 Tuszka in 2022 | |||||||||
| No. 48, 59 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1996-07-11)July 11, 1996 (age 29) Warner, South Dakota, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 246 lb (112 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Warner | ||||||||
| College | North Dakota State (2015–2019) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 2020: 7th round, 254th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Derrek Tuszka (born July 11, 1996) is an American former professionalfootball player who was alinebacker in theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theNorth Dakota State Bison.
Tuszka attended Warner High School inWarner, South Dakota. He committed toNorth Dakota State on April 22, 2014.[1]
Tuszka playedcollege football atNorth Dakota State University, where he was a three-year starter.[2] As a senior in 2019, he recorded 48 tackles including 19 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and five passes defensed. Tuszka was named aFootball Championship Subdivision first-teamAll-American as well as theMissouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year. In his collegiate career he started 34 of the 53 games in which he appeared and compiled 133 tackles, 42 tackles for loss, 29.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and six passes defensed.[3]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft4+1⁄2 in (1.94 m) | 251 lb (114 kg) | 31+3⁄8 in (0.80 m) | 9+7⁄8 in (0.25 m) | 4.79 s | 1.70 s | 2.78 s | 4.34 s | 6.87 s | 33.5 in (0.85 m) | 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m) | 24 reps | |
| All values fromNFL Combine[4][5][6] | ||||||||||||
Tuszka was selected by theDenver Broncos with the 254th overall pick in the seventh round of the2020 NFL draft.[3] He was waived on September 5, 2020,[7] and was signed to thepractice squad the following day.[8] He was elevated to the active roster on September 14 for the team's week 1 game against theTennessee Titans,[9] and reverted to the practice squad the next day.[10] He was elevated again on September 19 for the team's week 2 game against thePittsburgh Steelers, and reverted to the practice squad again after the game.[11] He was promoted to the active roster on September 30, 2020.[12] He was placed oninjured reserve on October 27, 2020, with a hamstring injury.[13] On December 12, 2020, Tuszka was activated off of injured reserve.[14]
On August 31, 2021, Tuszka was waived by the Broncos.[15]
On September 1, 2021, Tuszka was signed to the Steelers practice squad.[16] He was promoted on September 28, 2021.[17] He was released on September 1, 2022.[18]
On September 2, 2022, Tuszka was claimed off waivers by the Titans.[19] He was waived on September 26.[20]
On September 28, 2022, Tuszka was claimed off waivers by theLos Angeles Chargers.[21]