 Tucker with the BC Lions in 2022 | |||||||||
| Edmonton Elks | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Receivers coach | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | (1976-06-24)June 24, 1976 (age 48) San Francisco, California, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 180 lb (82 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Robinson (TX) | ||||||||
| College: | TCU | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1998: 6th round, 167th pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
As a player: | |||||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
As a coach: | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Stats at CFL.ca | |||||||||
Jason Tucker (born June 24, 1976) is thereceivers coach for theEdmonton Elks of theCanadian Football League (CFL). He is formerly agridiron footballwide receiver where he played for theEdmonton Eskimos of the CFL and theDallas Cowboys in theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football atTexas Christian University.
Tucker attendedRobinson High School, where he practicedfootball,basketball andtrack. He played on the freshman football team but made the varsitybasketball and track team as a freshman.
In football, he was a two-way player as awide receiver anddefensive back. As a senior in 1993, he scored 2touchdowns in the span of 30 seconds against the Troy Trojans. He was a two-time All-state selection, finishing with 81 receptions for 1,771 yards and 25touchdowns.
In track, his best event was thelong jump, in which he was a state finalist his junior and senior years. He competed in the4 × 100 metres relay at the state finals in his senior year.
Tucker accepted a football scholarship fromTexas Christian University. As a freshman, he was a backupwide receiver, tallying 8 receptions for 72 yards. As a sophomore, he was named a starter and played in 9 games, ranking second on the team with 31 receptions for 433 yards and onetouchdown.
As a junior, he registered 39 receptions (tied for second on the team), 692 yards (led the team), a 17.7-yard average and 4 receivingtouchdowns (led the team).
Better stats were expected for his senior year; however, he did not play after being suspended for unspecified off-field violations.[1] He finished his college career with 78 receptions for 1,197 yards, a 15.3-yard average, and 5touchdowns.
Tucker was selected by theCincinnati Bengals in the sixth round (167th overall) of the1998 NFL draft.[2] Despite missing the entire 1997 college season, Tucker continued to train on his own, as evidenced by his clocking a 4.48 second, 40 yard dash, and finishing in the top five in agility drills at theNFL Combine.
He played in the preseason opener against theNew York Giants, catching one pass for six yards. After pulling his left hamstring in training camp, and reaching an injury settlement, he was placed on waivers on August 19.[3]
On October 28,1998, he was signed to theGreen Bay Packers'practice squad.[4] He was released on December 16.
On January 7,1999, he was signed as afree agent by theDallas Cowboys. He was allocated to theRhein Fire ofNFL Europe, where he ranked second on the team behindDialleo Burks, with 26 receptions for 454 yards and 3touchdowns. He returned to the Cowboys and made the roster as the team's sixthwide receiver, one more than the usual number.
His first catch was a six-yarder, in week five against thePhiladelphia Eagles, afterMichael Irvin suffered his career-ending injury. By November he had moved up to third-string, afterWane McGarity suffered a dislocated shoulder. On December 5 against theNew England Patriots, he was named a starter to replaceErnie Mills who had pulled a muscle while warming up.
Mills was supposed to return for the December 21st game againstNew Orleans Saints, but instead, Tucker got his fourth straight start and had his best game, becoming part of Cowboys lore. Playing at bothwide receiver andkickoff returner, he produced one of the standout performances in team history, with a franchise record 331 combined net yards. His 203 kickoff return yards (six kicks for 22, 32, 34, 50, 35 and 30 yards) also set a franchise record, even though he had an apparent 97-yard return for atouchdown called back for a holding penalty. He also added 128 receiving yards and atouchdown on 7 catches.
The next week against theNew York Giants, the Cowboys clinched a playoff spot behind 122 receiving yards from Tucker, including a 90-yardtouchdown, a 79-yard opening kickoff return (plus a facemask penalty) and his 205 kickoff return yards (which broke his franchise record).[5] His production earned him the NFC special teams player of the month for December.
He finished the season with 23 receptions for 439 yards, 2touchdowns, 10special teams tackles (tied for sixth on the team) and a 27.9-yard kickoff average, which ranked second in theNFL and fifth in team history.
In2000, he underwent off-season surgery on both of his big toes, with the rehabilitation process extending intotraining camp. He also was limited with a groin injury. He set the team record with 51 kickoff returns in a single-season and his 1,099 kickoff return yards ranked second All-time. As awide receiver he took a step back, posting 13receptions for 126 yards and notouchdowns. On August 28,2001, he was released to make room forwide receiverDarrin Chiaverini.[6]
In2002, he was signed by theEdmonton Eskimos of theCanadian Football League's. In his first year as a Canadian Football League player, Tucker was the team's second-leading receiver behindTerry Vaughn, with 51 catches for 911 yards and 8touchdowns.
In2003, Tucker tallied 41 receptions (fourth on the team) for 744 yards (third on the team) and 9touchdowns.. He was named the most valuable player of the91st Grey Cup, with a 132-yard performance in the championship game.
In2004, he broke the 1,000 yards receiving mark for the first time in his career, racking up 1,632 yards for the fourth-highest total in franchise history, while also making 67 receptions (second on the team) and 11touchdowns.
In2005, he was second on the team behindDerrell Mitchell with 89 receptions for 1,411 yards and 11touchdowns, contributing to the team winning the93rd Grey Cup. In2006, he recorded 75 receptions (second on the team), 1,321 yards (led the team) and 12touchdowns.
On July 25,2008, Tucker was involved in a helmet-to-helmet hit withHamilton Tiger-Cats defenderJykine Bradley that fractured his C6-C7 vertebrae.[7] Although his spinal cord was not damaged, the injury would end his career.[8]
On January 28,2009, Tucker announced his retirement as a football player and that he would join theEdmonton Eskimos coaching staff as theirwide receivers coach.[9]
On January 3,2012, he joined theSaskatchewan Roughriders' coaching staff as their receivers coach.[10][11] In2015, he was named theTennessee Titans' wide receiver assistant coach. In December2017, Tucker was hired to theMontreal Alouettes coaching staff as the receivers coach.[12] After two years with the Alouettes, Tucker was announced as the receivers coach for theBC Lions on January 6, 2020.[13] He served in that capacity through to the2024 season, but was not retained on the staff in 2025.[14]
On January 10, 2025, theEdmonton Elks announced that Tucker was named the team'sreceivers coach.[15]
Tucker is married, and has four daughters.
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