Reggie Rucker facts for kids
Rucker at the 2011 Greater Cleveland Sports Awards
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| No. 88, 83, 33 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | September 21, 1947 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Anacostia (Washington D.C.) | ||||||||
| College: | Boston University | ||||||||
| Undrafted: | 1969 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
Reginald Joseph Rucker (born September 21, 1947) is a former American football player. He was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). Reggie played for the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, New England Patriots, and Cleveland Browns. Before joining the NFL, he played college football for the Boston University Terriers.
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Early Life and College Sports
Reggie Rucker went to Anacostia High School before attending Boston University. He was an amazing athlete, playing four different sports. These sports were football, baseball, track, and basketball. He was the first student in over 20 years to play four sports at his school.
Football Highlights in College
In football, Reggie helped his freshman team have a perfect season. In his first game on the main varsity team, he scored a touchdown. This happened when he returned a punt 71 yards against the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He set a new record in New England for major colleges. He returned three punts for touchdowns in one season.
In his final year, Reggie's team had several players who later joined the NFL. These players included Bruce Taylor, Pat Hughes, Fred Barry, and Barry Pryor. In 1978, Reggie was honored for his achievements. He was added to the Boston University Athletic Hall of Fame.
Professional Football Career
Reggie Rucker had a long career in the NFL. He played for four different teams.
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys signed Reggie Rucker in 1969. He was an undrafted free agent, meaning no team picked him in the main draft. As a rookie, he spent time on the team's practice squad. He was later added to the main team for a special game called the Playoff Bowl.
The next year, Reggie broke his left wrist during practice before the season. This meant he had to go back to the practice squad. But he soon joined the main team again. He became a starter for the last two games of the season. He also played in the Cowboys' playoff games. The team made it to Super Bowl V but lost a close game to the Baltimore Colts.
In 1971, the Cowboys made some changes to their team. They traded another player and brought in a famous player named Lance Alworth. Because of these changes, the Cowboys decided to let Reggie go on October 2.
New York Giants
The New York Giants picked up Reggie Rucker on October 3, 1971. He played for them for a short time. He was released by the Giants on November 1.
New England Patriots
Just two days later, on November 3, 1971, the New England Patriots claimed Reggie. The next year, he became a starter for the Patriots. He caught 44 passes for 681 yards that season.
In 1973, Reggie had a fantastic year. He caught 53 passes, which was the sixth-highest in the league. He also gained 743 receiving yards, ranking eighth in the league.
During the 1974 season, Reggie broke his right wrist in a game. He played six more games with a cast on his arm. But on November 18, he was placed on the injured list. It was reported that Reggie and his head coach, Chuck Fairbanks, had a disagreement. This led the Patriots to trade Reggie to the Cleveland Browns on January 28, 1975.
Cleveland Browns
Reggie Rucker joined the Cleveland Browns in 1975. Even though he had a knee injury, he caught 60 passes. This was the second-highest number of catches in the entire NFL that year. He had surgery on his knee after the season ended.
In the first game of the 1976 season, Reggie scored three receiving touchdowns against the New York Jets. He was only the fourth player in Browns history to do this.
In 1978, Reggie helped recommend Sam Rutigliano to be the new head coach. That season, Reggie gained 893 receiving yards, which was sixth-best in the NFL. He also averaged 20.8 yards per catch, ranking fourth.
Reggie became a key part of the "Kardiac Kids" teams. These Browns teams were famous for winning many games in exciting, last-minute ways. This happened during the 1979 and 1980 seasons.
By the end of the 1981 season, knee injuries caused Reggie to lose his starting position. On September 2, 1982, he decided to retire from football. He had played seven seasons with the Browns. He finished with 310 catches, which was the third-most in team history at the time. He gained 4,953 yards and scored 32 touchdowns for the Browns.
After Football
After retiring from playing, Reggie Rucker became involved in media in Cleveland. He worked as a sports analyst for the Cleveland Indians baseball team from 1982 to 1984. He also worked for NBC as an NFL analyst from 1983 to 1988.
In the early 1990s, he hosted a sports talk show on a radio station. Reggie returned to Cleveland media in 2004. He became a football analyst for a TV channel, covering the Browns and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Reggie’s son, Derek, also became a professional athlete. Derek played professional basketball in Australia, England, and the Philippines.
Later Challenges
Reggie Rucker faced some difficulties in his broadcasting career. An incident during a 1984 NBC broadcast led to questions about his reporting. This event affected his career, and he gradually took on less prominent roles. He eventually left TV broadcasting in 1988.
Later, in 2016, Reggie Rucker faced legal challenges. He was released in May 2018. In November 2018, he filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
