The Bucs had a deep class of 28 rookies report for their first NFL training camp Monday, but it means a little more to Sean Tucker.
The undrafted rookie running back from Syracuse returned to Tampa with the best of news, confirming Monday afternoon that he has been medically cleared to practice with his new teammates for the first time.
“I always knew it was just a matter of time,” Tucker said of his patience this summer, watching from the sidelines in OTA workouts and mandatory minicamp. “When it was right, I was already ready and didn’t have to ramp anything up. I was keeping my body right and staying in good condition.”
Tucker and his family don’t want to dwell on why he wasn’t drafted. He had been projected as a mid-round pick but drew a medical flag at the NFL combine that kept him from participating, one that was later cleared by doctors. What’s important for them is that he’s been cleared now and feels good about his health and the opportunity to prove himself in the next month.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Tucker said of training camp and preseason. “With all the things that have been going around, being able to put that aside and showcase and remind people what I bring to the table and what I can do, that’s high on my priority list. I’m 100 percent, ready to go.”
After being passed over in the draft, Tucker chose the Bucs over his hometown Ravens as well as the 49ers and Packers, having spent much of this spring training in the Fort Lauderdale area and “falling in love” with the state and its warmer weather. To help land him, the Bucs gave him a guaranteed $155,000, which amounts to less than a year on the practice squad or a few weeks on the active roster, and a financial commitment comparable to a late sixth-round pick.
Tucker, 5-foot-10 and 215 pounds, has a chance to help the Bucs improve on what was the worst run game in the NFL last season, ranking last in yards per game and yards per carry. Leading rusher Leonard Fournette was released and remains unsigned, and while there’s excitement around second-year back Rachaad White, Tucker is competing with newcomer Chase Edmonds (245 rushing yards in 2022) and fourth-year back Ke’Shawn Vaughn (72 yards from scrimmage last year), with a good chance to stick on the 53-man roster.
He hasn’t worn it except on the sidelines at practice, but Tucker’s jersey number is a source of personal pride — he’ll wear 44, a number famous in Syracuse football lore, having been worn by legendary running backs Jim Brown, Ernie Davis and Floyd Little, among others.
In 2021, Tucker rushed for 1,496 yards in 12 games, earning All-America honors and setting the Orange’s single-season rushing record, better than any of those players had ever totaled in one year. He topped 1,000 yards against last year, scoring a combined 23 touchdowns in his last two seasons.
“It’s definitely a legendary number in the Syracuse community,” said Tucker, who also ran track at Syracuse between his final two seasons, running the 60 meters in 6.9 seconds. “There’s a legacy behind that number, and for me to be able to wear it in the NFL, I want to try to carry on that tradition the best that I can, to be the best version of myself that I can.”
It isn’t easy for undrafted rookies to make an NFL roster, let alone a defending division champion trying to make it back to the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year. But Tucker has a good chance, having found a situation where he can not only make the cut, but make an impact as a rookie if everything goes right.
“You have to come to work every day with an attitude and that hunger in yourself to show the coaches and the team what you bring, that you belong there,” he said. “You have to show you can help the team out and be there throughout the season.”
Greg Auman is FOX Sports’ NFC South reporter, covering the Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints. He is in his 10th season covering the Bucs and the NFL full-time, having spent time at the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.
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