Tracy Rocker
Encyclopedia
Tracy Quinton Rocker is an American football
defensive line coach for the Tennessee Titans
in the NFL. He is a former professional football player, first drafted into the National Football League
in 1989
by the Washington Redskins
.
and Outland Trophy
, the first SEC player to do so. He played defensive tackle for Auburn University
. An Auburn great, Rocker was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
by the National Football Foundation
in December 2004 in New York City, and was inducted into Alabama’s state Sports Hall of Fame in the summer of 2005.
A two-time All-American and a three-time All-SEC selection as a player at Auburn, Rocker was named SEC Player of the Year during his senior season. He finished his career with 354 tackles, including 21 quarterback sacks and 48 tackles for loss. During his tenure, Auburn won a pair of league titles, and Rocker was voted to the school’s Team of the Century in 1993.
by the Washington Redskins
and was selected to the NFL All-Rookie team in 1990. However, after playing only two seasons in the NFL with the Redskins, he concluded his playing career with a one-year stint with the Orlando Thunder
in the World League of American Football
.
the same year. After serving two seasons as defensive coordinator at the school, he spent three years as a defensive line coach at West Alabama (1994-96).
Prior to his stint at Cincinnati, Rocker spent five seasons as the defensive line coach at Troy State University in Troy, Alabama. While at TSU, three of his players received Division I-AA All-America honors, including Al Lucas, who earned the 1999 Buck Buchanan Award as the top defensive player in Division I-AA. A total of 13 TSU players garnered all-conference accolades under Rocker, while five players went on to sign NFL contracts, including Marcus Spriggs, who was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round in 1999.
Rocker joined Houston Nutt
's staff at Arkansas after one year at Cincinnati
where he helped the Bearcats win a share of the 2002 Conference USA title. Rocker spent five years as the defensive line coach of the Razorbacks. His 2006 line ranked No. 4 in the SEC and 33rd in the nation in rushing defense, holding opponents to 114.57 yards per game. Arkansas also ranked first in the SEC and No. 21 nationally in tackles for loss with 6.93. When Houston Nutt went to Ole Miss before the 2008 season, Rocker joined his Rebels staff.
In January 2009, Rocker left Ole Miss to coach the defensive line at his alma mater, Auburn University
. He has a salary of $330,000.
Rocker has honed his coaching skills as a participant in the NFL
Minority Coaching Fellowship Program, working with the Indianapolis Colts
in 2001 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
in 2006.
Under Rocker’s guidance, Jamaal Anderson was the premier pass rusher in the SEC in 2006 with 14 sacks for 100 yards and 20.5 tackles for loss. The honorable mention All-American ranked third nationally in sacks per game with 1.0, while his 20.5 TFL ranked 12th. Anderson also notched 65 tackles and a team-best 26 quarterback hurries. Anderson was selected as the eighth pick of the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft, while fellow Razorback defensive lineman Keith Jackson was taken in the seventh round.
In 2010, Rocker coached 2010 Lombardi Award
winner, AP All-American defensive lineman, and AP SEC defensive player of the year Nick Fairley
, as well as AP second-team All-SEC defensive lineman Antoine Carter. Fairley led the SEC with 21 tackles for loss and was second in the SEC with 10.5 sacks.
Rocker was a member of the Auburn staff which won the 2011 BCS National Championship Game
.
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...
defensive line coach for the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
in the NFL. He is a former professional football player, first drafted into the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
in 1989
1989 NFL Draft
The 1989 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 23–24 , 1989...
by the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
.
College
In 1988, Rocker won both the Lombardi AwardLombardi Award
The Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
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...
, the first SEC player to do so. He played defensive tackle for Auburn University
Auburn Tigers football
Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
. An Auburn great, Rocker was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
by the National Football Foundation
National Football Foundation
The National Football Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 1947 by General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army Black Knights football coach Earl "Red" Blaik and journalist Grantland Rice...
in December 2004 in New York City, and was inducted into Alabama’s state Sports Hall of Fame in the summer of 2005.
A two-time All-American and a three-time All-SEC selection as a player at Auburn, Rocker was named SEC Player of the Year during his senior season. He finished his career with 354 tackles, including 21 quarterback sacks and 48 tackles for loss. During his tenure, Auburn won a pair of league titles, and Rocker was voted to the school’s Team of the Century in 1993.
Professional
Rocker was selected in the third round of the 1989 NFL Draft1989 NFL Draft
The 1989 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 23–24 , 1989...
by the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
and was selected to the NFL All-Rookie team in 1990. However, after playing only two seasons in the NFL with the Redskins, he concluded his playing career with a one-year stint with the Orlando Thunder
Orlando Thunder
The Orlando Thunder was a member of the World League of American Football from 1991 to 1992 . The team played their games in the 70,000 seat Citrus Bowl, and was coached by Don Matthews in 1991 and Galen Hall in 1992...
in the 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...
.
Coaching career
Rocker returned to Auburn to complete his undergraduate degree in 1992 and began his coaching career with the Auburn High School TigersAuburn High School Tigers
The Auburn High School Tigers are the athletic teams which represent Auburn High School in Auburn, Alabama. Auburn High School's athletics program fields twenty-one varsity teams as a member of the large-school classification of the Alabama High School Athletic Association...
the same year. After serving two seasons as defensive coordinator at the school, he spent three years as a defensive line coach at West Alabama (1994-96).
Prior to his stint at Cincinnati, Rocker spent five seasons as the defensive line coach at Troy State University in Troy, Alabama. While at TSU, three of his players received Division I-AA All-America honors, including Al Lucas, who earned the 1999 Buck Buchanan Award as the top defensive player in Division I-AA. A total of 13 TSU players garnered all-conference accolades under Rocker, while five players went on to sign NFL contracts, including Marcus Spriggs, who was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round in 1999.
Rocker joined Houston Nutt
Houston Nutt
Houston Dale Nutt, Jr. is an American football coach and former player. Most recently he was the head football coach at the University of Mississippi from 2008 to 2011. Previously, he served as the head coach at Murray State University , Boise State University , and the University of Arkansas...
's staff at Arkansas after one year at Cincinnati
Cincinnati Bearcats football
The Cincinnati Bearcats football program represents the University of Cincinnati in a college football. They compete at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level as members of the Big East Conference. The Bearcat football program is one of the nation's oldest, having fielded a team as...
where he helped the Bearcats win a share of the 2002 Conference USA title. Rocker spent five years as the defensive line coach of the Razorbacks. His 2006 line ranked No. 4 in the SEC and 33rd in the nation in rushing defense, holding opponents to 114.57 yards per game. Arkansas also ranked first in the SEC and No. 21 nationally in tackles for loss with 6.93. When Houston Nutt went to Ole Miss before the 2008 season, Rocker joined his Rebels staff.
In January 2009, Rocker left Ole Miss to coach the defensive line at his alma mater, Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
. He has a salary of $330,000.
Rocker has honed his coaching skills as a participant in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
Minority Coaching Fellowship Program, working with 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 ....
in 2001 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
in 2006.
Players coached
In his first season with the Razorbacks, UA’s 2003 defensive line helped the Hogs finish fifth in the SEC in total defense, allowing 344.0 yards per game. In 2004, Rocker coached first-team All-SEC end Jeb Huckeba, who produced 56 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. Huckeba was as selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. Rocker’s 2005 unit tied for second in the SEC with 29 sacks and was fourth in rushing defense behind Jackson, who earned second-team All-SEC honors after finishing fourth on the team with 74 tackles.Under Rocker’s guidance, Jamaal Anderson was the premier pass rusher in the SEC in 2006 with 14 sacks for 100 yards and 20.5 tackles for loss. The honorable mention All-American ranked third nationally in sacks per game with 1.0, while his 20.5 TFL ranked 12th. Anderson also notched 65 tackles and a team-best 26 quarterback hurries. Anderson was selected as the eighth pick of the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft, while fellow Razorback defensive lineman Keith Jackson was taken in the seventh round.
In 2010, Rocker coached 2010 Lombardi Award
Lombardi Award
The Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
winner, AP All-American defensive lineman, and AP SEC defensive player of the year Nick Fairley
Nick Fairley
Nick Fairley is an American football defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Lions in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at Auburn....
, as well as AP second-team All-SEC defensive lineman Antoine Carter. Fairley led the SEC with 21 tackles for loss and was second in the SEC with 10.5 sacks.
Rocker was a member of the Auburn staff which won the 2011 BCS National Championship Game
2011 BCS National Championship Game
The 2011 Tostitos BCS National Championship Game was the final college football game to determine the national champion of the 2010 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision season. The finale of the 2010-2011 Bowl Championship Series was played at the University of Phoenix Stadium, the host...
.