Carl Tucker, TE/FB, Alabama

Ed Hunt:  What are your measurements (height, weight and forty time)?

Carl Tucker:  I’m 6’1, 240 pounds and I want to say a 4.7. I haven’t run the 40 since my freshman year.

Ed Hunt:  Tell me about Mac Jones as a person. What was it like working with him?

Carl Tucker:  Working with him was really fun. Easy to hang out with on the field. Hard worker, great leader and was just a very fun guy.

Ed Hunt:  Tell me about DeVonta Smith off the field.

Carl Tucker:  I was only there for six months. Short time with him. Chill, laid back guy and funny.

Ed Hunt:  What makes Nick Saban great?

Carl Tucker:  He does not take any team for granted. He would find a reason they could beat us. It shows up on the field because the amount of respect he puts on the field.

Ed Hunt:  How did Steve Sarkisian help your offense?

Carl Tucker:  He was the brain behind it all. He put tremendous press into his players. After DeVonta Smith won the Heisman, he did 200 yards in the first half. How he uses those weapons.

Ed Hunt:  Where are you currently training for the draft?

Carl Tucker:  In Charlotte, NC. I’m training with Velocity.

Ed Hunt:  Besides football, what other sports did you play in high school?

Carl Tucker:  I ran track and played basketball. I was a big bruiser in basketball like Dennis Rodman. I had some good speed on me in track.

Ed Hunt:  What positions did you play in high school? 

Carl Tucker:  I played receiver mostly. There were times I played running back and tight end, but I was mostly receiver.

Ed Hunt:  Coming out of high school, what programs showed interest in you?

Carl Tucker:  UNC, Tennessee, Clemson, ECU, and Wake Forrest. I know Ohio State was a little interested and Duke was a little interested for a little bit.

.

Ed Hunt:  How would you sum up your career at North Carolina? 

Carl Tucker:  Fulfilling. I remember when I moved from California, I was clinging on to the basketball. I feel like I was a great tight end there. I made some big plays. I got a little taste of Mac Brown and helped turnaround of the program.

Ed Hunt:  What was it like to win a National Championship at Alabama?

Carl Tucker:  It was surreal. My last year at Chapel Hill, I had no idea I would end up Alabama. It’s kind of weird to think about. I haven’t fully grasped what went down.

Ed Hunt:  What are your strengths?

Carl Tucker:  My physicality, toughness, and my commitment to any role. I adapt well. I can do anything that is needed of me at full speed and that’s my way I can contribute.

Ed Hunt:  What areas of your game are you trying to improve upon?

Carl Tucker:  I would really say my conditioning and my consistency with my work. I had few bad blocks a game. I had that problem at Chapel Hill as well. I changed my mindset. I’m also wearing a conditioning mask, eating healthy and being comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Ed Hunt:  What is the highlight of your career up to this point?

Carl Tucker:  Other than winning a national championship, I would say the last game I played with my guys at Chapel Hill. Just to see how that hard work paid off in the end to win a bowl game. That was a really fun moment.

Ed Hunt:  What is your favorite NFL team?

Carl Tucker:  Anyone who wants me. Back in high school, I was a big Steelers fan.

Ed Hunt:  Is there an NFL tight end that you like to watch film on?

Carl Tucker:  Delanie Walker. He is on the shorter side. He has great speed, great hands and is great blocker. Playing tight end for the first time in college, it was hard to find tight ends my size.

Ed Hunt:  What underclassmen on your team should we keep an eye out for next season?

Carl Tucker:  Will Anderson, and the two freshmen backs (Jase McClellan & Roydell Williams). They are really talented and really good. They have the best running backs coach in the nation Robert Gillespie coming from North Carolina.

Ed Hunt:  Which defender was your toughest matchup throughout your career?

Carl Tucker:  The two linebackers at Miami. They are not there now. We were the same age. Every time I went against them it was a battle. We played for four years straight and we would always battle.

Ed Hunt:  What is the most important trait for a tight end?

Carl Tucker:  Your mentality. You just have to have a grinding nasty mindset. You can be a freak athlete, even a Travis Kelce can also get his hand down and get dirty.

Ed Hunt:  What do you enjoy most about football?

Carl Tucker:  The camaraderie. It just takes a lot to just play one game. All the preparation for one game. Waking up at 4-5 in the morning and running until you pass out. Just to see your relationship with these guys. At least 1-2 of their teammates will be in their wedding from college (That’s the kind of bonds these guys make).  

Ed Hunt:  How has this journey of perseverance made you stronger?

Carl Tucker:  I’ve gotten used to change. Just putting your head down and getting your work done. Being somewhere for five years straight. Going from knowing everything and then going somewhere where I know nothing, it has taught me to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Ed Hunt:  What are your hobbies?

Carl Tucker: I read. I play video games. There haven’t been too many new games. I play 2K games and warzone games. 2019 was a great year when the Spiderman game came out, Red Dead Redemption and God of War. I’m a huge video game guy.

Ed Hunt:  What do you want to do with your life after your football career is over?

Carl Tucker:  God willing, if I have a long career in the NFL and things go the right way, I would like to become a teacher. To sculpt young minds. There’s been a lot of situations where teachers get punished for doing the right thing. This lunch lady was giving a free lunch and she got fired. I would like to become a teacher to be a person students can come to.

Ed Hunt:  What makes you unique?

Carl Tucker:  I feel like my mentality is just different. I’m an extremely goofy and funny person. When people get to know me, they will be shocked as to how much they enjoy being around me.

Ed Hunt:  What five words best describe you?

Carl Tucker:  Gritty, determined, loyal, excited, and goofy.

Ed Hunt:  What did you think of the Super Bowl?

Carl Tucker:  Crazy! I used to be a huge Tom Brady hater. I was like there is no way he would win this Super Bowl. Just seeing the intensity that whole team played with, and it was cool to see him win again.

Ed Hunt:  What makes Alabama special? What is their magic formula?

Carl Tucker: They recruit the best guys, but they don’t treat you as the best. They’re going to play whoever is better. Everyone is going hard and competing in practice, so then when you play it becomes easy.