The other night, in a formal banquet in Waldorf ? Astoria, there was only name in everyone's chant ? Arnold Tucker! Getting into the Hall of Fame is not at all easy, and when someone comes into the Hall of Fame under special circumstances, it gets all the more creditable. Tucker enroute to the Hall of Fame defied all logic of ballots, which normally is the process for selecting a player into the Hall of Fame. He, instead was chosen by the Honors Review Committee, which takes into count special circumstances in a player's career.
In case of Arnold Tucker, the case was simple ? He finished 50 more than the year when he was inducted. Reasons well enough for him to be selected! Yes and no ? As opinions are divided across the football circles. A lot of people feel that some other deserving players possibly lost out to Tucker due to his exploits.
Age, though was not the only criterion here. Tucker's exploits on the field are worthwhile mentioning. Way back in 1946, Arnold Tucker was recognized as the best amateur athlete of the nation. And these really were the years when Arnold made a lot of name for himself. Some of us were not even born at that time, when Arnold Tucker was busy carrying raids into the opposition area.
During 1944-1946, Tucker established himself as a reputed quarterback for the cadets. In fact, these were the golden years for the Cadets, as they were powered to a 27-0-1 record; a record that is considered nigh impossible for a lot of teams to achieve. Tucker himself tallied a total of 10 touchdowns and 1127 passes to touchdowns during this time. Clearly, some achievements that would take some beating by a player of any era!
Tucker also played as a center-forward in the Army during which time he powered them to a 5-0-1 record, with wins against Miami, Michigan and Oklahoma. One of the highlights of Tucker's career was the clean slate he maintained against arch rivals Navy. It seemed that every game against the Navy used to get the best out of Tucker!
It is true that Tucker played in a different era. It was quite unfortunate that those days games could not be covered by Television as exhaustively as they are done today. But with that being said, none of what Tucker did can be belittled by any stretch of imagination. He set some standards those days that have taken a good 61 years, and stand yet to be beaten.
If anyone has any questions about the credentials of Tucker, this should put to rest. In hindsight, the decision taken by Honors Review Committee is a well-appreciated one. Apart from Tucker himself, the whole world could also get to know the exploits of this quarterback come center.
