As his 61-yard game winner to beat the Lions in December on "Monday Night Football" showed, he can nail an operatic ending. By Mark Hinog Dec 11, 2015, 11:58am EST / new. For a complete ESPN.com experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser. Justin Tucker is an NFL Kicker for the Baltimore Ravens. Tucker can also sing opera in … A classically trained opera singer who can sing in seven different languages, he is a strong advocate for the arts and has sung in several Royal Farms commercials. You have reached a degraded version of ESPN.com because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer. But during his freshman year at Westlake High, Tucker was told he'd have to choose between sports and music. WHETHER HE'S splitting the uprights or singing arias, Justin Tucker can go deep. But that’s not all. Their regular-season record in 2019 was the best — 14-2. The word on Justin Tucker is that he doesn’t have to play football. Real Sports dives into the disproportionate number of high school football players who have died from heat stroke since 1990; Justin Tucker’s musical talent that helps him on the field; Ryan Lochte turning over a new leaf after a long series of missteps; and Ken Green’s life-changing surgery. It’s now an empty shell, Willie Nelson to play Toyota Stadium post-game show next year, Klyde Warren Park’s splashy proposed fountain is too much, Dallas singer Charley Pride, who broke country’s color line, dies at 86, J.C. Penney has found a home for the larger-than-life James Cash Penney statue, What’s going on with Ezekiel Elliott? In two seasons with the Ravens, Tucker, 24, has connected on 91.9 percent of his field goal attempts. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy, Stand with us in our mission to discover and uncover the story of North Texas, Want to be part of the conversation? High kicks, sparkle, opera-singing and (end zone) dancing, these men have more in common with musicals than meets the eye. He graduated from Samuell High School in Pleasant Grove in 1970 and from Southern Methodist University in 1974. The Ravens kicker sang a rendition of Schubert’s “Ave Maria” in front of a packed crowd at Baltimore’s Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. But there's more to Tucker than just football. Follow The Mag on Twitter (@ESPNmag) and like us on Facebook. He spent 19 years at the Los Angeles Times before returning to Dallas. WHETHER HE'S splitting the uprights or singing arias, Justin Tucker can go deep. Justin Tucker Amazes Singing Opera At Concert The kicker performed at a Catholic Charities benefit with the Concert Artists of Baltimore (cabmusic.org). It was the music director. No, really. "He pushed me beyond my comfort zone. Justin Tucker is a second-year kicker for the defending Super Bowl champions. Justin Tucker is used to getting cheered on the football field, but on Thursday night, he got a standing ovation in church. "I was fully prepared to do both. Justin Tucker, 26, showed he has more skills than just being the best kicker for the Baltimore Ravens, as the Football opera singer performed a moving version of the song, “Ave Maria” at a Catholic Charities of Baltimore’s Christmas Concert on December 10th that wowed the crowd at least as much as any football performance in the past. Outfitted in a black, three-piece suit, Tucker, the Times marveled, “belted out something else: a serenade from Mozart’s Don Giovanni.”. Justin Paul Tucker (born November 21, 1989) is an American football placekicker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He is also a genuinely nice guy with a habit of spontaneously bursting into song and a knack for celebrity impersonations. In fact, nobody has seen it since 2016. In addition to his day job as a four-time All-Pro kicker, Tucker is a classically trained opera singer who has performed with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the New York Opera. The New York Times lauds Tucker for his dual gifts of “singing arias and splitting uprights,” and while the Times acknowledges his sure-footed kicking, it flat out gushed about the night Tucker appeared at the elegant Hippodrome Theatre in downtown Baltimore. The guy's got it going on. "There is a composure that's required and a confidence that comes with preparation." The Baltimore Ravens kicker is also the most talented player off the field. There, he kicked for the Longhorns, but long before he put on a kicker’s shoe, he proved he had serious chops as an opera singer. You don’t see this every day. Privacy Policy and Safety Information / Your California Privacy Rights. OWINGS MILLS, Maryland — When Justin Tucker was in eighth grade, he discovered the joy of watching a football sail through the uprights. LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is a man of many talents. Read Less . Justin Tucker is more than just the most accurate kicker in NFL history. Jaws dropped when he responded with a booming aria. "It takes a level of technicality to kick a football, and the same is true of music," says Tucker, who has been invited to perform with the Baltimore Symphony. And one of those talents appears to be singing opera. While he digs all kinds of music, Tucker, 30, says he loves opera, and during his commute to practice, he proves it by cueing up the dulcet sounds of the late Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky, in hopes of fine-tuning the nuances he’ll need the next time he sings an aria onstage. Rapper, opera singer, impressionist and professional kicker.Meet Justin Tucker, Baltimore's Renaissance man: https://t.co/zgFJSPRtAY. Last night during Monday Night Football on ESPN, Tucker's new Royal Farms video cropped up, with the noted opera singer doing just that in … Michael Granberry was born and grew up in Dallas. Baltimore Ravens’ placekicker Justin Tucker has a really cool hobby. "He's a former pro hockey player, so it was more like a player-coach relationship," Tucker says. Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker… October 27, 2016 Weirdo Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is a trained opera singer who can sing opera in seven different languages. I thought it was going to be awesome," says Tucker. Which might be after the Super Bowl. Born in Houston, Tucker graduated from Westlake High School in Austin and attended the University of Texas. Getty Image. Copyright © 2020 The Dallas Morning News. Baltimore Ravens placekicker Justin Tucker, one of the top field goal kickers in the NFL, performed at a Christmas concert Thursday night and his rendition of Ave Maria got a standing ovation. He played college football for the University of Texas and was signed by the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in … He’s the kicker for the Baltimore Ravens, who appear to be the best team in the National Football League. Don’t bother. All rights reserved. By night, he’s opera’s next big thing. Born in Houston, Tucker graduated from Westlake High School in Austin and attended the University of Texas. Justin Tucker can kick a football 60 yards, sing Ave Maria like a pro, and nail black tie? Football has worked out just fine. NOW PLAYING But when he got a chance to show off some athleticism on Sunday in Baltimore's Week 2 bout with Houston, he made sure to step forward and corral a throw-away pass from Lamar Jackson. The Ravens kicker sang "Ave Maria" at a charity Christmas concert on Thursday at Baltimore's Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Football star Justin Tucker left the room in awe when he showed off another special talent during a Christmas charity concert. ConsiderÂ. Most Baltimore Ravens fans already know that kicker Justin Tucker is a … He’s a classically trained bass-baritone who sang “Ave Maria” for a Catholic Charities benefit concert with the Concert Artists of Baltimore. But he does. There, he kicked for the Longhorns, but long before he … Justin Tucker sings opera in new CBS show 'Most Valuable Performer'. It wasn't a hypercompetitive football coach, however, who pressured him to fully commit to the gridiron. But Justin Tucker, the Baltimore Ravens' kicker, apparently loves all three. Justin Tucker: Pos: K, Career: 140 G, 4xAll-Pro(1st), 3xProBowl, Ravens 2012-2020, 2x FGM Leader, born TX 1989 He played his collegiate football at the University of Texas. He was signed by the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2012 and has since been the most accurate kicker in the NFL history. Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker was called on to win the game Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers and he came through. In addition to hitting 90 percent of field goals for Baltimore this season, he sings opera. "But I was told it just wasn't feasible." Holy crap, Justin Tucker has the voice of a sweet baby angel. Justin Tucker, a second-year place-kicker for the Baltimore Ravens, maintains a captive audience in the locker room, his bass-baritone regaling opera-deficient teammates. Michael Granberry, Arts Writer. If Tucker the Texan were cut tomorrow, he would still have an equally compelling career — as an opera singer. Justin Tucker has the well-rounded part down pat, too. 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Between his junior and senior years, he interned at The Washington Post during "the Watergate summer" of 1973. The way it … The Ravens placekicker and bass-baritone was a standout athlete growing up … Travis Kelce, JuJu Smith-Schuster + Justin Tucker aim to prove that we need to celebrate EVERYONE, taking inspiration from Netflix’s new film The Prom. Justin Tucker: The Opera Singing Kicker | NFL Films - YouTube Justin Tucker doesn't get to use his hands often. Tucker did not just pick up music as a whim, however; he majored in recording technology at UT and was a student of professor and famous opera singer Nikita Storojev. January 26, 2018 10:19 am Justin Tucker’s opera skills continue to go unmatched — at least in the NFL. In addition to being an NFL kicker, Justin Tucker is also a trained opera vocalist, and the Ravens starter called on that skill when he sang a beautiful rendition of Ave Maria. This wasn't a gimmick, it wasn't an NFL player embarrassing himself in the name of charity. Showing off his opera skills by singing … Tucker majored in recording technology at Texas and studied under professor Nikita Storojev, a renowned opera singer. ... Justin is also a very talented opera singer! The Ravens’ kicker won CBS’ “Most Valuable Performer”, which … He also loved to sing and perform. Tucker, from 49 … What An Opera-Singing NFL Player Can Teach You About Tuxedos. As of October, Tucker reached the milestone of being the most accurate kicker in league history. But he didn't completely abandon his inner band geek. You can't swing your backpack around that school without hitting a virtuoso musician, so no one really cared too much about the fact that I could kick a football straight.". “I don’t think there’s a day that goes by that you don’t hear him singing some kind of opera,” said Ravens punter Sam Koch, who holds the football for Tucker’s field-goal and extra-point attempts. By day, Justin Tucker is the Baltimore Ravens place kicker. The Ravens placekicker and bass-baritone was a standout athlete growing up in Austin, Texas. If Tucker ever quits football to be an opera singer, it … But wait, football may be his secondary passion. "We had a pretty competitive band," he says. Cowboys need to figure out what to do about their star RB, Husband and wife Grand Prairie teachers die of COVID-19 on the same day, Rangers trade closer Rafael Montero to Seattle Mariners. 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