Tucker relishing spot as Eagles analyst
When Ross Tucker says he’s always loved preseason football – especially Philadelphia Eagles preseason football – he isn’t kidding.
“For me, I’ve been watching these games since I was 6, 7,” said Tucker, the Wyomissing grad who had a seven-year NFL career as an offensive lineman. “I distinctly remember watching not only in Wyomissing, but we’d go to the Jersey shore in August before school would start, and my parents would say, ‘All right, we’re going out to dinner.’ And I’d be like, ‘Oh, no, we’re not. It’s the third preseason game. I’m watching Eagles-Jets.’ And they were like, ‘Really?’ And I’m like, ‘Yes, really.’ But they knew I meant it.”
Thirty years later, that enthusiasm hasn’t faded, and he has a new opportunity to demonstrate his passion for the game.
Tucker will be the analyst for all four Eagles preseason games, teaming with playby-play announcer Scott Graham and team insider Dave Spadaro, beginning with the Thursday night opener against the Tennessee Titans at Lincoln Financial Field on NBC10.
A decade into a postplaying media career, the 40-year-old Tucker has extensive experience broadcasting NFL and college games on radio and television. But the chance to call games for the team he grew up watching as a fan - by 10, he was a frequent visitor to training camp at West Chester University - brings excitement “on multiple levels.”
“On the one level, it’s a really cool preseason opportunity,” he said. “I’ve always wanted a preseason NFL job, so just from a pure media standpoint and my career, I’m excited to get an NFL preseason gig.
“But then to have it be the Eagles and the team I grew up a huge fan of ... it’s funny because living back here in Eagles country, my fandom comes back a little bit more each year. Now I’m still an objective analyst and I say what I think whether I’m on WIP radio or whatever. I say what I think. But when all your friends and family are Eagles fans, you can’t help - especially now when they’re so good again - you can’t help but get caught up in it a little bit.
“And I also take a lot of pride in it because I can just sense from the people in Wyomissing and Reading in general that I think it’s kind of cool for them that a Reading guy will be doing the Eagles.”
Tucker had done radio broadcasts of Sunday NFL games every week of the season for the last several years for Westwood One, but the network last year ended its Sunday afternoon doubleheader broadcasts. Tucker still did Monday night sideline reporting and college football for the network, but he also wanted a Sunday assignment.
He spent last year as part of the Eagles pregame show on WIP, and had established a relationship with the team through that. When Mike Mayock, who was the analyst for Eagles preseason games, left his job at the NFL Network to become the Oakland Raiders general manager earlier this year, Tucker approached Eagles vice president of content and production Eric Long about the spot prior to the team’s playoff game in New Orleans last year.
“I just think it’s important if life if you want something to make sure people know you want it, especially if you can tell them in person,” Tucker said.
Several weeks later, after sending in tapes of some of his broadcasts, Tucker was offered the job.
“I was ecstatic,” he said. “They have a really good team. It’s a really good time to be calling their games.”
Tucker also will call 13 college games for CBS Sports Network, including eight Army games, highlighted by a trip to Hawaii. He’ll continue with the Eagles pregame show and will have a new venture that will be announced soon. He also produces his Ross Tucker Media Podcast network from his suburban Harrisburg home.
He’s excited for the chance to broadcast games for the team he’s followed for most of his life, and believes he brings a unique perspective to the job.
“I feel like I know what the people want to hear me talk about,” he said. “They want to hear about the young skill guys; they want to hear about the running back situation. I know what questions people are asking during games because my friends are asking me those questions when I go to camp. For me to get this opportunity is awesome.”