Tucker Frederickson

Tucker Frederickson
refer to caption
Frederickson in 1965
No. 24
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (1943-01-12) January 12, 1943 (age 81)
Hollywood, Florida, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school:South Broward (Hollywood)
College:Auburn
NFL draft:1965 / round: 1 / pick: 1
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Pro Football Reference
College Football Hall of Fame

Ivan Charles "Tucker" Frederickson (born January 12, 1943) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He was an All-American in college at Auburn, a Heisman Trophy runner-up, the first overall pick of the 1965 NFL draft, and a Pro Bowl fullback with the Giants.

Biography

Frederickson graduated from South Broward High School in Hollywood, Florida. A two-way player, he then attended Auburn University in Alabama, averaging 4.4 yards per carry on offense and leading the Tigers football team in interceptions as a safety on defense. In 1963, he won the Jacobs Award as the best blocking back in the Southeastern Conference. He won it again in 1964, and was sixth in the Heisman Trophy race. Coach Shug Jordan called him "the most complete football player I've ever seen". He was an All-American in 1964.

Frederickson was taken as the first overall pick in the 1965 NFL draft by the New York Giants, playing six seasons for them before a knee injury forced his retirement in 1971. He was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994.

Frederickson is referred to by Brian Piccolo (James Caan) as the man to beat in 1971's Brian's Song as both of them went to the same high school.[citation needed] In fact they went to different high schools, Frederickson to South Broward and Piccolo to Central Catholic (now St. Thomas Aquinas). Tucker went to the coveted Auburn University while Piccolo had to "settle" for Wake Forest.