With dad’s work ethic, Taurean York steers Texas A&M defense
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José de Jesus Ortiz, Founder & Editor in Chief
- November 11, 2025
Linebacker Taurean York loves to watch opponents' film to prepare
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – As Taurean York played eighth-grade football, his father Robert York would record every play on his phone at Travis Middle School. Then they would return home in Temple, Texas, and settle into Taurean’s bedroom.
Taurean York, who is now a captain for No. 3-ranked Texas A&M, would sit on his bed. Robert would sit on a chair a few feet away. Then they would stream the games on a 32-inch, flat-screen television, continuing the tradition though York’s four-year varsity career at Temple High.
“We’d just rewind plays, back and forth, back and forth,” Robert says. “He caught everything. The very following week he did exactly what I wanted him to do. That’s what he loves to do.”
Seven years later, Taurean York still loves to watch film. The junior linebacker is so prepared, a Missouri offensive lineman said it appeared as though the Aggies knew the Tigers’ offensive plays ahead of time during Texas A&M’s dominant victory last Saturday.
When asked if Mizzou was tipping plays, Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said he didn’t know anything about that. York also dismissed that notion. Whatever the case, York guided the Aggies’ defense superbly, just as he has throughout Texas A&M’s undefeated season and last year.
Dad’s work ethic
Then, as his dad taught him, Taurean York got back to work. He started preparing for this Saturday’s game against South Carolina at Kyle Field as soon as the Aggies boarded their charter back to College Station.
“Let’s just say I was watching South Carolina on the plane ride back from Missouri,” the younger York said. “Pretty much if it’s an away game and we’re flying back, like I said, I watched the South Carolina vs. Missouri game on the way back from Columbia, Mo.
“Then from that point on just watch football all day, all night until I go to sleep. I wake up and I do it again all the way until game time.”
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The 5-foot-10, 227-pounder from Temple is a three-year starter and two-year captain. He finished second on the team with 74 tackles while earning Freshman All-America and SEC All-Freshman honors in 2023.
As a testament to his standing on the team, Taurean York was named a captain before his sophomore season, which he capped with a team-high 82 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss. He is second on the Aggies in tackles this year with 47 tackles with one sack and 3.5 tackles for loss.
‘Different type of leadership’
York’s contributions extend far beyond his own tackles. He helps to position his teammates and decipher the opposing offense’s plays.
“Taurean York brings a different type of leadership. … But just how he prepares and how he does it,” Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed said. “But as soon as we get into the bus or the plane after a game he’s looking at film for the next week or looking at the scouting report for the next week or watching the game of the team we’re about to play the next week.
“He takes it to another level. It’s just great to see that growth from him and how he’s done it all these years.”
When they’re not at practice or class, Reed and York spend a lot of time together at one or the other’s home off campus. They’re usually talking about football or life, Reed says.
Now, they have the Aggies (9-0, 6-0 SEC) in good position to reach the SEC Championship Game and the College Football Playoffs for the first time in school history. They arrived on campus as confident freshmen, and now they’re leading the school’s first 9-0 start since the Aggies finished 12-0 in 1992.
“We talked about this when we were freshmen, about getting to this position and what it’s going to take,” Reed said. “And that it’s going to be me and him. He knew what it took to be a starting linebacker to lead a defense. And I knew what it took to be a starting quarterback and lead the offense.
“We’re kind of just sailing (the) ship on both ends. It’s just great to see because he brings it out of everybody. He makes sure that everybody is doing the right thing. We’re all held accountable, and that’s why you’ve seen so much success from us.”
Robert York credits wife Rebecca
It takes work ethic, commitment and intelligence to put it all together. Taurean credits his father for instilling his work ethic. Robert York credits his Mexican American wife Rebecca and mother in-law for nurturing their son’s studious side.
“From Day 1, I tell everybody I’ve been the enforcer, the person that coached Taurean from birth,” Robert York said. “Rebecca and her mother were always taking him to the park, library, zoos, reading to him. I give all credit to Rebecca because he’s just as good in the books as he is on the field.”
Robert has held two jobs for most of Taurean’s life. He has spent the last 24 years working full-time at Fort Hood’s transition center helping Army soldiers with the paperwork necessary as they transition out of the service.
For the last five years, Robert has also owned Knuckleheadz Barbershop in Killeen. He can usually be found giving soldiers haircuts until about 10 p.m. With a sense of pride, Taurean notes that his father sleeps in his work clothes and wakes up daily at 4 a.m.
“So I get that work ethic from him,” Taurean says proudly.
Robert is equally proud of his son, if not more.
“He says I’m a workaholic,” Robert York says of Taurean. “He’s the workaholic.”
José de Jesus Ortiz
Founder & Editor in Chief
Award-winning writer Jose de Jesus Ortiz, a former lead sports columnist at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, has covered Major League Baseball since 1997 in Los Angeles, St. Petersburg, New York and Houston. He was the first Latino to serve as president of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
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