Calgary Stampeders wide receiver Cole Tucker announced his retirement from football on Saturday.
“I would like to thank the Calgary Stampeders organization for giving me the opportunity to play professional football,” said Tucker. “I’ve loved my time in Calgary and wouldn’t trade it for the world. Thank you to all my coaches, teammates, trainers, and everyone behind the scenes for making my time here so memorable.”
Cole Tucker is six foot two and weighs 205 pounds. The 25-year-old from Dekalb, Illinois, was drafted by the Stampeders in the first round (4th pick) in the 2023 CFL Draft. In 2023, he attended the Minnesota Vikings rookie minicamp before signing with the Stampeders on May 16, 2023.
In his rookie season, Tucker made 14 catches for 192 yards and one touchdown in 11 games. In 2024, Tucker made 20 catches for 156 yards, two kick returns for 35 yards, and one punt return for eight yards in 15 games.
“We thank Cole for his time in Calgary,” said Stampeders general manager and head coach Dave Dickenson. “Cole will be successful in whatever field he chooses. We wish him nothing but the best of luck in the future.”
Collegiately, Tucker played six seasons at Northern Illinois (2017-22) making 155 catches for 2,030 yards, 10 touchdowns, two kick returns for 42 yards, and 43 punt returns for 156 yards in 53 games for the Huskies. He was named Second Team All-MAC from PFF.
In his final year at NIU in 2022, Tucker made 45 catches for 632 yards, four touchdowns, and four punt returns for 10 yards in 11 games. He was a member of the 2022 Academic All-MAC Team. He ended his collegiate career tied seventh in program history for career catches (155).
