Mark Tucker (American football)
Encyclopedia
Mark Tucker is an American football
lineman.
at Banning High School
in Wilmington, California. He started at offensive tackle his junior and senior year. He was teammates with Jamelle Holieway
, Leroy Holt
, and Courtney Hall
(Rice University
). Tucker and Hall were the best offensive tackle tandem in the Marine League that year, with Tucker being only a junior. Tucker was named to the All State Underclass team as a junior. Was named to the Daily Breeze
All Star 1st team as a junior and senior. He was the South Bay Lineman of the year as a senior (1986). The Pilots had a talented I-veer
running attack with Holieway (Oklahoma
) at quarterback
, Holt (USC) at fullback
and Bret Young (Oregon
) at the I-Back
Brett getting 611 yards in a single game, a Banning High School record with each gaining 1000 yards rushing in 1984 as the they reached the finals at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
only to fall to rival Carson
33-20 finishing as the runner up with a 10-2 record.
His senior year (1985) the Pilots struggled early with a tough non-conference schedule that included powerhouse Long Beach Poly
but put together a solid campaign to finish the regular season 6-3 and advanced to the LA City 4A playoffs. With victories over Kennedy and San Fernando, the Pilots assured themselves of a rematch with the Carson Colts in the 1985 title tilt. Banning uncharacteristically took to the air, catching Carson off guard they pulled off a dramatic and dominating performance winning 31-7 to recapture the LA City title, the 8th in Banning Highs history.
and graduated in 1991 with a Bachelors Degree in Political Science
. A four year starter
at offensive guard, he won the job three games into his freshman season. He started 48 games in his career. He was All Pac-10 as a sophomore and senior. was second team as a junior. Awarded 1st Team All American Honors as a senior. He was a finalist for the Lombardi Trophy
and Outland Trophy
given to the top lineman in college football. USC was 35-12-2 in his career, finishing 18th in the Associated Press
in 1987, 7th in 1988, 8th in 1989 and 20th in 1990. Started the 1988
, 1989
and 1990
Rose Bowl games. Finished his career in the Hancock Sun Bowl
in 1990 as well losing to Michigan State 17-16. Played in the Hula Bowl
All Star game in Hawaii
.
in the 1991 NFL Draft
. He spent most of the season on the Indianapolis Colts
practice squad that year. He re-signed the next year and was allocated to the now defunct World League of American Football
where he played for the Frankfurt Galaxy
. In 1993 he signed with the Phoenix Cardinals
and was there for two seasons. In early 1995 he was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars
in the 1995 NFL Expansion Draft
. He then signed with the New Orleans Saints
in 1996.
of the Arena Football League. He would go on to a long career with the Rattlers, one that would span a decade. The Rattlers enjoyed many successes and failures during his tenure, from an Arena Bowl victory over a Kurt Warner
led Iowa Barnstormer
team in ArenaBowl XI
to the loses in consecutive ArenaBowls XVI
, XVII
, XVIII
.
. In 2011he served as fullbacks and offensive line coach for the New Orleans Voodoo of the Arena Football League
During his career Tucker became a teacher and a varsity
football coach at Chandler, Arizona
's Hamilton High School
. Under the guidance of John Wrenn and now head coach Steve Belles, Hamilton has garnered a total of eight 5A state Championship appearances with back to back championship campaigns in 2003/2004, a 2006 victory and 3 consecutive State Titles 2008, 2009 and 2010, the first time that has been accomplished at the 5A1 level in Arizona,the Huskies have put together a 50 game winning streak that spans back to the third game of the 2008 season.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
lineman.
High school career
Tucker played footballHigh school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at Banning High School
Banning High School
Phineas Banning High School is located in the Wilmington neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States, and is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District.- History :...
in Wilmington, California. He started at offensive tackle his junior and senior year. He was teammates with Jamelle Holieway
Jamelle Holieway
Jamelle Holieway is a former quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners football team from 1985 to 1988. He is considered one of the greatest option quarterbacks in NCAA Division I-A history. Highly recruited from Banning High School under longtime head coach Chris Ferragamo, Holieway attracted...
, Leroy Holt
Leroy Holt
Leroy Holt is a former American football fullback from the University of Southern California.-High school years:...
, and Courtney Hall
Courtney Hall
Courtney Hall is a former center and guard in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers. He is a four-time Pro Bowl 1st Alternate and captained the only Chargers football team to play in a Super Bowl...
(Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
). Tucker and Hall were the best offensive tackle tandem in the Marine League that year, with Tucker being only a junior. Tucker was named to the All State Underclass team as a junior. Was named to the Daily Breeze
Daily Breeze
The Daily Breeze is a 70,000-circulation daily newspaper published in Torrance, California. It serves the South Bay cities of Los Angeles County. Its slogan is "LAX to LA Harbor".- Early history :...
All Star 1st team as a junior and senior. He was the South Bay Lineman of the year as a senior (1986). The Pilots had a talented I-veer
Triple Option
The triple option is an American football scheme used to offer multiple ways to progress the football forward in the field of play. The triple option is based on the option run, but uses three players who may run with the ball instead of the two that are used in the standard option run.The triple...
running attack with Holieway (Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
) at quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, Holt (USC) at fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
and Bret Young (Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
) at the I-Back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Brett getting 611 yards in a single game, a Banning High School record with each gaining 1000 yards rushing in 1984 as the they reached the finals at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
only to fall to rival Carson
Carson High School (Carson, California)
Carson High School is a four-year public high school in Carson, California, United States. It is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Carson High was ranked 974 on Newsweek's 1300 Top U.S. High Schools. Carson High is located on the corner of 223rd Street and Main Street...
33-20 finishing as the runner up with a 10-2 record.
His senior year (1985) the Pilots struggled early with a tough non-conference schedule that included powerhouse Long Beach Poly
Long Beach Polytechnic High School
Long Beach Polytechnic High School, founded in 1895 as Long Beach High School, is a High school located at 1600 Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach, California, United States....
but put together a solid campaign to finish the regular season 6-3 and advanced to the LA City 4A playoffs. With victories over Kennedy and San Fernando, the Pilots assured themselves of a rematch with the Carson Colts in the 1985 title tilt. Banning uncharacteristically took to the air, catching Carson off guard they pulled off a dramatic and dominating performance winning 31-7 to recapture the LA City title, the 8th in Banning Highs history.
College career
Tucker played at the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
and graduated in 1991 with a Bachelors Degree in Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
. A four year starter
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
at offensive guard, he won the job three games into his freshman season. He started 48 games in his career. He was All Pac-10 as a sophomore and senior. was second team as a junior. Awarded 1st Team All American Honors as a senior. He was a finalist for the Lombardi Trophy
Lombardi Trophy
Lombardi Trophy may refer to:*Vince Lombardi Trophy, awarded to the winning team of the Super Bowl*Lombardi Award, an annual award to the best college football lineman or linebacker...
and Outland Trophy
Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States college football interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named All-America at two positions, Outland garnered consensus All-America honors in...
given to the top lineman in college football. USC was 35-12-2 in his career, finishing 18th in the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
in 1987, 7th in 1988, 8th in 1989 and 20th in 1990. Started the 1988
1988 Rose Bowl
The 1988 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1988. It was the 74th Rose Bowl Game. The Michigan State Spartans defeated the USC Trojans 20-17. Michigan State Linebacker Percy Snow was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game. This was the last Rose Bowl game to air on NBC...
, 1989
1989 Rose Bowl
The 1989 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on Monday January 2, 1989 because New Year's Day was on a Sunday. It was the 75th Rose Bowl Game, and also the 100th anniversary of the Tournament of Roses parade. The Michigan Wolverines defeated the USC Trojans 22-14. Michigan FB Leroy...
and 1990
1990 Rose Bowl
The 1990 Rose Bowl was the 76th Rose Bowl Game. The game was a rematch of the 1989 Rose Bowl, won by Michigan, 22-14. Gaining a measure of revenge, the USC Trojans defeated the Michigan Wolverines 17-10. USC running back Ricky Ervins was named the Rose Bowl Player of the Game...
Rose Bowl games. Finished his career in the Hancock Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl
The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...
in 1990 as well losing to Michigan State 17-16. Played in the Hula Bowl
Hula Bowl
The Hula Bowl was an independently administered post-season invitational college football game held each year in Hawaii from 1947 to 2008. The game was last played at Aloha Stadium in the Hālawa district of Honolulu, Hawaii. At one point the longest-running sporting event in Hawaii, it had been...
All Star game in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.
NFL career
Tucker was drafted in the 7th round by the Atlanta FalconsAtlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 1991 NFL Draft
1991 NFL Draft
The 1991 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 21–22, 1991 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Manhattan, New York...
. He spent most of the season on the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
practice squad that year. He re-signed the next year and was allocated to the now defunct World League of American Football
World League of American Football
The World League of American Football was founded in 1990 with support from the National Football League to play professional American football in North America, Europe and later possibly Asia...
where he played for the Frankfurt Galaxy
Frankfurt Galaxy
The Frankfurt Galaxy was a professional American football team that originally played in the World League of American Football and later in the resurrected NFL Europe. The team was based in Frankfurt, Germany and played in the Commerzbank-Arena, formerly called the Waldstadion.-History:In 1991, the...
. In 1993 he signed with the Phoenix Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and was there for two seasons. In early 1995 he was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 1995 NFL Expansion Draft
1995 NFL Expansion Draft
The 1995 National Football League Expansion Draft was held on February 15, 1995. The two new expansion teams, the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars alternated picks from lists of unprotected players from existing franchises. Existing NFL teams made six players available, and the new...
. He then signed with the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
in 1996.
AFL career
He left the NFL in 1997 and became a member of the Arizona RattlersArizona Rattlers
The Arizona Rattlers are a professional arena football team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Conference in the Arena Football League . The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team. They play their home games at US Airways Center...
of the Arena Football League. He would go on to a long career with the Rattlers, one that would span a decade. The Rattlers enjoyed many successes and failures during his tenure, from an Arena Bowl victory over a Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner
Kurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is a retired American football player. He played quarterback for three National Football League teams: the St. Louis Rams, the New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 after playing...
led Iowa Barnstormer
New York Dragons
The New York Dragons were an Arena Football League team based in the New York metropolitan area. The team was founded in as the original incarnation of the Iowa Barnstormers, and relocated to New York in . They played in New York until 2008, when the league folded...
team in ArenaBowl XI
ArenaBowl XI
ArenaBowl XI was the Arena Football League's eleventh ArenaBowl. The game featured two American Conference teams, the #2 Iowa Barnstormers against the #1 Arizona Rattlers...
to the loses in consecutive ArenaBowls XVI
ArenaBowl XVI
ArenaBowl XVI was played between the San Jose SaberCats and Arizona Rattlers in San Jose, California on August 18, 2002. A game with considerable expectations given the teams' intense rivalry and respective success that year, the SaberCats surprised everyone by posting the most dominant victory in...
, XVII
ArenaBowl XVII
ArenaBowl XVII was played on June 22, 2003 at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida before a sellout crowd of 20,496. The Tampa Bay Storm earned their AFL record fifth ArenaBowl title, by defeating the Arizona Rattlers, 43-29...
, XVIII
ArenaBowl XVIII
ArenaBowl XVIII saw the San Jose SaberCats and Arizona Rattlers competing for the 2004 Arena Football League championship. Until 2010, this game marked the last time the ArenaBowl was held at the home arena of the higher-seeded team, rather than a neutral site, and 17,391 fans packed the sold-out...
.
Post career
Tucker retired following the 2006 season and became the teams line coachCoach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
. In 2011he served as fullbacks and offensive line coach for the New Orleans Voodoo of the Arena Football League
During his career Tucker became a teacher and a varsity
Varsity team
In the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...
football coach at Chandler, Arizona
Chandler, Arizona
-Demographics:As of the Census of 2010, there were 236,123 people, 86,924 households, and 60,212 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 73.3% White, 4.8% Black or African American, 1.5% Native American, 8.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 21.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 8.3%...
's Hamilton High School
Hamilton High School (Chandler, Arizona)
Hamilton High School is the second public high school built in Chandler, Arizona. It was the first high school in Chandler to have a branch of the Chandler Public Library integrated into the school.-Name:...
. Under the guidance of John Wrenn and now head coach Steve Belles, Hamilton has garnered a total of eight 5A state Championship appearances with back to back championship campaigns in 2003/2004, a 2006 victory and 3 consecutive State Titles 2008, 2009 and 2010, the first time that has been accomplished at the 5A1 level in Arizona,the Huskies have put together a 50 game winning streak that spans back to the third game of the 2008 season.