Sports

Stepinac two-way dynamo Taps tabs William & Mary

During the season, Archbishop Stepinac coach Mike O’Donnell dubbed two-way star Austin Taps as under-recruited. It wasn’t that way after the year ended.

Taps led Stepinac on an incredible run to the CHSFL Class AAA championship game against St. Anthony’s, excelling both at defensive end and tight end. The senior had 10 sacks and 52 tackles to go along with 22 catches for 358 yards and four touchdowns on offense.

It didn’t take long for the interest to start coming in. UPenn, Holy Cross, Delaware, Lafayette and Monmouth all got on board.

“It picked up pretty quickly after the season ended,” said the 6-foot-5, 235-pound Taps. “A week before Senior Bowl, it really started to pick up.”

He was all set to make visits all winter, even deciding against playing basketball because of the college search. But Thursday, four days after his first visit, Taps committed to William & Mary. His brother, Tim, is a junior at the school and it was familiar to him. That wasn’t the reason for his decision, though.

“It was an easy choice,” said Taps, who announced his commitment on his Twitter account. “It was a great school academically and obviously a great football team.”

William & Mary, out of the Football Championship Subdivision, was 5-6 this year, but went to the CFS second round in 2010 and the semifinals the previous year. The Williamsburg, Va., school, the second college in the United States after Harvard, is also known for its exceptional academics.

The Tribe recruited Taps solely as a tight end, a fact that doesn’t bother him in the least. He did say there’s a possibility he could prove himself as a defensive end in camp. Either way, William & Mary was where he wanted to be.

“Part of me did want to let it drag out,” Taps said. “They did put a little pressure on me to commit. If I didn’t, they’d have to go onto the next person. But either way I felt like it was the right time. I felt like there was nothing else I had to look for.”

Taps’ quick commitment doesn’t mean he’s heading back to the hardwood. He’s going to focus on weight training and getting stronger in preparation for his freshman season at William & Mary. Playing college football was a goal of his and he doesn’t just want to be on the roster, he wants to excel the same way he did as one of the CHSFL’s best players.

For a little while, maybe a few days, he can enjoy the accomplishment that’s just another step in his journey.

“It’s a real exciting time,” Taps said.

mraimondi@nypost.com