interesting read that goes into what Washington is selling when he is pitching these kids. i watched Tucky's senior year highlights on HUDL, most of them he's playing as a down lineman just harassing QBs. have a feeling he's going to fit well into the Keyes/Milano role.
Ohio recruit inspired by Eagles
LB Tucky said BC culture is a good fit
By Julian Benbow GLOBE STAFF
The more Al Washington talked, the more Ethan Tucky listened.
The first time Tucky noticed Washington was at a track practice at Rutherford B. Hayes High School in Delaware, Ohio, almost two years ago. Something about an outside linebackers coach from Boston College walking across the practice field stood out.
“I was like, ‘Who is this guy?’ ’’ Tucky said.
Over the next few weeks, Tucky would find out everything he needed to know.
Washington made sure to call Tucky regularly. He didn’t have to say BC was interested in the 6-foot-3-inch, 215-pound linebacker. It was understood.
“Every few weeks or so, he’d call me to ask me how I was doing and just explain some life lesson, how to be a real man, how to carry yourself on and off the field,’’ Tucky said. “Little things.
“I don’t know if he meant to be preaching to me, but I took it as preaching, but it was good stuff, good life lessons, inspirational stuff.’’
When Washington talked to Tucky’s parents, they had the same types of conversations. Only Washington was on the listening end.
“The thing I liked about Al was most of the conversations had zero to do with college football,’’ said Tucky’s father, Todd. “It was, ‘How are things going in life? How are things going in school?’
“I really developed a strong relationship with Al. He was the real deal. He was not selling Boston College or anything like that. He was selling family.’’
While Washington was calling, so was a linebackers coach from Iowa, Jim Reid. He made Tucky an offer, one that was hard to turn down. Tucky still remembers the letter he sent Reid when he made the decision to commit to BC last June.
“I said, ‘You’re an outstanding guy,’ ’’ Tucky said. “I had nothing but praise for him. ‘You’re one of the best coaches I’ve ever talked to, but I’m going to go to BC.’ ’’
Tucky will be among the crop of players that will sign letters of intent with BC on Wednesday, National Signing Day. For all the possible paths he could have taken, the road always led to BC.
The conversations with Washington built a bridge based on trust, and as Tucky sorted through about a dozen offers — from Iowa and Wisconsin to Indiana and California — BC always felt like the best fit.
“Just the personality he had pretty much summed up the BC culture for me,’’ Tucky said. “The amount of schools I talked to, I really liked the coaches, I really liked the players there.’’
Tucky weighed three things: academics, athletics, and spirituality. He knew things at BC would be as competitive in the classroom as they would be on the field. But growing up as the son of a deacon, spirituality was just as important.
“BC and Notre Dame are the only two FBS schools that are based on religion,’’ he said. “So it just stood out to me. No other colleges can say that. We are founded on religion, and I already have that base and really can’t be shook. So going to a place like that was just a gimme.’’
Tucky had football in his bloodlines, but the game wasn’t forced on him. In the 1980s, his father was a safety and running back at Hillsdale High School. He had a strong senior season, but toward the end of the year he injured his back.
He looked into some Division 3 schools, but they were blunt about his physical condition.
“They said, ‘Physically, you’re a year out before you could even try to be here,’ ’’ he said.
He ended up going to Wright State, where he met his wife. He never looked back on football and thought about what-ifs. He didn’t want to push his son, but he knew Ethan was gifted.
“He’s bigger, he’s fast, he just has the motor and a tremendous work ethic,’’ Todd said.
But he wanted his son to land at a place where he was valued. After talking to Washington and meeting with BC head coach Steve Addazio and his staff, Todd knew he didn’t have to worry.
“They were genuinely interested in Ethan as a person and to really develop him as a person and a man,’’ Todd said. And when you develop that, you get the best performance on the field, too.’’
Tucky decided to graduate early and enroll at BC during the spring semester to begin the transition. He arrived on campus three weeks ago, getting a feel for his surroundings and getting acclimated to the daily routine of a college football player.
“Everyone was like, ‘Why are you doing this? Don’t you want to stay your second half of your senior year?’ ’’ he said. “To me, it’s all about the transition, because I don’t want to come in here in the fall and be swamped by everything.’’
But before he got to The Heights, plans that seemed well-laid started to change. In December, BC defensive coordinator Don Brown announced he was leaving to join Jim Harbaugh’s staff at Michigan.
“When I first found out he was leaving, I was actually kind of nervous,’’ Tucky said. “He had this vision for me.’’
About three weeks later, things came full circle. The Eagles announced the hiring of a new defensive coordinator, and it was a name that Tucky was familiar with: Jim Reid.
“It was almost surreal to me,’’ Tucky said. “It literally could not have worked out any better. I know some higher power is working somewhere, because the odds of that happening are so slim.’’
The serendipity wasn’t lost on Todd.
“He was disappointed he didn’t go to Iowa,’’ Todd said. “But had he gone to Iowa, he would’ve missed him.’’
It wasn’t lost on Reid, either. After he was hired, Reid sent a note to Tucky, writing, “It’s funny the way the world works.’’
