There are some things that are just bigger than football. Texas Longhorns senior defensive end Michael Taaffe reminded folks of that with a tear-jerking gesture at SEC Media Days on Tuesday.

Taaffe called the counselors at Camp Mystic “heroes” and wore a tie to honor them and the young girls who died during the Central Texas flood.

AUSTIN, Texas — Longhorns safety Michael Taaffe put something more important than football front and center at this week’s SEC Media days. The Westlake alum wore a burnt orange tie with 27 sets of initials, honoring kids and employees from Camp Mystic who lost their lives in the devastating flooding on July 4.

The tragic flood in Central Texas was on the minds of the Longhorns that traveled to Atlanta for the SEC Media Days.

Taaffe spoke to reporters wearing a tie with 27 sets of initials on it, each representing someone who died after catastrophic flooding overtook Camp Mystic in the Texas Hill Country during the July 4 weekend.

Among the excitement and pageantry of the annual SEC Media Days conference in Atlanta, football players at the University of Texas used their platform to show support to the victims of the devastating Hill Country floods.

About 1,000 miles away, Texas Longhorns safety Michael Taaffe stood before reporters, wearing a tie with the initials of the 28 victims from Camp Mystic.

In a week dominated by talk of the upcoming college football season, Texas safety Michael Taaffe brought something different to SEC Media Days in Atlanta: perspective. Wearing a burnt orange tie stitched with the initials of the 27 victims at Camp Mystic,

Texas S Michael Taaffe says the tie he wore today to SEC Media Days is a tribute to the Camp Mystic victims. Those are the initials of the campers, counselors and director who passed away in this month’s tragic flood. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/CRiy6pDTYZ