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Ravens Man Crush Monday: Justin Tucker

This superstar Kicker is today's Man Crush Monday. Opera, hair, wit, he has it all.

By Nathan Beaucage
Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Justin Tucker is a guy who seems impossible not to like. He's witty, classy, funny, quirky, and the best kicker in the league. That's why he's this week's #MCM.

"He just fits our mold, He’s so laid back, so confident and he’s just having fun. That’s one thing he does very well." - Ray Lewis on Justin Tucker

During traditional rookie embarrassment at training camp, Tucker volunteered himself to perform. Earlier on at camp he did a Christoper Walken impersonation, but citing awful performances from fellow rookies, he volunteered to go again. This time, he went with an Italian opera performance, and according to some Ravens vets, it was amazing. And that's a pretty good word too describe Justin too, both on and off the field.

On the field he's a Pro-Bowl Kicker, Super Bowl Champion, First-team All-Pro, 2013 Team MVP, x4 All-Conference ST Player of the Week, and a x2 All-Conference ST Player of the Month. He's 97/108 in his NFL career for a 89.8 FG %, and has a whopping 151 touchbacks.

He has set four franchise records in just three seasons:

  • Most field goals in a single season - 38 (2013)
  • Most points scored in a single season - 140 (2013)
  • Most field goals in a Single Game - 6 vs. Detroit Lions (2013)
  • Longest field goal - 61 yards vs. Detroit Lions (2013)

And in addition, two NFL records:
  • Longest field goal in a domed stadium - 61 yards vs. Detroit Lions (2013)
  • First NFL kicker to kick a field goal in the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s in the same game

Not to mention, Tucker was a UDFA who had to compete with Billy Cundiff (not the greatest competition) for the starting job. During this time he, "slept on a mattress on his apartment floor for a couple weeks until he bought his first piece of furniture – a rug that he proudly invited teammates over to see." Tucker had the dedication needed to make the league, and then succeed in it.

In his short three-year career, here's his two most famous kicks:




Now if his on-field play didn't make you swoon, look at his off-field talents. Now as I mentioned earlier, he's a very good opera singer. Check it out here: NFL-Films-Presents-Justin-Tucker.0.html

Music is Tucker's second love aside from football, and his wife Amanda. At the University of Texas he majored in music, one of literally a handful of athletes to major in fine arts at UT. In the Texas weight room, he shocked his teammates during a tradition called the "Soul Train", in which a dance and rap party takes place after a win. Tucker, a freshman at the time surprised everyone when he jumped into the center of attention and started freestyling. Texas teammate Sergio Kindle said that "Tucker was the only white guy with the nerve (or talent) to participate." While at Texas, Kindle and Tucker combined to make some club mixes in his 'makeshift-studio' dorm room.

Tucker's locker room antics are also unmatched, at Texas he would belt out opera in the locker room. His antics traveled to Baltimore too, where he "laid out his entire uniform on the floor in the shape of a person" and then "walked a few laps around the locker room before putting it on."

Tucker's Pre-Game Ritual

Tucker owns the locker room, in addition to his pre-game antics, he's a locker room character. His South Park impressions are a team favorite, and he's not afraid to talk smack. Tucker spent days writing up scouting reports, player profiles, and savage smack talk for the team's popular locker room game of Cornhole. Here is Tucker's writeup of Terrell Suggs:

"Undoubtedly the worst Cornholer in the building. Displays horrible fundamentals. Sloppy delivery only leads to problems. Simon Cowell of American Idol and X-Factor has said of Sizzle's technique: ‘Appalling with a capital ‘A.’ Positively dreadful.’"

Absolutely savage.

Tucker's Twitter game is on point too, as evidenced by this recent Tweet:

Hair game is on point too.

And for those of you fantasy football players out there, Justin has got your back. He said this after his epic six field goal performance: "My fantasy team is benefiting from it, as well, so I’m happy about that. Fantasy owners around the world, I hope you guys appreciate the points, as well."

"Tucker is super weird,"  "He’s the only person I know that can have a full-on conversation with himself that you can jump in at the end of and start laughing. The guy is weird, man – but a good weird, a funny weird." - Jameel McClain

This seems like a pretty good quote to sum up Justin Tucker, and a good way to end this article. Congrats Justin, you're the MCM for the week.

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