Reggie Rucker

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Reggie Rucker is a former American football wide receiver who played in the NFL from 1969 to 1981. He spent his NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, New England Patriots, and Cleveland Browns. He played college football at Boston University.

Early years
Rucker was born on September 21, 1947, in Washington, D.C. He went to Anacostia High School and later starred at Boston University, where he became BU’s first four-sport athlete in more than 20 years (football, baseball, track, and basketball). He set a New England college record with three punt-return touchdowns in a season and earned induction into BU’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1978.

Professional career
Rucker joined the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in 1969. He spent his rookie season on the taxi squad and was activated for the Playoff Bowl against the Los Angeles Rams. In 1970 he broke a bone in his left wrist during the preseason and again spent time on the taxi squad before becoming a starter late in the season, helping the Cowboys in their playoff push and in Super Bowl V, which Dallas lost to the Baltimore Colts.

In 1971 the Cowboys traded Lance Rentzel and briefly acquired Lance Alworth in a move that led to Rucker being waived in October in favor of Gloster Richardson. Rucker then joined the New York Giants, who claimed him off waivers in October 1971, but he was released the following month. Shortly after, he was claimed by the New England Patriots. With the Patriots, Rucker became a starter in 1972, finishing with 44 receptions for 681 yards. He had a breakout 1973 season with 53 receptions for 743 yards. In 1974 he broke his right wrist, missed several games, and was placed on injured reserve. A later trade to the Cleveland Browns in 1975 came after a dispute with New England’s coach over the injured reserve status.

With the Browns, Rucker had one of his best seasons in 1975, recording 60 receptions (second in the NFL, and the top total among wide receivers) despite knee cartilage damage. He opened the 1976 season with three receiving touchdowns in the first game, a feat only a few players had accomplished for the Browns. In 1978 he ranked sixth in the league with 893 receiving yards and fourth with 20.8 yards per catch. He was part of Cleveland’s “Kardiac Kids” teams in the late 1970s. Knees problems limited him, and after the 1981 season he retired on September 2, 1982, choosing not to back up the starter role. Across his NFL career, Rucker totaled 159 games, 447 receptions, 7,065 receiving yards, and 44 touchdowns.

Post-playing career
After retiring, Rucker remained in Cleveland’s sports scene. He worked as a color analyst for the Cleveland Indians (1982–1984) and served as an NFL analyst for NBC from 1983 to 1988. He also hosted a nightly sports talk show on WKNR radio in the early 1990s and later returned to television as a Browns and Ohio State football analyst for WEWS in Cleveland, starting in 2004. His son, Derek Rucker, played professional basketball in Australia, England, and the Philippines.

Controversies and legal issues
Rucker faced a public controversy in 1984 when he claimed on NBC that he had dinner with Bengals coach Sam Wyche the night before and that he had interviewed Wyche; Wyche denied the dinner and interview, and Rucker later admitted he had fabricated the claim. The incident damaged his broadcasting standing, and he left NBC in 1988.

In August 2016, Rucker was sentenced to 21 months in prison for embezzling money from nonprofit organizations, including anti-violence groups in Cleveland. He was released in May 2018 and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in November 2018.