Carl Taseff
Encyclopedia
Carl N. Taseff was an American football
player and assistant coach.
at John Carroll University
and was the roommate of Don Shula
's. Taseff was the roommate of Don Shula at John Carroll University and they were teammates with the Browns (1951) and Colts (1953–56). Taseff was a member of the coaching staff with Don Shula on the Dolphins (1970–1994). He has two daughters living in Baltimore, Maryland - Cindy Taseff Heath and Susan Taseff deMuth. He has two granddaughters: Celia Buchanan Heath and Eleanor Crane deMuth; and one grandson Murray R. Perkins deMuth, Jr.
in the twenty-second recond of the 1951 NFL Draft
by the Cleveland Browns
. After spending one season with the Browns, he went to the Baltimore Colts
and played for them for nine seasons. While with the Colts he helped them win two NFL titles and played in the 1958 overtime title game against the New York Giants
.
He set an NFL record with the Colts in 1959 by returning a blocked field goal 99 yards for a touchdown. He finished his professional playing career in 1962 with the American Football League
's Buffalo Bills
.
in the mid-1960s. He then joined his old friend and head coach of the Miami Dolphins Don Shula as a defensive backs coach from 1970 to 1993.
, from which Taseff had been suffering for roughly six years, caused him to suffer from a weaker immune system
. At the end of January 2005, Taseff caught the common cold
that would eventually develop into pneumonia
which would take his life on February 27, 2005.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and assistant coach.
College
Taseff played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at John Carroll University
John Carroll University
John Carroll University is a private, co-educational Jesuit Catholic university in University Heights, Ohio, United States, a suburb of Cleveland. The university was founded in 1886 by the Society of Jesus as Saint Ignatius College.The university was founded in 1886 by the Society of Jesus, as...
and was the roommate of Don Shula
Don Shula
Donald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated....
's. Taseff was the roommate of Don Shula at John Carroll University and they were teammates with the Browns (1951) and Colts (1953–56). Taseff was a member of the coaching staff with Don Shula on the Dolphins (1970–1994). He has two daughters living in Baltimore, Maryland - Cindy Taseff Heath and Susan Taseff deMuth. He has two granddaughters: Celia Buchanan Heath and Eleanor Crane deMuth; and one grandson Murray R. Perkins deMuth, Jr.
Pro Football playing career
Taseff was draftedNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
in the twenty-second recond of the 1951 NFL Draft
1951 NFL Draft
The 1951 National Football League Draft was held on January 18–January 19, 1951. The Baltimore Colts folded after the 1950 season. The NFL placed their players in the 1951 NFL draft.-Player selections:-Round one:...
by the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. After spending one season with the Browns, he went to the Baltimore Colts
History of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
and played for them for nine seasons. While with the Colts he helped them win two NFL titles and played in the 1958 overtime title game against the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
He set an NFL record with the Colts in 1959 by returning a blocked field goal 99 yards for a touchdown. He finished his professional playing career in 1962 with the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
's Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
NFL Coaching career
Taseff was an assistant coach on the Detroit LionsDetroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
in the mid-1960s. He then joined his old friend and head coach of the Miami Dolphins Don Shula as a defensive backs coach from 1970 to 1993.
Death
A disease known as Progressive Supranuclear PalsyProgressive supranuclear palsy
Progressive supranuclear palsy is a degenerative disease involving the gradual deterioration and death of specific areas of the brain....
, from which Taseff had been suffering for roughly six years, caused him to suffer from a weaker immune system
Immune system
An immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. It detects a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and needs to distinguish them from the organism's own...
. At the end of January 2005, Taseff caught the common cold
Common cold
The common cold is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory system, caused primarily by rhinoviruses and coronaviruses. Common symptoms include a cough, sore throat, runny nose, and fever...
that would eventually develop into pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
which would take his life on February 27, 2005.