Whitman D. (Whit) Tucker (born November 15, 1940) is a former professional

Canadian football Canadian football () is a sport played in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposing team's scoring area ( ...

flanker in the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

who played the entirety of his career with the Ottawa Rough Riders. He was a CFL-All Star in

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 5 ** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...

and won two Grey Cup championships with Ottawa in

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Janu ...

and

1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...

High school and college

Tucker was an all-star high school athlete in

Windsor, Ontario Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the southe ...

. He received a track scholarship to the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

upon graduation, but decided to attend the

University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO), also known as Western University or Western, is a public research university in London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and the Thames R ...

, where he was a three sport standout.

Professional career

Playing for the Ottawa Rough Riders from 1962 to 1970, Tucker was an Eastern All-Star three times, a CFL All-Star in

, won the Gruen Trophy as best rookie in the Eastern Conference in 1962, and won the

Lew Hayman Trophy The Lew Hayman Trophy is a Canadian Football League trophy, awarded to the outstanding Canadian player in the East Division. Each team in the East Division nominates a player, from which the winner is chosen. Either the winner of the Hayman troph ...

as best Canadian player in the East in 1968. He was a two-time Grey Cup champion after helping his team win the

56th Grey Cup The 56th Grey Cup was played November 30, 1968, and the Ottawa Rough Riders defeated the Calgary Stampeders 24–21 before 32,655 fans at Toronto's CNE Stadium. Vic Washington's 79-yard run is still a Grey Cup record, and he won the Grey Cup Mo ...

in 1968 and the

57th Grey Cup 57th Grey Cup, the Canadian Football League's championship game, was played November 30, 1969, and the Ottawa Rough Riders defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders 29–11 before 33,172 fans at Montreal's Autostade. It was the first time since 1931, ...

in 1969. He also played in the

54th Grey Cup The 54th Grey Cup was hosted at Empire Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia on November 26, 1966. The Saskatchewan Roughriders won their first Grey Cup after 53 years of competition for this trophy, after losing eight times. With Eagle Keys ...

in 1966. He holds the CFL record for highest career average gain receiving with 22.4 yards per catch over his career with Ottawa. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1993. He is also a member of the Windsor Sports Hall of Fame, the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame, and the UWO Sports Hall of Fame.

Post-football

Tucker is currently an investment executive in Ottawa, Ontario.

References

External links

His 2 TD receptions in the 54th Grey Cup game in 1966Canadian Football Hall of Fame member
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tucker, Whit Sportspeople from Windsor, Ontario Ottawa Rough Riders players Western Mustangs football players Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductees Canadian football wide receivers Players of Canadian football from Ontario 1940 births Living people Canadian Football League Rookie of the Year Award winners