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| No. 68, 69, 65 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Guard /Center | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1979-03-02)March 2, 1979 (age 46) Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Wyomissing Area (Wyomissing, Pennsylvania) | ||||||||
| College | Princeton | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 2001: undrafted | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Ross Finch Tucker (born March 2, 1979) is an American former professionalfootballoffensive lineman and current Emmy nominated[1] sports broadcaster. Tucker was an All-Ivy Leagueoffensive lineman atPrinceton University then played seven seasons in theNational Football League (NFL). Tucker retired as a player after suffering a neck injury during the 2007 season. He works forCBS Sports,[2] the Philadelphia Eagles,[3] Westwood One,[4] Audacy,[5] and hosts the Ross Tucker Football Podcast on the DraftKings Network.
Tucker attendedWyomissing Area High School, where he earned three varsity letters each in football andbasketball. He was All-league at bothoffensive tackle anddefensive end while earning All-county honors at offensive tackle.[6]
As a senior basketball player, he averaged 16.1 points and 9.8 rebounds while making 24 three-pointers. He also received the school's US Army Reserve Scholar-Athlete award.[6]
Tucker attendedPrinceton University. He was a four-year starter on the Tigers Ivy League football squad. He started againstColgate University as a freshman at defensive end.[7]
As a sophomore, he moved to right guard.[8] He was named All-Ivy in 2000 and was a two-time Academic All-American selection.[9] In 2019, he was named to the university's 150th Anniversary team.
Tucker signed with theWashington Redskins as anundrafted free agent after the2001 NFL draft. He surprised observers by making the team, even though he suffered a broken hand and a partially torn MCL.[10] The next year, he started 7 games at right guard. He was waived on October 22, 2002.
TheDallas Cowboys claimed Tucker off waivers on October 23, 2002.[11] He started at left guard during the last 7 games of the season in place of an injuredLarry Allen.[12] On June 5, 2003, he was released after minicamp.[13]
Tucker was claimed off waivers by theBuffalo Bills on June 16, 2003, and appeared in 12 games, with five starts at right guard.[14] In 2004, he started nine games at left guard and four at center.[15] In 2003, he was named to theUSA Today All-Joe team.[16] After missing minicamps because of offseason back surgery and being limited with injuries, he was cut on September 3, 2005.
Tucker signed with theNew England Patriots on December 13, 2005. He played in one game and was declared inactive in three contests.
On August 8, 2006, he was traded to theCleveland Browns in exchange for a conditional 2007 draft choice (not exercised).[17] On August 8, 2006, afterLeCharles Bentley tore his patella tendon, Tucker was acquired from the Patriots for a conditional 7th round draft pick. He was released on September 2 after starting the final three preseason games.[18]
For the second time on March 8, 2007, Tucker signed with the Redskins again as afree agent. He suffered a career-ending neck injury that bruised his spinal cord during the preseason. On August 28, he was placed on theinjured reserve list.[19]
Tucker announced his retirement in March 2008. He played in 42 games in his 7-year NFL career, starting 28.[citation needed]
Tucker joinedSports Illustrated upon his retirement from football in 2008, writing an NFL column. Tucker also has previously written for The Athletic and now writes regularly for The 33rd Team. He hostedThe Morning Kickoff with Ross Tucker onSirius XM NFL Radio for over a decade and is a frequent fill-in host on The Dan Patrick Show.[20]
Tucker is an Emmy nominated broadcaster who serves as a game analyst for both NFL and College Football games on CBS andWestwood One.[21] Tucker is an NFL insider for Audacy, a contributor to 94.1 WIP in Philadelphia and is the Philadelphia Eagles preseason television analyst. He also hosts podcasts as part of the Ross Tucker Football Podcast network distributed via DraftKings.[22]
