Rams 2022 NFL Draft Interview: University North Carolina OT Jordan Tucker

Meet University North Carolina offensive tackle Jordan Tucker. In an exclusive interview with Sports Illustrated's RamDigest, Tucker spoke about his journey of going through the draft process.

Nicholas Cothrel | Feb 25, 2022

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Very few offensive tackles in this year's draft class carry with them the starting experience from the college ranks that the University North Carolina's Jordan Tucker brings to the table.

A three-year starter for the Tarheels, Tucker capped off his college career making headway along the right side of the offensive line. Tucker's senior season included a front five that bulldozed running lanes for the Tarheel's rushing attack that finished the season averaging 212.5 rushing yards per game (18th in the NCAA).

He blocked the right side for quarterback Sam Howell, who guided the offense to an average of 255.7 passing yards per game (42nd in the NCAA) and 35.2 points per game (19th in the NCAA).

A son of former Rams defensive back Derwin Tucker, drafted by L.A. in the fourth round of the 1979 NFL Draft, he enters the 2022 NFL Draft with NFL bloodlines.

While the Rams offensive line currently shapes up as one of the oldest groups in the NFL, pursing tackles, guards and centers through the mid to late rounds of the draft is a probable measure L.A. will direct their efforts towards.

Tucker recently spoke exclusively with Sports Illustrated's RamDigest, discussing his experience at the NFLPA Bowl, the kind of offseason training he's been up to and how he's maneuvering the draft process.

Oct 9, 2021; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels tight end Kamari Morales (88) is congratulated by offensive lineman Jordan Tucker (74) after his second half touchdown catch against the Florida State Seminoles at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

NC: How has the draft process been for you as you maneuver training, meeting with teams, attending showcase events like the NFLPA Bowl? How has that experience treated you thus far?

JT: Yeah, it's definitely been kind of an adjustment. It's been pretty up-tempo. We had somewhat of a later bowl game in late December and then we kind of just hit the ground running. I was home for only a week and then I had to hop over to Fort Worth for the CGS All-Star showcase. And then right after that, a week later, I was getting a call to go to the NFLPA bowl in L.A. so I mean, it's just been a lot of communication between me and my agent and trainers. Just a lot of fast-paced movement. Right now, it's been pretty chill just because I've gotten back from the NFLPA and actually had time to really lock in on my training.

NC: With traveling around from place-to-place, how have you juggled the battle of being on the road but still remaining on your proper regimen when you're hopping on flights periodically? How has it been trying to balance that aspect?

JT: Yeah, I mean, it's been it's been pretty smooth. I've got a great support staff and a great team. My skills trainer, my speed and agility trainer and then my strength trainer, they do a great job of taking care of my body. And then my agency, they do a great job of just letting me know what's going on. Let me know who's in my ear or whose ear that I'm in. It's really just been about communication and just finding that happy medium.

NC: At the NFLPA Bowl, how was it working with a coaching staff that has such a profound wealth of knowledge throughout the game of football – being able to receive pointers from the staff, as well as bouncing ideas off other players there at the event for the week?

JT: As far as the coaching staff went, we had a coach of all-stars. Like, everybody's a household name or a Hall of Famer. And I think that really helped open up my eyes to what the NFL is really about, like what it takes to get there. Speaking from my position coach, Jackie Slater, I mean, he's a Hall of Famer. He played for the same team as my dad. He knew it all and whatever we didn't know, he had no hesitation on trying to help us figure it out. He came up with so many terms that we have come to know as young kids and stuff like that. He's very open about what he went through and experienced. He just did a great job and that's really for all the coaches across the board. They did a real good job, feeding us information that we needed, as well as trusting us to make our own plays on the field and I really appreciate that from them.

And then as far as the players, it's an all-star game. It's one best all-star games to go to as a senior and the talent there was incredible and the friendships that I made there were amazing and being able to pick people's brains and then me give my knowledge as well – it really shows you the football family and how big it is.

NC: You briefly touched on your father, who was drafted by the Rams. Has that been something where as a youngster growing up, that you had aspirations to follow that trajectory? And how has being a son of a former player helped guide you to where you are now in your journey?

JT: Yeah, my dad being drafted out to L.A. and then I've got family who stays out in L.A., so I visit there quite often. I love the area. I love the West Coast. It's a second home if not that. Being the son of a pro athlete definitely helps. I think genetics plays a big role, but just the knowledge passed down from my dad when he was still here. I mean it was incredible. The trials and tribulations of football is real and to have a father figure who went through the ultimate level of football, it just really helped shape me and molded me into what I am today. As well as my mom, she played basketball, many other sports as well. So just having those two athletes and like two bosses, it definitely helped mold me in a positive way.

NC: Who is Jordan Tucker the person? What should people know about you underneath that helmet that most don’t know aside from your play on the field?

JT: I feel like most of my friends could vouch for me, I'm a goofy personality. I feel like you can put me in a room with 100 people and I can make 100 friends. I'm definitely about my teammates. We spend most of our time together but even off the field, I like to hangout with my teammates. I like to go to movies, hangout, go get some food, play the game. That's just kind of me. I'm an avid anime watcher and music listener and other than that it's pretty much just ball.

NC: If you could sum up your career at UNC by reflecting back, how would you classify your time there as a whole and just your overall experience?

JT: If I were to sum it all up as a whole, I just think of the progress and trusting the process, just because my first two years were really rough. We won five games in two years. And that's me coming from a high school where we went to back-to-back state championships. I've been winning since I was a kid. It was kind of rough getting adjusted to that and being adjusted in a whole different state with a different team, whole different coaches, all that. But just trusting the process and talking to my coaches, talking to my trainer, talking to my family, just really locking into what I was there for and that was to get my degree and play football. I think the tape doesn't lie, like you see progress, you see new moves, you see more strength, you see more intelligence and that's just kind of who I am – just always adapting.

NC: Being a three-year starter, how do you believe you’ve taken steps of growth year-over-year? Do you think that each year has helped refine your game up to this point?

JT: Yes, I definitely do. Having those three years was a blessing under Mack (Brown). Also, having one of the best quarterbacks in the class, if not the best quarterback in the class – Sam (Howell) – just the way we attacked football and how we attacked our offense. We wanted to be the best, we wanted to be the fastest, score all the points, do what we can. Offensive line doesn't really get highlighted in that but at the same time, I feel like I've made it a priority to kind of like show that I can stand out on tape and show that you know that I'm a presence. To know when I'm on the field versus when I'm off the field. Having that progression of three years being a starter, you can definitely see over the three years there's things that I got better at and there's still things that I need to work on because everybody does, but I could definitely see progress within those three years of playing ball.

NC: How are you attacking the draft process from a training perspective? What are you up to now?

JT: I'm down here in Atlanta training with my trainer that I've been with for eight years. At DSA, a facility in Marietta. As far as my regimen, we're doing a lift, a run and then a scale pretty much Monday through Saturday. They take care of us, so I don't want anybody thinking I'm being run into the ground but they take great care of us. The nutritionist, the physical therapist, they do a tremendous job.

NC: Has there been any meetings with teams that have taken place?

JT: I've had a couple of recruiting analysts text my phone a couple of times. And then obviously, at the all-star games, the CGS and NFLPA, we're in nonstop meetings pretty much just talking to coaches, interviewing and just letting them put a face to a name. So they can take that back and do what they want with it. Other than that, I've been getting texts and been on a couple calls with some teams, but I'm really just focused on training.

NC: What is an NFL team getting by adding you to their roster next season? What would be your sales pitch to teams?

JT: First thing that comes to mind is they’re just gonna get a good kid. My mom and dad did a tremendous job of raising me and I think it shows on the field and off the field. For my peers, I feel like I'm someone that's accountable, somebody you could depend on. On the field, I think you're getting a beast, dominant run-blocker, sweet on my feet in the pass game. Offensive line is a position, but I think everybody on the field is an athlete. I did multi-sport, I can do a lot of different stuff on the field. So I just want to be able to showcase that and show that I want to help the progression of our team and win a Super Bowl. I just want to win every game. They're gonna get a kid that wants to win.

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Nick Cothrel is the publisher of Ram Digest. Follow Nick and Ram Digest on Twitter @NickCothrel & @RamDigestSI for more Rams coverage.

Published Feb 25, 2022

NICHOLAS COTHREL

Nick Cothrel covers the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated.