Appleton cop, former major leaguer enters stands and then surprises fans at high school football game

An Appleton police officer gave fans at a high school football game a bit of a show Friday night, a video posted by the department shows.

When officer Jack Taschner entered the stands it initially appeared that he was going to deal with an unruly fan. He then turns about and leads the delighted students in a "drive the bus" cheer.

The department's school resource officer at Appleton East for the past two years, Taschner said in an interview that he's watched students "drive the bus" during halftimes of football and basketball games. One student - the 'driver' - leads, and the crowd follows, pounding their feet, swaying and humming like the engine.

Taschner called a student down to his office last week and cooked up a plan for the Friday night game at Appleton North.

"I told him 'when you're driving the bus, I want in,'" Taschner said.

During the game, he approached the student and the crowd initially thought the kid was in trouble. Then Taschner turns around and takes 'the wheel.'

"It was a blast," he said.

Taschner said there were other dividends the stunt paid beyond boosting the spirits of the fans. (East was down 42-7 at half-time, he said.)

"It's good for the rapport-building part of the job," he said. "To be honest, a lot of the kids in the stands aren't the ones I normally deal with. So it's nice to get to know them."

Taschner, 39, is also a former Major League Baseball pitcher, who played six seasons in the big leagues. A Racine native, he played for the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and was drafted in the second round by the San Francisco Giants in 1999.

A left handed relief pitcher, Taschner said he had years of experience keeping things lively in the bullpen.

"When you're in the bullpen, stuff like this pops up," he said.

"I'm willing to put myself out there. I don't get embarrassed."

As of early Tuesday morning, the video received 1.7 million views.

The department posted the video on Facebook with this caption:

"NO FUN ZONE?

Just when it looked like SRO Taschner was breaking up the fun during the Appleton East Football game, expectations changed."

Taschner said he might repeat the performance at future football or basketball games. For him, it's a fun part of the job that he already enjoys.

"I love it. I love the job."