Justin Tuck
 Tuck signing a football in 2015 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 91 | |||||||||||||||
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| Position | Defensive end | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | March 29, 1983 Kellyton, Alabama, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 265 lb (120 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Central Coosa County (Rockford, Alabama) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Notre Dame (2001–2004) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2005: 3rd round, 74th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Justin Lee Tuck (born March 29, 1983) is an American financier and former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Notre Dame, and was selected by the New York Giants in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft, winning two Super Bowl titles with the team. He also played for the Oakland Raiders. Tuck graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School with an MBA in 2018, and was employed by Goldman Sachs.[1]
Early life
[edit]Tuck played high school football in Alabama at Central Coosa County.[2] Growing up, Tuck's favorite sport was basketball.[3] Although he began playing football in the seventh grade, Justin only began to take it seriously in his freshman year of high school where he originally started out as a quarterback before changing positions to tight end and defensive end.[3] His accolades include earning Alabama Class 4A Player of the Year as a senior in 2000,[4] as well as lettering in football at both linebacker and tight end.[4] For his career at Central-Coosa, Tuck recorded 492 tackles with 37 sacks, 26 forced fumbles, and 17 fumble recoveries.[4] As a tight end, Tuck had 115 catches for 2,106 yards and 17 touchdowns.[4] Subsequently, Tuck also won two state championships as a member of the high school basketball team.[3]
College career
[edit]Tuck received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Notre Dame, where he played for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team from 2001 to 2004.[5] After redshirting his 2001 freshman year,[6] Tuck played sparingly in his sophomore season. Playing only 180 minutes for the season, Tuck recorded his first collegiate sack against Michigan State. Despite his limited playing time and one start against Rutgers, Tuck was named a third-team freshman All-American by The Sporting News.[7] Tuck increased his production in his final two seasons at Notre Dame. In 2003, he finished the season with 13.5 sacks before suffering a knee injury against Syracuse.[8] Tuck frequently encountered double-team coverage in 2004. Despite a lingering knee problem from the previous season and not playing in Notre Dame's Insight.com Bowl loss to Oregon State, Tuck still finished the season with 47 tackles, six sacks and 14 stops for losses.[4]
Nicknamed The Freak by his teammates for his raw athleticism,[9] Tuck holds several defensive records at Notre Dame. Topping the previous record mark of 22.5 sacks by Kory Minor, Tuck finished his collegiate career with 24.5 sacks. His career 43 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks in a single season are also school records.[10] He graduated from Notre Dame in May 2005 with a degree in management from the Mendoza College of Business.
Professional career
[edit]Pre-draft
[edit]| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | Wonderlic | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 4+1⁄2 in (1.94 m) | 256 lb (116 kg) | 33 in (0.84 m) | 9+5⁄8 in (0.24 m) | 4.62 s | 4.29 s | 7.33 s | 37+1⁄2 in (0.95 m) | 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) | 24 reps | 29 | ||
| Height, weight, and Wonderlic from NFL Combine; all others from Notre Dame Pro Day.[11][12] | ||||||||||||
In the run-up to the 2005 NFL draft, Tuck also recorded a wind-aided 4.56 in the 40-yard dash as well as a 380-pound bench press, 560-pound squat, and a 336-pound power clean. Pre-draft reports contended that the knee injury would keep teams from taking Tuck in the first round. He was known as "terrific athlete who is a disruptive force up the field. Breaks down well playing with leverage, rarely off his feet and tough to move from his angle of attack," and "an extremely quick and agile player who possesses very good strength for a player of his size".[12]
New York Giants
[edit]Every defensive end who is going to be picked in the first round is going to be a good pick for whoever they're chosen by, but if I had to tell you what sets me apart, that would be my desire and determination to get better. I know what I need to work on, I know my weaknesses, but I have that work ethic to improve every day. I have that want to be the best player at my position, and I have the belief in myself that one day that will come true.[9]
2005 season
[edit]Although projected to be a mid-first round pick in the 2005 NFL draft,[13] Tuck was selected in the third round, 74th overall, by the New York Giants.[14] On July 29, 2005, Tuck signed a four-year $2.36 million contract with the Giants, which included a $737,000 signing bonus.[15]
Tuck's rookie season in the NFL found him behind Pro Bowl defensive ends Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora on the New York Giants depth chart, reducing his role to special teams and the first backup at each defensive end position. In total, Tuck played in 14 regular season games with one start and the NFC Wild Card Round.[16] His first career sack came against the Giants' NFC East rival, the Dallas Cowboys, in Week 13.[17]
Tuck finished his rookie season with 33 total tackles, one sack, two passes defended, one forced fumble, and 18 special teams tackles.[18]
2006 season
[edit]During his sophomore season in 2006, Tuck was limited to just six games due to an injury suffered on October 23, 2006, in a New York Giants Monday Night Football victory over the Dallas Cowboys.[19] On November 17, Tuck underwent successful surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury.[19] The procedure included inserting screws into Tuck's foot.[19] For the 2006 season, Tuck recorded two solo tackles in six games.[20]
2007 season
[edit]Despite starting only two games in the 2007 season, Tuck enjoyed his best season to that point, recording 65 tackles, 10 sacks, and two forced fumbles during the regular season.[21] During the season, Tuck spelled both Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora at defensive end and on likely passing downs he teamed with Mathias Kiwanuka at defensive tackle (with Strahan and Umenyiora at end) to form a four defensive end pass rush, a scheme defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo employed to pressure opponent quarterbacks.[22][23] On January 18, 2008, Tuck signed a contract extension from the Giants.[24] The five-year, $30 million deal, $16 million of which was guaranteed, included a $9 million signing bonus.[24]
Super Bowl XLII
[edit]
In front of a record-setting American television audience,[25] Tuck played well in Super Bowl XLII. According to Tuck, he and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady exchanged playful trash talk, during especially physical plays.[26] Due to the game's low score, opinions were heavily waged that Tuck was more deserving of the MVP award than quarterback Eli Manning.[27][28]
2008 season
[edit]On January 17, 2008, Tuck was rewarded with a contract extension with the Giants.[22][24][29] On March 31, 2008, Tuck reported to voluntary off-season conditioning programs administered by the Giants.[30] Prior to the start of Giants mini-camp in May, Tuck and the Giants were invited by President George W. Bush to the White House to honor their victory in Super Bowl XLII.[31] Tuck also took up boxing to improve his hand-eye coordination.[32]
Tuck started his 2008 campaign by sacking quarterback Jason Campbell on the first play of the Giants' season opener, a 16–7 win over the Washington Redskins.[33][34] Tuck followed his exceptional performance in week one with an outstanding performance against the St. Louis Rams.[35] Tuck finished the game with 2.0 sacks and an interception return for a touchdown in a Giants victory in week two.[35] The interception and touchdown marked the first of Tuck's professional career.[35] The touchdown was his first since his junior season at Notre Dame.[36]
Tuck totaled 66 tackles, 12 sacks, three forced fumbles, two passes deflected, and one interception.[37] Tuck's stellar play in the 2008 season earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl as one of the NFC's starting defensive ends.[38] He was also voted All-Pro for the first time in his career.[39]
2009 season
[edit]Tuck and the Giants entered the 2009 season as one of the favorites for the NFC to go the Super Bowl. With the return of teammate