Mike Rucker facts for kids
Rucker with the Carolina Panthers in 2007
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| No. 93 | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Defensive end | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | February 28, 1975 St. Joseph, Missouri, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 275 lb (125 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Benton (St. Joseph) | ||||||||||
| College: | Nebraska | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1999 / Round: 2 / Pick: 38 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Michael Dean Rucker, born on February 28, 1975, is a former American football player. He played as a defensive end for nine years with the Carolina Panthers in the National Football League (NFL). Mike played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Panthers chose him in the second round of the 1999 NFL draft in 1999.
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Mike Rucker's Early Life and High School Sports
Mike Rucker was a talented athlete in high school. He played both offense and defense in football. As a tight end, he caught 15 passes for 300 yards. On defense, he was the team's top tackler with 168 stops. His efforts helped Benton High School achieve a great 28-8 record over three years.
Besides football, Mike was also a star in track & field. He was the state champion in the shot put in 1994. He won all 10 of his shot put meets during his senior year. Mike earned 10 varsity letters in high school. This included three in football, three in basketball, and four in track. He was named an All-America player in football during his senior year.
Mike Rucker's College Football Career
Mike Rucker went to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. There, he played for the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team. He spent his first year as a redshirt, meaning he practiced but did not play in games. The next season, he got his first quarterback sack.
Mike was part of two national championship teams at Nebraska. These teams won in 1995 and 1997. In his senior year (1998), he was named second-team All-Big 12. This was impressive because he missed much of that season due to an injury. Mike finished his college career as Nebraska's fourth-best tackler behind the line of scrimmage. He had 40 such tackles.
Mike Rucker's Professional Football Career
The Carolina Panthers picked Mike Rucker in the second round of the 1999 NFL draft. He was the 38th player chosen overall. In his first year, he played in all 16 games and had three sacks. His very first sack was against Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jeff Blake.
In his second season, Mike had 2.5 sacks. He became a full-time starter in the 2001 NFL season. That year, he led the Panthers with 9 sacks. In September 2003, he was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Month. During the first four games of the 2003 NFL season, he had 5 sacks, 21 tackles, and 13 hurries. He and fellow defensive end Julius Peppers were the only two players that year to each get 10 sacks.
The next year, Mike won Defensive Player of the Month again for September. This made him one of only 11 players ever to win this award for the same month in two years in a row. He finished the 2004 season with 12 sacks. This earned him his first trip to the Pro Bowl, which is a special game for the best players.
On December 17, 2006, Mike suffered a serious knee injury. He tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This injury made him miss the rest of the 2006 season. He returned for his final season in 2007. Mike Rucker announced his retirement from football on April 22, 2008.
Mike Rucker's Activities After Football
After retiring from football, Mike Rucker has been involved in several projects.
Ruckus House Child Development
Mike Rucker, along with former teammates Mike Minter, Stephen Davis, and Muhsin Muhammad, helped start Ruckus House. This is a special center for child development and learning. Mike hopes to open a Ruckus House in every city that has an NFL team.
Vision Group Realty
In 2005, Mike started Vision Group Realty. This company helps people buy and sell homes and businesses. Its main office is in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company helps clients who are moving locally, across the country, or even from other parts of the world.
Visiting Troops and Commentating
In 2008, Mike traveled to Afghanistan to visit military troops. He went with other football players like Luis Castillo and Tommie Harris. Mike made a video about his trip for NFL Network. He said that if he hadn't become a football player, he could see himself serving in the military.
Today, Mike Rucker is a commentator for preseason games for the Carolina Panthers. You can hear him on the Panthers Television Network.
Mike Rucker's Family
Mike Rucker's younger brother, Martin, also played football. The Cleveland Browns drafted Martin in the 2008 NFL draft. He was the 111th player chosen overall.
