Syracuse Football: Historic career of Sean Tucker comes to end on the Hill

Sean Tucker has carried the ball and caught a pass for the final time in a Syracuse football uniform.

And what a glorious three-year career the 5-foot-10, 210-pound Tucker has put forth for the Orange. It started in the team’s awful 1-10 season in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic and other circumstances propelled Tucker to the top of the squad’s depth chart at running back.

He accumulated 626 rushing yards and four scores on the ground in 2020, and we all got a sense of the talent this young man from Owings Mills, Md., possessed.

Tucker, who said on social media that he is declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft, then shattered the Orange’s single-season rushing record in 2021 and managed another 1,000-yard rushing stanza in 2022.

From the entirety of ‘Cuse Nation, we thank you, Sean Tucker, for a historic career in Central New York. We also have loved your tweets and hope they continue when you suit up on Sundays in the NFL at some point in the future.

Syracuse football and its fan base were blessed to have Sean Tucker for three seasons.

Tucker has not only declared for the 2023 NFL Draft, but he also said on social media that he will not play in the upcoming Pinstripe Bowl in New York City, which will take place toward the end of this month.

He did say that he plans to travel to the Big Apple and attend the bowl game, where he will cheer his teammates on to victory against Big Ten Conference member Minnesota.

In his social media post, Sean Tucker said it has always proven a dream of his to play in the NFL, and that dream will come true for this talented, smiling young man. Tucker has gotten some buzz from experts for the 2023 NFL Draft, and I can’t envision a scenario where he doesn’t get selected.

Other Syracuse football players who have declared for the upcoming draft are fullback/tight end Chris Elmore and star cornerback Garrett Williams.

Since Tucker isn’t competing in the Pinstripe Bowl, he sure did go out in style in his last game for the Orange (7-5). Late last month, when the ‘Cuse stormed back to defeat Boston College on the road, 32-23, Tucker rushed 21 times for 125 yards and two touchdowns.

His numbers were down in 2022 as compared to his historic 2021 term, but this season Tucker did finish with 1,060 yards on the ground to go along with 11 rushing touchdowns. Tucker was named to the All-ACC second unit.

Last year, as the ‘Cuse sported a 5-7 overall mark, Tucker rushed for 1,496 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground. He broke the single-season rushing record on the Hill previously held by the legendary Joe Morris.

Tucker, for his efforts in 2021, was named to the All-ACC first team and was also on multiple All-American squads.

In his Syracuse football tenure, per SU Athletics, Tucker finished with 3,182 total rushing yards in just 33 games, and he’s No. 3 all-time in career rushing yards for the Orange program, behind only Walter Reyes and Morris.

Sean Tucker was simply sensational for the ‘Cuse, and he will be severely missed. Now go crush things on Sundays, Sean. We love you.