Bob Tucker (American football)

Robert Louis Tucker (born June 8, 1945) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). A 6'3", 230 lb. tight end from Bloomsburg State College, Tucker played for 11 seasons in the NFL, from 1970 to 1977 for the New York Giants and 1977 to 1980 for the Minnesota Vikings.

In 1971 Tucker became the first NFL tight end to lead the league in receptions, topping the NFC with 59 catches for the Giants.^[2]

Prior to joining the NFL, Tucker lettered in football and basketball at Hazleton High. At Bloomsburg State College, Tucker set three NAIA pass receiving records and went on to establish league records with the Pottstown the Pottstown Firebirds,^[2] whom he played for in the Atlantic Coast Football League, along with the Lowell Giants.^[3] In 1969, He was a member of the Philadelphia Eagles taxi squad in 1969, and signed in 1970 as a free agent with the New York Giants.^[2]

Tucker is one of the few Giants to play for the team in four different home stadiums: Yankee Stadium (1970 through the first two home games of 1973); the Yale Bowl (last five home games of 1973 and all of 1974); Shea Stadium (1975) and Giants Stadium (1976–77). He lived in Lincroft, a neighborhood in Middletown Township, New Jersey.^[4]

Tucker was inducted into the American Football Association's Semi Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982.^[5]

Tucker was a biology teacher and freshman football coach at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School in Acton, Massachusetts in 1969.^[6]