Justin Tucker is the placekicker coaches dream about. Whether it's the first quarter or fourth, in sunshine or sleet, the Baltimore Ravens' special teams ace kicks 'em long and he kicks 'em straight.
Tucker's career numbers tell the story of consistent greatness. Last season, he came within a blocked kick of a perfect season -- an especially impressive feat when you factor in that Tucker converted all 10 (10!) of his attempts from 50 yards and beyond.
He was, quite simply the Bizarro Aguayo.
Having reached a higher plane than that of his contemporaries, it makes sense that Tucker is looking for new challenges as he enters his sixth season. Just as Michael Jordan left the hardwood for the baseball diamond to satiate his unquenchable competitive spirit, Justin Tucker, too, is on the search for glory beyond the horizon.
In Thursday's preseason tilt against the Dolphins, Tucker drilled a 52-yard field goal. Ho hum. Up next was the ensuing kickoff:
Wait, did a kicker just attempt a scoop-and-score on his own kickoff?
"100 percent," Tucker said after the game.
"I was thinking scoop-seven," Tucker said, via the Ravens' official site. "Not a lot of guys can say that. It would have been pretty sweet, but that's all it is now -- a would-have-been."
Alas, Tucker was driven to the turf moments after the recovery by 297-pound defensive tackle Julius Warmsley. This is the superfluous punishment special teams coordinators rather their fracturable kickers avoid if at all possible ... especially during the preseason.
"I don't ever let anybody put that evil on me as saying something as audacious as kickers aren't football players," Tucker said. "In a game where points win, your leading scorer is probably going to be the kicker. And I'm literally doing the most football thing in football. I'll leave it at that."
This guy.
