Ross Tucker ready to take his game to a new level
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Just as he was in 2001 when he suited up for the Washington Redskins, Ross Tucker is a rookie again, overflowing with excitement and anticipation as he steps onto the big stage.
This time he’ll be behind a mic, not on the line of scrimmage. Much as he enjoyed playing, this is what he’s dreamed of his entire life: Broadcasting an NFL game on national television.
“For me, it’s definitely a big milestone,” said the 42-year-old Wyomissing graduate, who will be in New Orleans Sunday to call the Saints and Titans as the NFL season kicks off.
Tucker has called football games for 15 years, including hundreds at the NFL level. But those were on radio, with Westwood One, or preseason television games with the Eagles.
Sunday marks a new career plateau, something he’s been building toward since his playing days ended in 2006.
“It’s really, really, really hard to get to the NFL as a player,” said Tucker, “and it might be even harder as a broadcaster. To be in a booth for Week 1 is very, very exciting.”
Tucker is one of seven CBS broadcast teams calling NFL games this season. Jim Nantz and Tony Romo occupy the No. 1 seat. They’ll be calling the Eagles and Patriots Sunday at 4:25. Ian Eagle and Charles Davis head the No. 2 team. They’ll be calling the Bengals vs. Browns at 1.
Tucker, along with Chris Lewis and Jason McCourty, comprise the No. 7 team. CBS rarely has as many as seven games on a Sunday, as it will this week, so Tucker’s team will be utilized just four times this season for pro games (and five times for major college games).
Any network shot is an elite gig. Think of the hundreds of college and pro games that will be broadcast this weekend; Tucker will at the top of that food chain.
He didn’t get there because he was a star player with a big name; he was an NFL journeyman, fighting every day at practice to keep a roster spot.
He started his media ascent far from the top and nowhere near a television camera. He was asked to write a first-person story about what became a career-ending injury for Sports Illustrated’s “Monday Morning Quarterback” feature.
The piece was so good that it launched a media career that has turned into a mini-media empire, with daily podcasts, national radio spots and years of college and NFL broadcasting gigs.
He got his first key break in 2018 when he worked a small package of college games for the CBS Sports Network. The network execs liked his work so much that he was given a full slate the following season, and for the next three after that.
Earlier this summer he got a call from Ross Molloy, CBS’ Vice President of Talent, Production Planning and Technology Development, the same guy who first hired Tucker for CBS. He informed Tucker that he had made the NFL TV team.
“What I appreciate about CBS is that they’re looking to promote from within,” Tucker said. “There’s loyalty there. Obviously they’re watching what you do at any level, no matter what game you’re doing. If they feel you’re worthy of bigger opportunities they’ll give ’em to you.”
Tucker’s first network shot came last Saturday when he called the San Jose State vs. Oregon State game. He was informed during the broadcast that more than three million people were viewing.
“There’s a lot more eyeballs on the game (now),” he said of working at the top rung of the network.
Viewers in Pennsylvania won’t be able to watch Tucker’s call Sunday unless they subscribe to an NFL premium package. CBS will broadcast the game to the southeast portion of the country.
You can bet the fans in Nashville, New Orleans and every stop in between will be locked into every word that spills out of Tucker’s mouth.
“You won’t convince any Titans or Saints fan that there’s a bigger game in the world than what’s going to happen in the Super Dome,” he said.
He’ll provide them with intimate details about their favorite team based on his deep knowledge of the game – he follows it at every level, and talks about it daily on his podcasts – and his deep contacts throughout the league and college football.
He, Lewis and McCourty were be at Saints practice Friday, then huddlec with head coach Dennis Allen and some of the team’s top players to gain further insight. They did the same with the Titans Saturday, meeting with head coach Mike Vrabel.
Tucker has spent most of the last 48 hours digesting the mountain of data CBS’ research crew provides about each team.
“It’s almost overwhelming,” Tucker said of the volume of material he’ll pour over in the hours leading to kickoff.
Tucker enjoys his job – no, make that loves his job. It comes across in his voice and with the passion that pours through the microphone. That’s not a put-on for the cameras; that’s who he is. He gets just as excited talking about his days in the Inter-County League or about the success of his beloved Wyomissing Spartans as he does discussing Patrick Mahomes or Tom Brady.
This season more people will see him and listen to him than ever before but he’s hardly nervous about it.
“I decided that I got here for a reason,” he said. “They’re giving me this opportunity based upon what I was doing for the Army games and the other games. I decided: I’m not changing anything. I’m just going to be who I am and who I’ve always been and make the most of the opportunity.
“I’ve got a good mix of insight and humor. I know people can feel the energy and passion I have for it when I’m doing a game. That’s what’s most important to me: That people can tell I love it and love what I’m doing. I always like (listening to) broadcasters more when they’re having fun and they love what they’re doing.”