By Steve Svetovich

Holy Cross Crusaders senior left tackle-guard Matt Tucker is determined to help his teammates be successful on the gridiron this season. 

Son of Craig and Margaret Tucker, Matt is a four-year member of the Holy Cross football team.

An honor student, his best academic subject is math. He is also a member of the chess club at Holy Cross.

The senior lineman said his parents taught him a lot about determination. “They taught me to stick things out and keep trying no matter what. Even when things get hard, keep trying and stay determined.”

He said the team is already learning a lot from new Holy Cross head football coach Joe Giorgio. “He tells us to keep trying to get better. He tells us to push ourselves to improve and never stop.”

The senior standout talked about what it takes to be a good lineman.

“You need a lot of determination,” he said. “You need to learn from your mistakes and keep going.”

The strong-willed senior said this Holy Cross team is looking to win games consistently. “We are going to succeed and bring this team some wins. And we want to start something here at Holy Cross and keep it going for years to come.”

Always displaying a good attitude and demeanor, Matt said he is enjoying his years at Holy Cross.

“We have some really great coaches who make this feel like home for me,” he said. “My teammates are always there for me no matter what. We are always there for each other. That is what this school is all about.”

Matt said he likes music and would like to see Elton John in concert. “He is a favorite of my mom’s too,” he said.

Matt said he would like to become an electrician and study electronics at Johnson College in the fall of 2022.

He said the COVID-19 pandemic has been tough on student athletes. “It is especially hard coming back after not having many practices and games last year due to COVID. More than half of our team never played football before. We didn’t have the opportunity to get much experience last year. There were not many opportunities to practice.”

Matt can’t wait for his senior year. He is determined now more than ever. “Our football team is going to be really good. We are going to get a lot of wins.”

As for Holy Cross, he adds, “Academically, the teachers are always there for you. They are always there to help you out if needed. I am really looking forward to this senior year.”