Taurean York: Being a team captain 'means the world'

During SEC Media Days, all the top players from each program were in attendance, discussing their expectations for the upcoming 2024 season. For the Texas A&M Aggies, they brought first-time team captain and linebacker Taurean York to partake in all the festivities.

York addressed a number of topics, including the Aggies’ rivalry with the Texas Longhorns and why the feud with that particular program is personal. He also shared his thoughts and feelings about being named a first-time captain for Texas A&M heading into the 2024 season.

“It means the world that my teammates think that I’m capable of leading them, of course, and granted my age and going into my sophomore year, I am still considered young and an underclassman, but happy that they chose me to lead them throughout the difficulties of the season,” said York.

York balled out for the Aggies in 2023 as a true freshman under then-head coach Jimbo Fisher. The former three-star recruit, according to On3’s Industry Ranking, played well above that rank on the year with 74 total tackles, 39 solo, 8.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and a forced fumble while playing in all 13 of Texas A&M games.

In 2024, York will look to build on his impressive true freshman campaign while helping the Aggies be competitive in the now 16-team SEC. One of the programs he will have the opportunity to do so against is the University of Texas, a program York has no love for.

York on Texas A&M rivalry with Texas: ‘It’s that personal to me’

York didn’t want to have anything to do with Texas when he spoke at Thursday’s SEC Media Days.

The Texas A&M linebacker called it a “personal” rivalry when asked about the school. The Longhorns and Aggies can go at it again on the field now that Texas moved from the Big 12 to the SEC beginning this season, in case you didn’t hear!

But York kept his feelings glued to his chest and only called it “personal.”

“It’s personal, that’s all I have to say, it’s personal,” York said, via CJ Vogel. “I don’t talk to anybody from Texas because it’s that personal to me. They didn’t recruit me and there’s a lot of comparisons going on about me and Texas players in a sense. So I kinda put those to rest in a sense.”