only offer to date.

“(Charlie Weis) told me he had a question for me, and I asked him what that was, and he asked me what I thought about a Notre Dame scholarship offer,” Tausch told BlueandGold.com in a conversation this afternoon. “I told him that I would gladly take it. And he said that I was part of the Irish now.”

Though Hopkins had been the only offered kicker to this point, the Irish coaches have been in close contact with Tausch, his family and his coach, letting him know that if Hopkins wished to delay his decision then he would be next in line to receive an offer thereby creating a first-come, first-serve situation.

“I called Coach Ianello last Thursday and wanted to know how things were going between them and Dustin, and he said that they offered Dustin and that they were going to give him a deadline because they obviously didn’t want to lose both of us. He said that deadline was going to be Monday or Tuesday,” Tausch continued. “I kind of waited, and Coach Ianello talked to my coach and he told me that the deadline was over. Dustin hadn’t said anything, so it was kind of open for me.”

In Tausch, the Irish are getting a kicker widely regarded as one of the best prospects in the country. He admits that he doesn’t get the distance that Hopkins gets on his kickoffs, but he makes up for it with hangtime that allows his special teams the opportunity to get downfield in time to make a play. However, the biggest difference may come in their experience as a kicker at the next level. Tausch has more experience kicking off the ground on field goal attempts and off of a one-inch tee on kickoffs, giving him the jump on adjusting to the college level.

“I do everything that they do in college,” he said with obvious confidence.

The immediate future for Tausch will include his first visit to Notre Dame, hopefully later this month. Like Notre Dame’s other commitment on special teams, P Ben Turk, Tausch committed to the Irish, sights unseen. But he’s got little doubt that Notre Dame is the right place for him.

“It’s really an honor to be a part of Notre Dame,” he proudly acknowledged. “Just to know that it’s got so much history and tradition and great academics….it’s just an overall great University to be a part of. I’m just so happy that I’ve got a scholarship there.”

In Tausch and Turk, the Irish have recruited their first special teams tandem since Joey Hildbold and Nicholas Setta in 1999.

Be sure to check back to BlueandGold.com at 7:00 PM ET and tune in to “Irish Tuesdays” with Ryan O’Leary and Dan Silver as Nick Tausch will join them along with fellow 2009 commit OL Alex Bullard as special call-in guests on tonight’s show.

[Dayton_Domer]

Welcome Nicholas!

[Sureal]

Welcome Mr. Tausch

[IrishGrizz]

Very happy to be able to celebrate Numa Numa time in your honor on the other thread!

[daytonirish]

Welcome to the ND family.

[SpanishElite]

Congrats Nick! Welcome aboard. Get that leg stretched out and ready!

[brownkj002]

Nice pickup for the Irish. I like the fact that he has been using the college tee instead of the high school one.

[mlcspinner]

We are taking special teams very seriously this year. Welcome to the ND family

[Coyote King]

Welcome aboard

[NDisNCin2010]

Welcome to the ND Family Nick!

our kicking duo..."Tausch and Turk"...sounds like a law firm.

[IrishR#1]

Our kicking goes from god awful in 2007 to good in 2008 (Walker will have a nice year) to kick ass in 2009 with 2 great kickers and a great punter. Special teams problems go bye bye.

I'm really excited for the next 5 years of ND football. We'll be USC 2.0, except we don't have to pay our players or claim a false national championship (2003).

[HoffVir]

Our kicking goes from god awful in 2007 to good in 2008 (Walker will have a nice year) to kick ass in 2009 with 2 great kickers and a great punter. Special teams problems go bye bye.

I'm really excited for the next 5 years of ND football. We'll be USC 2.0, except we don't have to pay our players or claim a false national championship (2003).

Nah ... University of Notre Dame (1.0) :bigsmile:

[IrishKnight1023]

http://notredame.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=818608


That's how kicker Nick Tausch responded when the Notre Dame head coach offered him a scholarship on Tuesday afternoon. The Irish were the first and probably the last college program to put an offer on the table for the 6-foot-1, 180-pound specialist from Jesuit High School in Dallas, Texas. That's just fine by Tausch, who's yet to visit South Bend.

"Just the overall tradition that it has," Tausch said. "Great academics, great coaching staff. To me it seemed like the No. 1 university to go to."

While Tausch's immediate commitment was simple, Notre Dame's process of offering a scholarship was not. The Irish had been pursuing kicker Dustin Hopkins from Houston, Texas for the past month, attracting the Clearlake High School standout for a visit on June 9. The Irish set a timetable for Hopkins' decision, which expired last night.

Obviously, it didn't take long for Notre Dame to move forward. Tausch called recruiting coordinator Rob Ianello on Monday night for an update, which was delivered this morning by Weis.

"It was kind of stressful because it was up to [Hopkins] to decide," Tausch said. "I really wanted to go to Notre Dame."

[rontdtarchala]

welcome Nick

[littlerick77]

http://notredame.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=818608

His (Hopkins) loss is our gain.........welcome to the family Nick!!!

[NDgrandson]

1. I love the kids that commit sight unseen. It shows that they love ND and what it is allabout.

2. I am glad CW is sticking to his word (as it pertains to handling Hopkins). In CWs time at ND, he has set a precident when it comes to recruiting. His word is solid. This will help get top recruits to verbal earlier when there are "x" number of spots and deadlines that new offers will go out.

[irishmarine]

integrity! weis is showing me he has what it takes to be around for a long time

[domehead1]

Welcome to the family Nick!!!!!
Go Irish

[JDubbs]

1. I love the kids that commit sight unseen. It shows that they love ND and what it is allabout.

2. I am glad CW is sticking to his word (as it pertains to handling Hopkins). In CWs time at ND, he has set a precident when it comes to recruiting. His word is solid. This will help get top recruits to verbal earlier when there are "x" number of spots and deadlines that new offers will go out.

reps for point Number 2. In an environment full of liars and cheats, you can make a killing just by being an honest man of your word.

[IrishChieftain777]

Two kickers in one recruiting cycle (God, we needed it!)? I think we now know just how serious Weis is about turning special teams around. My guess is that if he were not taking such a special interest in coaching special teams this year, these two offers and commits don't happen.

[Specnatz]

Seems like forever since ND has offered a scholarship to a punter and or a kicker. I was sick of us not even trying for field goals last year because Coach Weis had no faith in it.

Welcome to ND Tausch

[IrishChieftain777]

Finally, some video of Nick kicking. I must say, he looks a lot more athletic/thicker than I expected. He really strikes the ball well.

http://www.fbf.com/film/cs_fg/

[IrishChieftain777]

Here's also a good evaluation of him. He is listed as the #2 kicker in the nation (behind Hopkins) on this scouting site.

http://www.chrissailerkicking.com/index.php?act=GetContent&cid=43&disType=PlayerProfile&playerID=636

[IrishKnight1023]

http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080618/SPORTS13/806180350/0/News01


COLLEGE FOOTBALL

JEFF CARROLL
Tribune Staff Writer

Nick Tausch comes from a family of offensive lineman. He decided to take another path.

On Tuesday, the kicker from Dallas Jesuit High School verbally committed to Notre Dame, becoming the ninth member of the Irish recruiting class of 2009.

Tausch's father, Terry, was an offensive lineman at the University of Texas and also played for the Minnesota Vikings for several years in the 1980s. His brother, Eric, is also a senior-to-be at Jesuit High and an offensive lineman. Jesuit coach Bob Wunderlick anticipates that he'll likely commit to Texas Christian before the summer ends.

But for Tausch, also a standout soccer player, kicking has always been his chosen path. In fact, Wunderlick said, back in junior high Tausch already had set a goal of kicking in the NFL some day.

After, of course, his first goal was accomplished -- kicking at a place like Notre Dame.

"I'm proud of him," Wunderlick said. "He accomplished his goal. His goal was to get a really good scholarship at a really good school and it doesn't get any better than Notre Dame."

Tausch long considered Notre Dame his No. 1 choice in the recruiting process, but had to sweat out the decision of another Texas kicker, Houston's Dustin Hopkins. The Notre Dame coaching staff apparently set a deadline of this week for Hopkins to commit to Notre Dame. When the deadline passed and Hopkins wasn't ready to commit, the staff moved on to the second player on their national board -- Tausch.

Tausch wasted little time in calling Irish coach Charlie Weis and pledging his services.

Tausch was recruited by Notre Dame special teams coach Brian Polian and wide receivers coach/recruiting coordinator Rob Ianello. He has yet to meet Weis in person. Nor has he visited campus, though he plans to do so within the next couple of weeks.

"I've watched Notre Dame over the past couple of years," Tausch said. "I just kind of fell in love with it. It's just something that I've always kind of looked at and watched and had an interest in."

Tausch will be the second Dallas Jesuit product to kick at Notre Dame. Joe Unis was a backup kicker for the Irish in the late 1970s. Wide receiver Omar Jenkins, who played earlier this decade, also graduated from the school.

Tausch began his high school playing career as a quarterback. Being aware of his soccer prowess, Wunderlick quickly suggested a faster way to getting on the football field.

"I was just good at striking the ball," Tausch said. "When freshman year came around, I played quarterback, but I kicked, as well. My head coach pulled me to the side and said they didn't really have a kicker and they thought I was the best kicker we had right now. He told me to concentrate on kicking."

Notre Dame's struggles at the position over the last few season have been well-documented, and Weis' decision to eschew a 42-yard potential game-winner against Navy last fall was one of the most controversial coaching decisions of Notre Dame's 3-9 campaign.

[irishunclebill]

Nick gets 2 stars on Rivals. He has the exact same ranking on Rivals as jake Golic.

[Doomsday Device]

Of the kickers Rivals has graded so far, Tausch is tied with a bunch of others for the second highest rating. Dustin Hopkins got 3 stars with a 5.5 rating and then Tausch and 7 others follow with a 5.4 rating and 2 stars.

[rontdtarchala]

I just want a couple kids that can kick the crap out of the ball and get it through the damn uprights

[irishmarine]

i dont think its too much to ask

[SpanishElite]

Through the uprights is the goal. Whoever, whatever the ranking. Heck some of the best kickers are 0 star soccer players.

[rontdtarchala]

ain't it the truth I don't give a crap what star ranking they have... on kick offs make em bring it out to the 20 and is it to much to ask for a field goal of 40 yards or more once in a damn while... hey a consecutive string of extra points would be good....

[irishmarine]

so true so true

[IrishKnight1023]

Ranking kickers is a crap shoot to me. I don't care what they're ranked when they come here as long as they can kick the ball like a man and TRY and earn their scholarship as a KICKER.

[eric_navy]

Rival released the position ranking for kickers. Tausch is #9 and a 2 star. Turk is #5 and a 3 star.

[NotreDameNate]

If Tausch can kick it thru the uprights then he will jump to a 5* in my books, lol.

[rontdtarchala]

heeeellllllloooooo

[IrishR#1]

THis past week Nick Tausch made 4 field goals including a 51 yarder.

[IrishGrizz]

Hope he was watching closely this week and comes into summer camp expecting to start and w the corresponding work ethic - cause if he can, its his job to grab.

[IrishKnight1023]

Lord knows we need him next year.

[ab2cmiller]

Nick did a great job for us his freshman year. He made 14 in a row and was a Groza semifinalist. Ruffer and Tausch were so close in the battle for the job this past year that Nick was called the starter right up to the week before the first game.

With Ruffer back for a 5th year and the best high school kicker in the nation already at ND as an EE, what would you do if you were Tausch?

Transfer and have two years left to show people how good you are.
or
Stay at ND and take your chances that you may not get anymore meaningful playing time.

Do you want Nick to stay or would you rather have the additional scholarship to offer someone else next year?

[SpanishElite]

Nick did a great job for us his freshman year. He made 14 in a row and was a Groza semifinalist. Ruffer and Tausch were so close in the battle for the job this past year that Nick was called the starter right up to the week before the first game.

With Ruffer back for a 5th year and the best high school kicker in the nation already at ND as an EE, what would you do if you were Tausch?

Transfer and have two years left to show people how good you are.
or
Stay at ND and take your chances that you may not get anymore meaningful playing time.

Do you want Nick to stay or would you rather have the additional scholarship to offer someone else next year?

Stay as long as they would keep me. I would get my degree... then I would try out for all of the NFL teams and make a roster. Its not like you have to be a great college kicker or even a starter to be a NFL kicker. Rarely do kickers get drafted so how much you kick in college doesnt really matter. The degree is to much to pass up.

[JDNDSyrnafan]

Stay as long as they would keep me. I would get my degree... then I would try out for all of the NFL teams and make a roster. Its not like you have to be a great college kicker or even a starter to be a NFL kicker. Rarely do kickers get drafted so how much you kick in college doesnt really matter. The degree is to much to pass up.

the Notre Dame experience. Why would any of them transfer. Look at Massa.

[NotreDameNate]

Sometimes a kid just wants to play. If you are buried behind 4 or more people then the only opportunity to play is to transfer.

[NDIRISH44]

maybe nick can get some advice from nick saban

[jbrown_9999]

Maybe Nick can work out like crazy this off-season and add distance/accuracy and regain the starting spot.

[ALLND62]

Maybe Nick can work out like crazy this off-season and add distance/accuracy and regain the starting spot.

My guess is that is exactly what he is thinking.

[wicket]

I think Brindza will challenge Turk going forward more than he will tausch, Tausch really is a good kicker, Turk is a very mediocre punter

[ALLND62]

We really could use a good consistent punter.

[Purebred Irishman]

IrishIllustrated.com - Tausch back in the saddle again (http://notredame.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1357620)


There’s an old saying in sports that you don’t lose your starting job due to injury.

When the injury has healed, the spot is waiting for you, kept warm by the understudy in the starter’s absence.

Unfortunately for Nick Tausch, his understudy - David Ruffer - turned out to be the Laurence Olivier of college football kickers.

Tausch, who set a Notre Dame record as a freshman in 2009 by connecting on 14 straight field goals, came down with a mysterious ankle injury during pre-game at Pittsburgh. Ruffer filled in. Boy, did he fill in.

Ruffer made all five of his field goal attempts to conclude the 2009 season, then won the battle in the pre-season of 2010. If the competition remained open-ended heading into the season, Ruffer quickly closed the door, converting the first 23 field-goal attempts of the campaign before finally missing in the Sun Bowl against Miami, due in part to a leg injury of his own.

Ruffer is gone from the Irish roster this spring, finally relinquishing the stranglehold on the position following a 10-of-16 field-goal effort in his final season in an Irish uniform.

“It was weird, but at the same time, I was happy for Ruffer and what he did he,” said Tausch, a senior this fall with two years of eligibility as the coaching staff wisely preserved his junior season in ’11.

“He was a great kicker, a great guy and a good friend of mine. I’m glad he took advantage of his opportunity and did well. What he did to help the team win was awesome.”

Little could Tausch anticipate on that mid-November night in Pittsburgh that a freakish injury would derail his kicking career for the next two seasons.

“I hurt my ankle in pre-game,” said Tausch of the Nov. 14, 2009 game at Heinz Field. “I was kicking and for some reason, my ankle gave out and I couldn’t even hit a PAT. It was horrible. I couldn’t kick. I ended up spraining it from what the doctor said.”

Tausch would attempt just one field goal in 2010 - a converted 34-yarder in the Sun Bowl - over the next two seasons. But now, he’s back in the front-runner’s seat with Ruffer gone, although big-legged sophomore Kyle Brindza - who added punch to Notre Dame’s kickoffs in 2011 - will push him every step of the way heading into the 2012 campaign.

Tausch insists he never lost belief in his abilities.

“That time made me dig deeper and work harder, which made me better,” said Tausch, the 6-foot-0, 200-pounder from Plano, Texas. “So it was kind of a win-win situation. I just went out to practice every day and tried to get better, trying not to be complacent.

“I tried not to take anything for granted, including my spot on the depth chart. I continued to come out and work. No job is ever secure. So you’ve just got to go out there and continue to do well.”

Tausch is eager to get back on the field Saturday for the 83rd annual Blue-Gold Game. The kicks won’t be full-tilt live. But any field goal attempt he makes in front of a live Notre Dame Stadium audience will be his first since the Navy game on Nov. 7, 2009.

“I’m very confident,” said Tausch, whose shoulder-length hair looks like it hasn’t been cut since his last live field-goal attempt. “I’ve been kicking well this spring. I kicked well last year throughout the season.

“I’m really looking forward to the spring game and just getting better. I know I can go out there and make every single kick they give me. It’s just a matter of execution.”

Tausch, who turns 21 less than two weeks after the Blue-Gold Game, was not familiar with the former New York Yankee by the name of Wally Pipp. Pipp, of course, was the first baseman who, as lore would have it, begged out of a game in June of 1925 with a headache.

Lou Gehrig would take Pipp’s place that day?and for the next 2,130 games. Not an exact replica of Tausch’s trials, but a situation somewhat reminiscent.

Tausch isn’t taking anything for granted just because Ruffer is gone.

“Nobody has been told anything about who’s starting,” Tausch said. “It’s one of those things where you have to go out every practice and show the coaches that you’re capable of starting if you want them to put you out there.

“I’m just looking forward to getting back on the field and doing what I know I can do. I want to execute and get back to having fun kicking.”

Tausch’s fun begins anew Saturday afternoon in Notre Dame Stadium.