Taurus Rucker
	Class: Senior Hometown: Denison, Texas Weight: 252 Position: DE Experience: 3-L Major: Exercise & Sport Sciences

"You want to talk about a guy that has done a lot for this football team and you don't have to look further than Taurus Rucker. He has a chance this year to emerge from Montae Reagor's shadows and be an all-Big 12 player. He is a very good defensive end, but he is an even better example of what hard work can do for a player, both on and off the field." - John Goodner, defensive coordinator

Career: Former roommate of Montae Reagor who was an all-Big 12 selection as a junior ... popular player who was voted captain for the 1999 season by teammates ... preseason all-Big 12 selection by Football Action Magazine ... one of the team's leading returning tacklers.

1998-99: Started all 11 games of the regular season ... first-team all-Big 12 selection by league coaches … finished 68 total tackles (29 solo) with three tackles for loss on season ... recorded season-high 10 tackles (six solos), one for a loss and one sack, versus Oklahoma State ... finished with eight tackles vs. North Texas ... made season-high 10 tackles (six solo) with one for loss at Oklahoma.

1997-98: Started all 11 games at right defensive end ... fourth on the team in total tackles with 73 ... registered double-figure tackle efforts against Southwestern La. (10), Nebraska (12) and Oklahoma (11) ... recorded six tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks on the season ... notched 1.5 sacks against Kansas State and Oklahoma ... had two tackles behind the line of scrimmage against Oklahoma ... named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll for the fall semester ... recorded one-and-one-half sacks in the annual Red-Black spring football game.

1996-97: A key reserve that saw extensive time at defensive end behind sophomore Montae Reagor ... a redshirt freshman who finished the season with 22 total tackles ... credited with a sack for a key safety to clinch an important conference win at Kansas ... registered career-high six tackles against Nebraska.

1995-96: Redshirt season.

1994-95: Attended Lincoln Academy in Stillwater, Okla. and did not play football.

High School: A 1994 graduate of Denison High School ... consensus Top 100 in state as senior at Denison ... Class 4A first-team all-State ... three-year starter on defense ... had 120 tackles and six caused fumbles for 8-2 team ... District 9-4A Defensive Player of the Year ... racked up 116 tackles and eight QB sacks for 10-2-1 team as junior ... second-team all-State ... had 95 tackles for 9-3 team as soph ... also lettered three years in baseball and track ... hit over .400 all three years ... named to 4A state all-tournament team as soph ... coached by Bob Brown.

Personal: Son of Thomas Rucker and Frances Jenkins ... has three brothers and four sisters ... brother Thomas Rucker III played at Northeast Louisiana ... active in FCA ... born 7-2-76 in Denison ... nickname is "T-Ruck."

RUCKER'S CAREER DEFENSIVE STATS

Year    Gms   UT   AT   Tot  TFL-Yd  Sacks  FC  FR  PBU  Int-Yd
1995    Redshirt
1996    11    11   11    22    0-0       1   0   0    0    0-0
1997    11    29   44    73    6-44    4.5   0   1    1    0-0
1998    11    29   39    68    3-7       1   0   0    2    0-0
Totals  33    69   94   163    9-51    6.5   0   1    3    0-0