Justin Tuck Justin Lee Tuck ( born March 29 , 1983 ) is an American football defensive end for the New York Giants of the National Football League ( NFL ) . He played college football for the University of Notre Dame , and was chosen by the Giants in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft . On January 17 , 2008 , Tuck was rewarded with a contract extension with the Giants . Football career . Central - Coosa High School . Justin Tuck played high school football in Alabama at Central Coosa County . Growing up , Tuck ' s favorite football teams were the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys , but his favorite sport was basketball . Although he began playing football in the seventh grade , Justin only began to take it seriously in his freshman year of high school where he originally started out as a quarterback before changing positions to tight end and defensive end . His accolades include earning Alabama Class 4A Player of the Year as a senior in 2000 , as well as lettering in football at both linebacker and tight end . For his career at Central - Coosa , Tuck recorded 492 tackles with 37 sacks , 26 forced fumble s , and 17 fumble recoveries . As a tight end , Tuck had 115 catches for 2 , 106 yards and 17 touchdown s . Subsequently , Tuck also won two state championships as a member of the high school basketball team . Notre Dame Fighting Irish . After redshirting his 2001 freshman year at the University of Notre Dame , Tuck played sparingly in his sophomore season . Playing only 180 minutes for the season , Tuck recorded his first collegiate sack against Michigan State . And despite his limited playing time and solo start ( vs . Rutgers ) , Tuck was named a third - team freshman All - American by " The Sporting News " . Tuck increased his production in his final two seasons at Notre Dame . In 2003 , he finished the season with 13 . 5 sacks , 19 tackles for a loss and three forced fumbles before suffering a knee injury against Syracuse . Tuck frequently encountered double - team coverage in 2004 . Despite a lingering knee problem from the previous season and not playing in Notre Dame ' s Insight . com Bowl loss to Oregon State , Tuck still finished the season with 47 tackles , six sacks and 14 stops for losses . Nicknamed " The Freak " by his teammates for his raw athleticism , Tuck holds several defensive records at Notre Dame . Topping the previous record mark of 22 . 5 sacks by Kory Minor , Tuck finished his Notre Dame career with 24 . 5 sacks . His career 43 tackles for loss and 13 . 5 sacks in a single season are also school records . Pre - draft measureables . In the run - up to the 2005 NFL Draft Tuck also recorded a wind - aided 4 . 56 in the 40 - yard dash as well as a 380 - pound bench press , 560 - pound squat and a 336 - pound power clean . Pre - draft reports contended that the knee injury would keep teams from taking Tuck in the 1st round . He was known as " terrific athlete who is a disruptive force up the field . Breaks down well playing with leverage , rarely off his feet and tough to move from his angle of attack . " and " an extremely quick and agile player who possesses very good strength for a player of his size . " New York Giants . 2005 – 2006 . Although projected to be a mid - first round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft , Tuck was selected in the third round , 74th overall , by the New York Giants . On July 29 , 2005 , Tuck signed a four - year contract $ 2 . 36 million contract with the Giants , which included a $ 737 , 000 signing bonus . His rookie season in the NFL found him behind Pro Bowl defensive ends Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora on the New York Giants depth chart , reducing his role to special teams and the first backup at each defensive end position . In total , Tuck played in 14 regular season games with one start and the NFC Wild Card Game . His first career sack came against the Giants ' NFC East rival , the Dallas Cowboys . Tuck finished the 2005 season with 33 total tackles one sack , two passes defended , one forced fumble and 18 special teams tackles . During his sophomore season in 2006 , Tuck was limited to just six games due to an injury suffered on October 23 , 2006 in a New York Giants Monday night victory over the Dallas Cowboys . On November 17 , Tuck underwent successful surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury . The procedure included inserting screws into Tuck ’ s foot . For the season , Tuck only recorded two solo tackles . 2007 . Despite starting only two games in 2007 , Tuck enjoyed his best season to date , recording 65 tackles , 10 sacks , and two forced fumbles during the regular season . During the season Tuck spelled both Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora at defensive end and on likely passing downs he teamed with Mathias Kiwanuka at defensive tackle ( with Strahan and Umenyiora at end ) to form a four defensive end pass rush , a scheme defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo employed to pressure opponent quarterbacks . On January 18 , 2008 , Tuck signed a lucrative contract extension from the Giants . The five - year $ 30 million deal , $ 16 million of which is guaranteed , included a $ 9 million signing bonus . Super Bowl XLII . In front of a record - setting American television audience , Tuck had a spectacular game in Super Bowl XLII by repeatedly pressuring New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and recording two sacks and a forced fumble . According to Tuck , he and Brady exchanged playful trash talk during especially physical plays . Due to the game ' s low score , opinions were heavily waged that Tuck was more deserving of the MVP award than Eli Manning . 2008 . On March 31 , 2008 , Tuck reported to voluntary off - season conditioning programs administered by the Giants . Prior to the start of Giants mini - camp in May , Tuck and the Giants were invited by President Bush to the White House to honor their victory in Super Bowl XLII . Tuck also took up boxing to improve his hand - eye coordination . Due to Michael Strahan ' s retirement , Tuck was promoted to starting defensive end . When asked about the pressure of replacing Strahan , Tuck replied " Pressure ? No , I ' m smart enough to realize there ' s only one Strahan and there will always only be one Strahan . I ' m not trying to replace Michael Strahan . I ' m just trying to fill in and do my best to help this football team win . I ' m not pinning that pressure on my back , as far as going out there and getting 22 sacks in a season . " But Tuck started his 2008 campaign in Michael Strahan - like fashion by sacking Washington Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell in the first play of the season opener . The Giants went on to defeat their division rivals the Washington Redskins 16 – 7 . Tuck followed his exceptional performance in week one with an outstanding performance against the St . Louis Rams . Tuck finished the game with 2 . 0 sacks and an interception return for a touchdown in a Giants victory in week two . The interception and touchdown marked the first of Tuck ' s professional career . The touchdown was his first since his junior season at Notre Dame . Tuck totaled 66 tackles , 12 sacks , three forced fumbles , two passes deflected and one interception . Tuck ' s stellar play in 2008 earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl as one of the NFC ' s starting defensive ends . He was also voted to All - Pro for the first time in his career . 2009 . Tuck and the Giants entered the 2009 season as one of the favorites for the NFC to go the Super Bowl . With the return of teammate Osi Umenyiora , Tuck hoped to see fewer double teams than he did during the end of the 2008 season . Tuck played very well in the season opener against the Washington Redskins on September 13 , 2009 . Tuck recorded two tackles for a loss , 1 . 5 sacks , and a pass deflection , helping the Giants win 23 – 17 . After the game , Tuck was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week . Tuck sustained an injured left shoulder when he was tripped by a Cowboys ’ lineman in September , which affected his play for the rest of 2009 . He ended the season with 60 tackles , six sacks , six forced fumbles , and eight pass deflections . For his efforts , Tuck was voted an alternate in the 2010 Pro Bowl . 2010 . Tuck continued to perform at a high level throughout the 2010 season and , along with Osi Umenyiora , proved why New York ' s pair of defensive ends are among the most feared in the league . Tuck recorded career highs in total tackles ( 76 ) and forced fumbles ( 6 ) . He also finished the season with 11 . 5 sacks , a half a sack shy of tying his career best 12 sacks from 2008 . Tuck ' s greatest individual efforts came in games against the Chicago Bears and the Philadelphia Eagles . In Week 4 , against Chicago , Tuck accounted for 3 of the defense ' s 10 total sacks , and had a forced fumble in a game the Giants won 17 – 3 . In Week 15 , against Philadelphia , Tuck had 1 . 5 sacks in a losing effort to the Eagles . The Giants finished 10 – 6 and missed the playoffs after losses to the Eagles , who won the NFC East , as well as the eventual Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers . Tuck was named as an alternate to the 2011 Pro Bowl and All - Pro teams . In 2010 , Justin Tuck was placed at number 60 in the Top 100 Players of 2011 . 2011 Super Bowl Run . Tuck battled injuries in the 2011 - 2012 season . He started in only 11 games . He had 26 tackles and 5 sacks in the regular season . However , in the postseason he played in all four of the Giants games and had 3 . 5 sacks , 2 of which came in the Super Bowl . The Giants went on to win Super Bowl XLVI . It was Tuck ' s 2nd Super Bowl ring in 5 years . Many believed that Tuck was a primary candidate for Super Bowl MVP because of his performance in the game , but quarterback Eli Manning won the MVP just like in 2008 . After the game , Tuck joked that Manning " stole my MVP again . " Statistics . " Source : " Personal life . Justin Tuck is married to Lauran Williamson of Bucks County , Pennsylvania , and his parents are Jimmy Lee and Elaine Tuck . Jimmy Lee Tuck , Justin ' s father , built the home that has housed his eight children and spouse by hand in 1973 . During his childhood , Justin was nicknamed " He - Man " due to his large stature . He would run through his home yelling catchphrase s from Masters of the Universe such as " By the power of Grayskull ! " or " I have the power ! " . During his youth , Tuck frequently attended Elam II Missionary Baptist Church in his native Kellyton , resulting in Justin becoming the congregation ' s youngest Sunday School instructor . After the Giants won Super Bowl XLII , Tuck achieved a new level of celebrity in his native Alabama . " It was interesting when I went home ( to Alabama ) , " Tuck said . " You couldn ' t go anywhere without people asking for your autograph or telling you congratulations or how proud they were of you and things like that . " The newfound celebrity also extended to New York , where Tuck and Giants wide receiver Amani Toomer were honored by Congressman Charles Rangel at the ball field at Harlem River Park on February 20 , 2008 . The community celebration was in honor of the Giants ' Super Bowl XLII victory . Three days later , he and several Giants players were honored as " special guests " during a historic title unification bout in Madison Square Garden between heavyweight boxers Wladimir Klitschko and Sultan Ibragimov . The following month , Tuck was again honored for his Super Bowl performance . He exchanged a game - worn football jersey for a game - used hockey stick with New York Rangers captain Jaromír Jágr . After only his second ice hockey game , Tuck quipped " I am hooked . It ' s football on ice . " Tuck has participated in various philanthropic causes . Tuck and Giants teammate Michael Strahan teamed up with Nike to design their own exclusive pair of sneakers for ID studio in New York City . All proceeds of the sneakers were donated to Nike ’ s Let Me Play global campaign . Tuck was also featured on the second season of " Cake Boss " when he ordered a cake shaped like a billiards table for the first annual celebrity billiards event for his charity " Tuck ' s Rush for Literacy . "