Justin Tuck life and biography

Originally a 3rd round (74th pick overall) draft choice by the Giants in 2005.

GIANTS NOTES

Has emerged as 1 of the NFL's finest defensive ends, totaling 28.0 regular season sacks the previous 3 seasons and playing in the Pro Bowl in 2008.
Was 1 of the best players on the field in Super Bowl XLII, where he had 5 tackles (4 solo), including 2 sacks for 14 yards in losses.
Tuck is a versatile player who has contributed as a defensive end and tackle and on special teams.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Has played in 68 regular season games with 34 starts at defensive end and played in 6 postseason games with 1 start…Tuck has recorded 226 tackles (135 solo), 29.0 sacks, 1 interception, 14 passes defensed, 9 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery…Tuck also has 24 special teams tackles.

In 2009, played in all 16 games with 15 starts…Did not start at Tampa Bay (9/27) because of shoulder injury suffered the previous week in Dallas…Despite playing all season with a sore shoulder, Tuck finished 4th on the team with 74 tackles (41 solo), 1st with 12 tackles for losses, 2nd with 6.0 sacks, 3rd with 18 QB hurries, tied for 2nd with 24 QB hits, tied for 1st with 4 forced fumbles and a career-high 10 passes defensed…Named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week following a victory over Washington (9/13), when he had 5 tackles (4 solo), 1.5 sacks, 2 tackles for losses, 3 quarterback hits and a pass defensed. It was Tuck's 1st Player of the Week award…Had a season-high 2l0 sacks vs. Oakland (10/11) and a season-best 9 tackles (5 solo) with 2 passes defensed at Denver (11/26).
In 2008, started in all 16 regular season games and the NFC Divisional Playoff Game…Finished the season with 71 tackles (42 solo), a team and career-high 12.0 sacks, an interception that he returned for a touchdown, 3 passes defensed and 3 forced fumbles…Had 2 sacks in a game 4 times…Was selected as a starter on the NFC Pro Bowl team…Also selected 1st team All-Pro by the Associated Press and the Pro Football Writers Association and first team All-NFC by the PFWA.

Opened the season vs. Washington (9/4) with an 8-yard sack of Jason Campbell on the Redskins' 1st play from scrimmage…Posted 4 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 QB hurry and an interception that he returned 41 yards for a touchdown at St. Louis (9/14),…Sacked Marc Bulger for an 8-yard loss in the 1st quarter and a 6-yard loss in the 4th quarter…Intercepted a Bulger pass at the line of scrimmage and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown in the 4th quarter…Had a season-high 5 solo tackles at Cleveland (10/13)…Twice sacked J.T. O'Sullivan vs. San Francisco (10/19). On the 1st sack, stripped O'Sullivan of the ball, which was kicked out of the back of the end zone for a safety…Finished with 3 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 1 QB hit vs. Dallas (11/2)…Dropped Brad Johnson for a 10-yard loss in the 2nd quarter…Teamed with Jay Alford to drop Johnson for a 7-yard loss later in the 2nd quarter…Sacked Brooks Bollinger for a 8-yard loss in the 3rd quarter…Tallied 2 sacks at Washington (11/30) to increase his season total to 11.5 – Tuck had 11.0 total sacks in his 1st 3 seasons.

In 2007, he played in all 16 regular season games for the 1st time in his career, with 2 starts…Also played in all 4 postseason games…Tuck moved inside to tackle in the sub defenses and finished with 58 tackles (34 solo), 10.0 sacks for 59 yards, 3 passes defensed and 1 forced fumble. It was the 1st double-digit sack season of his career. Tuck finished 2nd on the team to Osi Umenyiora (13.0).

The Giants led the NFL with 53 quarterback sacks, their highest total since 1998, when they had a league-high 54 sacks. Umenyiora (13), Tuck (10) and Michael Strahan (9) became the 2nd trio in team history to record 9 or more sacks each in single season: In 1985, Leonard Marshall had 15.5, Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor had 13 and George Martin had 10…In postseason play, Tuck had 18 tackles (10 solo), 2 sacks for 14 yards, 1 passes defensed and 1 forced fumble.

Started at left defensive end at Dallas (9/9) and finished with 3 solo tackles, 1 sack and 2 QB hurries…Sacked Tony Romo for a 9 yard loss in the 3rd quarter…Finished with 2 tackles (1 solo), 1 sack and 3 QB hurries vs. Green Bay (9/16)…Sacked Brett Favre for a 1-yard loss in the 2nd quarter…Had a season-high 2 sacks of Donovan McNabb vs. Philadelphia (9/30), part of the Giants' 12-sack onslaught. Dropped McNabb for losses of 6 yards in the 1st quarter and 9 yards in the 4th…Finished with 1.5 sacks and 2 QB hurries at Chicago (12/2), where he sacked Rex Grossman for a 3-yard loss in the 2nd quarter…Had a season-high 9 tackles (6 solo), including a 2-yard sack of Todd Collins vs. Washington (12/16).

Tuck had at least 4 tackles in each postseason game. He was a dominant force in the Giants' 17-14 victory in Super Bowl XLII (2/3), when he had 5 tackles (4 solo), 2 sacks, 3 QB hurries and 2 QB hits…Recorded his 1st career postseason sack when he dropped Tom Brady for a 7-yard loss in the 2nd quarter…Later in the quarter, he sacked Brady and forced a fumble that was recorded by Umenyiora to stop a Patriots drive in Giants territory with 10 seconds left in the half.

In 2006, played in 6 games before being placed on injured reserve with a foot injury that required surgery…Finished the season with 4 tackles, 3 QB hurries, 2 QB hits and 6 special teams tackles…Saw action as a reserve at tackle and end at Seattle (9/24) and finished with 3 tackles (1 solo), 1 quarterback hit and 1 tackle on special teams.

As a rookie in 2005, played in 14 regular season games with 1 start and also played in the NFC Wild Card Game vs. Carolina…Finished the season with 19 tackles (15 solo), 1 sack, 1 pass defensed, 1 forced fumble and 18 special teams tackles…Contributed 2 solo tackles, a passed defensed and a team-high 3 special teams tackles at Oakland (12/31). Stopped Kerry Collins for no gain on 4th-and-goal from the Giants' 1-yard line in the 4th quarter.

Finished with 2 solo tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and 2 special teams tackles vs. Dallas (12/4). Recorded his 1st career sack when he hit Drew Bledsoe and forced a fumble that was recovered by Kenderick Allen in the 2nd quarter.

COLLEGE

Played in 36 games with 22 starts in 3 seasons at Notre Dame…Established the school record with 24.5 career sacks, topping the previous mark of 22.5 by Kory Minor (1995-98)…Recorded 164 tackles (113 solo), 43 stops for losses of 210 yards, 4 forced fumbles and 7 pass deflections…His 43 stops behind the line of scrimmage broke the previous school record of 42 by Anthony Weaver (1998-2001).
All-American Dream Team selection by The NFL Draft Report as a senior…Named team's Most Valuable Player.

Enjoyed a breakout year in 2003, when he set the school single season record with 13.5 sacks, 73 tackles, 3 forced fumbles and 19 stops behind the line of scrimmage.
All-America 3rd-team and All-Independent 1st-team selection by The NFL Draft Report.

OFF FIELD ACTIVITY

Justin Tuck's R.U.S.H. for Literacy program aspires to encourage children to Read, Understand, Succeed and Hope as they continue to nurture literacy in their lives. Thischarity program is committed to raising funds to donate books and other reading materials to benefit the local New York and Central Alabama communities. Also, Tuck has pledged $1,000 for every sack he records to help the New York and Central Alabama school systems.

Hosts an annual book and toy drive during the holidays with all items being donated to The Boys and Girls Club.

Attended the Reach Out & Read Greater NY Gala.
Attended Big Brothers & Big Sisters of NYC's Sidewalks of N.Y. fundraiser.
Participated in Coach Coughlin's Jay Fund Foundation fundraiser dinner and golf outing.
Attended the Robin Hood Foundation Fundraiser Gala.

Participated in the Shaun O'Hara Foundation Golf Outing, raising money for cystic fibrosis research.
Participated in the Giants Foundation 2009 Golf Outing.

Hosted Youth Day at Giants Training Camp, speaking to hundreds of youth about the importance of physical fitness, literacy, education and volunteerism following practice.
Attended the Champions for Children fundraiser gala benefitting the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation.

Participated in the Celebrity Bowl-a-Thon benefitting Mt. Sinai Medical Center.
Attended the Muscular Dystrophy Association's Muscle Team kickoff event.
Joined other volunteers to shave their heads for St. Baldrick's Foundation at a fundraiser for pediatric cancers.

Attended the fundraiser dinner for the Children's Museum of Manhattan, participating in the fundraiser by auctioning off a Giants package.

Hosted Giants fans and season ticket holders during the team's Draft Day Party at New Meadowlands Stadium.
Attended the Giants Kickoff Luncheon benefitting St. Vincent's Medical Center.

PERSONAL

Married (Lauran). They have infant son, Jayce Leroy.
Graduated in May 2005 with a degree in management from the Mendoza College of Business.
Cousin, Adalius Thomas, played football at Southern Mississippi and is now a member of the New England Patriots.
Sister, Tiffany, played basketball at Lincoln University.
Attended Central Coosa County High School in Kellyton, Ala.
Born Justin Lee Tuck on March 29, 1983. Resides in Kellyton, Alabama.

Read more