Circus catches a trademark
Courtesy Edmonton Journal:
Jason Tucker has no intention to embark on a second career as a Cirque du Soleil performer.
But the Edmonton Eskimos slotback is definitely the Canadian Football League’s reigning acrobat — especially after the show he put on last week at Commonwealth Stadium.
“The word impossible is not in my vocabulary,” Tucker said while lounging in his locker stall Tuesday. “If it’s in reach, you’ve got to make the catch.”
And he does.
For proof, look no further than his game-winning catch Thursday with just 55 seconds remaining in a 34-31 come-from-behind victory over the Calgary Stampeders.
“Did he catch it?” shrieked Rod Black, TSN’s versatile play-by-play announcer. “He did. He caught it! It’s a touchdown! Unbelievable. Unbelievable. Jason
Tucker. Goodness. Can you believe this catch? In your life?”
Quarterback Ricky Ray believed it. So did slotback Kamau Peterson. And quarterback Jason Maas.
“There have been too many of those kinds of catches to remember them all,” Maas said. “That one last week has to be in his top three of all time.
“Not only did he one-hand it. He moved it from his right hand to his left hand as he was getting hit. And he held on for a game-winner.”
Judging by an informal poll of the Eskimos dressing room, Tucker’s second- greatest catch came on June 24, 2006, when he leapt high above two Calgary defenders and snared the ball with one hand at the back of the end zone.
That 15-yard circus grab is played over and over to this day by TSN.
Tucker’s greatest acrobatic moment came on June 26, 2003, against (you guessed it) the Stampeders.
With defensive back Anthony Prior draped all over him, Tucker jumped up, stretched out his right hand, grabbed the ball and crashed to the ground, knocking his helmet off in the process.
Even Tucker himself looked surprised as he bounced to his feet after the 27-yard touchdown grab.
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