Martin Rucker (American football)
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Martin Rucker hugs a fan following the 2008 Cotton Bowl Classic. | |||||||||
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| Position: | Tight end | ||||||||
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| Date of birth: | May 4, 1985 | ||||||||
| Place of birth: | St. Joseph, Missouri | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 251 lb (114 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | St. Joseph (MO) Benton | ||||||||
| College: | Missouri | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2008 / Round: 4 / Pick: 111 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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Martin Rucker, Jr. (born May 4, 1985) is an American former college and professional football player who was a tight end for five different National Football League (NFL) teams. He played college football for the University of Missouri, and was recognized as a consensus All-American. He was chosen by the Cleveland Browns in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft, and has also been a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL.
Early years
Rucker was born in St. Joseph, Missouri. He is the younger brother of former NFL defensive end Mike Rucker and the son of politician Martin T. Rucker. He attended Benton High School in St. Joseph, and was a standout player for the Benton Cardinals high school football team.
College career
Rucker attended the University of Missouri, where he played for coach Gary Pinkel's Missouri Tigers football team from 2004 to 2007. He was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American tight end, having been named to the first teams of the American Football Coaches Association and the Associated Press.[1][2] Rucker finished his collegiate career with over 200 receptions, 2,175 yards, and 18 touchdowns.
Professional career
Cleveland Browns
Rucker was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fourth round (111th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft. He signed a contract with the team on July 22, 2008. Rucker caught two passes for 17 yards during the 2008 season, with both receptions resulting in first downs.
He was waived on September 22, 2009.
Philadelphia Eagles
Rucker was signed to the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad on September 24, 2009. He was promoted to the active roster on December 15. He was waived on August 9, 2010.[3]
Dallas Cowboys
Rucker signed with the Dallas Cowboys as a free agent on August 20, 2010. He was cut on September 4, 2010, and signed to the practice squad a day later. He was promoted to the active roster on December 1, while Scott Chandler was cut to make room for him.[4] He returned one kickoff for 16 yards in a game against the Philadelphia Eagles. On September 13, 2011, he was waived and re-signed to the practice squad.
Jacksonville Jaguars
On October 18, 2011, Rucker was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars off the Dallas Cowboys practice squad.
Kansas City Chiefs
Rucker signed with the Kansas City Chiefs on May 16, 2012, and was placed on the injured reserve list on June 13, 2012 with a torn ACL.[5]
Retirement
On August 6, 2014, Rucker announced his retirement from the NFL and professional football.[6]
Career statistics
Politics
In February 2016, Rucker announced his candidacy as a Democrat for the Missouri House of Representatives in the state's 14th congressional district.[7]
References
- ↑ "Martin Rucker Named 1st-Team All-American". University of Missouri. November 29, 2007. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
- ↑ "Five Tigers Named to AP All-America Teams". University of Missouri. December 11, 2007. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
- ↑ "Eagles drop Martin Rucker". Profootballtalk.com. August 9, 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-09.
- ↑ MacMahon, Tim (December 1, 2010). "Scott Chandler cut; Rucker promoted". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
- ↑ Looney, Josh (May 16, 2012). "Chiefs ink two more draft picks, sign three players off minicamp tryout and add another free agent". KCChiefs.com. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
- ↑ "Rucker Steps Away from Football". stjoechannel.com. August 7, 2014. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
- ↑ Frederickson, Ben (26 February 2016). "BenFred: Ex-Tiger Rucker hoping to catch on in politics". St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Lee Enterprises). Retrieved 27 March 2016.
External links
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