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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers struck it rich with undrafted rookie running back Sean Tucker. The former Syracuse product went through draft weekend without hearing his name called after a pre-draft physical at the NFL Scouting Combine revealed he had a heart condition. The finding caught Tucker off guard, who was getting ready to test with his position group the next day.
“It was hard at first, just hearing everything,” Tucker said. "When I got the news, it came as a surprise. Hearing that, like the day before my position group has the combine drills, it was definitely hard.”
Tucker who was expected to be drafted, by some as high as the second round, signed with the Buccaneers after the draft. As he underwent a litany of medical testing, he had to sit out of rookie minicamp, OTAs, and mandatory minicamp but took part in meetings and installs. Tucker was cleared just in time for training camp where he hit the ground running.
Tucker Showed His Skill In Preseason
It was a slow start for Tucker at the beginning of Buccaneers training camp as he got back into football shape, but once he did you could tell there was something special there. The rookie running back's speed immediately stood out amongst his peers.
Tucker said he had expected to run his 40-time in the 4.3's at the Combine, which would have put him amongst just Jahmyr Gibbs and Devon Archane. Tampa Bay's new offensive coordinator Dave Canales has said repeatedly that Tucker "has got the juice" and called him the fastest back on the team.
“He is probably the fastest guy in the room," Canales said. “Juice. Youth. This is a young man’s game. You get that young, hungry rookie back. We’ve had a ton of them in Seattle and he’s the next one up. Rachaad [White] is obviously young, too. He’s lively and it feels like he’s making more than what’s there on checkdowns, on runs. I’m excited about what he’s going to bring to us.”
While he's been nicknamed "Baby Chubb" by his teammates, Canales thinks he could be a Thomas Rawls like player for the Buccaneers. As an undrafted free agent himself, Rawls had 830 yards and four touchdowns his rookie campaign. Over three preseason games, Tucker ran for 81 yards on 23 carries, adding 22 yards on five receptions. He also had a 12-yard touchdown called back against the Steelers.
Tucker Ready To Showcase His Abilities As RB2
The first step for Tucker was to prove he was healthy. Once that was established, he let his natural ability and talent take over from there to land a spot on the Buccaneers' 53-man roster. It's something that has been a dream of his since he was a child.
“I just want to showcase my talents and provide whatever I can to the team,” Tucker said. “I want to help us win going into the season and just making the 53 (man roster) is a dream come true and is somewhere I’ve always wanted to be.”
While it was assumed a talent of Tucker's caliber could make the roster if healthy, climbing the depth chart to plant himself as the main backup to Rachaad White was impressive. Going from undrafted to RB2 means a lot to the rookie runner.
“It means a lot,” Tucker said. “I just want to help my team anyway I can whether it’s on special teams or offense and just showcase my abilities and see where I land.”
You can follow JC Allen on twitter @JCAllenNFL
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