Kornacki: Taco Shares Joys, Tears with Lifelong Friend LeVert
8/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 10, 2016
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Mention Caris LeVert to Taco Charlton and his face lights up. Caris was Taco's good buddy even before they entered kindergarten. They traveled the same paths while growing up in Pickerington, Ohio, becoming star athletes, and moving onto the University of Michigan one year apart.
They have reveled in the success of one another, and also shared unbelievable grief.
When the Brooklyn Nets traded with the Indiana Pacers for the 20th overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft and selected LeVert with it, Charlton was thrilled for his former basketball teammate at Pickerington Central.
"We played on the same travel basketball team growing up and have known each other since we were three or four," said Charlton, a senior defensive end for the Wolverines. "We went to the same school, and our families were close, we were close.
"So, I'm so happy to see him at the next level. It's almost like I got drafted myself, watching him get drafted. That's how happy I was for him. He's worked so hard for it, and I got to see the first view of how hard he worked for it and loved the game. I texted his brother right when he got drafted."
That was a day of smiles, while April 4, 2010, was a day of tears.
Caris and his younger brother by 11 months, Darryl, found their father collapsed and without a pulse that Easter Sunday morning. After calling 911 and having police arrive to pronounce his father dead, Caris called Taco shortly after. Darryl LeVert, whose heart gave out on him, was 46.
"It was a hard day," said Charlton, taking a deep breath. "His mom was out of town visiting family, and so it was just him and his brother and his father there. His father was one of my childhood coaches when I was growing up, and so we were all close like a family. His father was almost like a father to me, and both our dads were close. He taught me things on the court and outside of basketball.
"He was a great father and a great person, a great husband. So, it was a sad and shocking day. He was a healthy guy who could still get on the court and play with us. So, Caris had to make a phone call to tell us, and when we got it, it shocked us. It turned such a joyous day into, 'Wow, has this really happened?' Everybody knew what a great person Big Darryl was."
Charlton had a Bible scripture verse, Isaiah 41:10, tattooed onto his right bicep as a teenager that spoke to the matter:
"So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
The Leverts and Charltons are believers in the power of God.
"That scripture from Isaiah reminds me that at the end of the day God will always uphold you with his hand," Charlton said. "No matter how bad things are, if you feel like you're falling or people are dragging you down, at the end of the day I'm a fisher of men. My family brought me up in the church with the Bible, and I feel strongly about that.
"When I saw that verse, I felt it was something I definitely wanted to have there for my whole life."
That inspirational verse is inked onto a bicep that can power quite a punch.
"Taco has got great leverage," said Wolverine defensive line coach Greg Mattison. "He's got long levers (arms), which allows you to keep separation. He plays very physical and can run. He's an athlete who was an outstanding basketball player, and he has great experience. He's played a lot of football here, and now he feels really good about being really ready to go."
Charlton split time last year with starter Willie Henry, who was drafted in the fourth round by the Baltimore Ravens. Mattison said Chase Winovich, an improving junior, will back up Charlton.
NFL.com rated Charlton No. 3 on its "Top 15 Seniors in College" list, noting that he had 5.5 sacks and 33 quarterback pressures while playing just 43 percent of Michigan's defensive snaps. The extra snaps expected this season should enable him to improve his 2015 statistics, which included 21 solos among 30 tackles.
"Each year before I've had limited snaps," said Charlton. "So, I've always tried to make sure I contribute and make plays on the snaps I get. That's one thing I've been able to do -- make a bunch of plays and jump out on the screen. When people look at film, I want to be a player who jumps out, and I want to help the team by making plays for the team.
"Last year, toward the end of the season, I started getting more time and was able to produce a lot more for the team."
He made two sacks and another tackle for lost yardage at Penn State, and the next week, in the regular-season finale, matched his career high with five tackles and had one behind the line of scrimmage against Ohio State.
Charlton is 6-6 and 275 pounds, having trimmed 10 pounds since last season. So, his ability to quickly cover ground should be better than ever.
"Moving in space is something I excel at," said Charlton, adding that switching from the "anchor" position on one side of the line to the "open side" end spot frees him up more to make plays.
Taco often incorporates a taco emoji when posting video highlights on his Twitter account, @TheSupremeTaco. The hard-shelled taco packed with beef, lettuce and tomatoes will blow across the line and engulf the ball carrier on Charlton's tweets.
"I always do that on Taco Tuesdays," said Charlton, who has more than 16,000 followers. "I'm going to try to be a 'Taco Tuesday' on Saturdays this year. Next year (in the NFL), I'll be trying to do that on Sundays and Mondays. But that's a great thing coming off my name.
Courtesy: umichathletics Snapchat
"I was gifted to have a great name, and I do a lot with it. I love it. Mom and Grandma came up with the name, and it stuck. It's something I've always gone by."
Tacos also are a dining preference, and Charlton said friends assumed his name came from that.
"I love tacos," he said. "I eat tacos all the time. I'd go to Taco Bell, make my own tacos."
His favorite taco?
"That's a hard one," said Taco, pausing and smiling. "There's nothing like a homemade taco, but I still go to taco places. I eat 'em all: fish, beef, chicken. I'm never afraid to try anything. I like the crunchy gorditas, the soft (shell) with the hard inside. You get a little taste of both worlds. You put them both together and it makes it even better."
Which leads us to Taco's football challenge: becoming an even better player.
Charlton termed himself "a basketball player making the transition to play football" upon arriving at Michigan, and credits Mattison for sharpening his technique and approach.
"He taught me how to play both the run and the pass," said Charlton, who had 19 sacks as a senior at Pickerington Central near Columbus. "That's a lot of what Coach Mattison helped me with, becoming a better run-stopper."
Pro Football Focus ranks Charlton No. 7 on its Top 25 Breakout Players list, and he's sure to get an opportunity to play at "the next level," just like his good friend, Caris. But before Taco Sundays and Taco Monday Nights happen, there are Taco Saturdays.
Chomp, chomp.
