Tony Paul

The Detroit News

Ann Arbor – He got the nickname, "Taco," as a young kid. And because all his friends thought that meant he loved tacos, he resisted, as kids do, and decided he wouldn't like tacos.

His attitude changed in college.

"Now, I love tacos all the time," Michigan senior defensive end Taco Charlton said Sunday. "Whether it's Taco Bell or I go make my own tacos or whatever."

He was born Vidauntae Charlton, but eventually, his mother and grandmother thought, for some still-vague reason, that "Taco" was a good fit.

It's stuck.

And he's embraced it, especially on Twitter, with his handle being @TheSupremeTaco.

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"Definitely, it's always Taco Tuesdays, it's Taco Tuesdays on Thursdays, it's a lot of tacos," said Charlton, who enjoys using the taco emoji on social media. "I'll try to be a Taco Tuesdays on Saturdays this year, and the next level you've got the Sundays and Mondays. Right now, I'll definitely take those Taco Tuesdays. It's a great thing to kind of build off my name.

"I was gifted to have a great name. I go along with it and I love it."

On a college campus, where taco places often are open late and, more importantly, cheap, Charlton isn't unique in his love for all things tacos.

Of course, he has his favorites.

"Nothing like homemade tacos, get everything on, stuff like that," Charlton said. "But I still go to Taco Bell and have a great time. I was out in California, and went to a couple taco places, of course.

"I eat them all, fish, beef, chicken. I'm never scared to try something."

Then there's the obvious question, among taco connoisseurs.

Hard shell or soft?

"You know, I like the crunch gordita (from Taco Bell), so you got the soft with the hard inside. You get a little taste of both worlds," said Charlton, 21. "I do a little bit of both, but when you put both together, you make it even better."

tpaul@detroitnews.com

Twitter @tonypaul1984