Since then, the athletic junior has played three positions - excelling at all of them - in a whirlwind college career that mirrors his impetuous presence on the field.
“The term we use is transform,” the 5-9, 175-pound Tucker said. “When we have to go play another position, we just transform and get it done.”
An all-district quarterback at Caldwell, where he also lettered in basketball, baseball and track, Tucker’s first transformation was to become a defensive player.
“In high school, I thought of myself as the quarterback who didn’t really want to be touched - kind of a pretty boy,” he said.
His christening as a college player came quickly as a freshman. Pressed into a starting role at cornerback for the 2006 season opener at Christopher Newport (Va.), Tucker’s was a baptism by fire.
“What I remember the most from that game was the fans,” Tucker said of Crusaders’ shocking 15-10 loss to the Captains. “In high school, everybody’s kind of the same no matter where you go, and everybody kind of gets along.
“But I learned that game that no matter what you’re accustomed to at home, when you leave your home state to go play somebody, they hate you. They hate every bit of you. As a player, you have to learn to adapt to it and just get on the field and do what you know how to do.”
What Tucker knows how to do is make plays. Heading into Saturday - when NCAA Division III third-ranked UMHB (6-0) will face NAIA foe Southern Oregon (2-5) in Ashland, Ore. - Tucker has a team-high 42 tackles despite moving from strongside linebacker to weak safety two games into the season.
“He’s so athletic that he can play a lot of positions, and we’re just trying to utilize those skills,” Crusaders defensive coordinator Larry Harmon said. “I think he’s in the right position now. He would be a good corner for us. But for what we ask our weak safety to do, he’s the right guy.”
Learning three positions can be taxing, and even the easygoing Tucker admitted there are weighty responsibilities that come with being the starting weak safety - a position UMHB calls its CruBack.
“Cru is probably the most difficult spot I’ve played, just because there are a lot more responsibilities,” said Tucker, who also averages 26 yards per kickoff return and 14 per punt return. “Half of the defense is your responsibility. The strong side is the free safety’s, and the weak side is my responsibility.
“The (weakside linebacker) has to know the call if there’s some kind of blitz on. The cornerback needs to know what coverage he’s in, and sometimes by defensive end needs a call from me. There’s definitely a lot more responsibility playing this position.”
But the extra workload isn’t something Tucker shies away from, and the added responsibility isn’t something he takes lightly.
“It’s a lot more intense on the field in college. It went from just being a game to something that’s a lot more important,” he said. “When you play college ball for these coaches, this is their life; this is their job. So when you get on the field, making plays or not making plays is a much bigger deal.”
Evidenced by his All-American Southwest Conference honorable mention recognition last year and his continued improvement this season, Tucker has proven his ability to understand and accept the task at hand without getting overwhelmed by it.
“It’s a been a lot of fun here,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun when you’re winning. You can’t ask for more than a W every Saturday. The guys I’m around every day, it’s a special group.
“And I love to travel. I don’t mind flying at all. I like it because I get to see the world a little bit.”
And by playing three positions and traveling to the Pacific Northwest - Oregon will be the seventh state in which he’s played a game - Tucker’s seen a little bit of everything.
edrennan@temple-telegram.com
