By Caleb Nixon and King Jemison\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Medill Reports<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans may have heard Mar’Keise “Bucky” Irving’s name for the first time when their team selected the Oregon running back with the No. 125 overall pick April 27. But in his native Chicago, he\u2019s been a fixture in the football community since he was dominating the pee-wee circuit on the South Side.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIn the youth football world, at least in our area for sure, everybody knew who Bucky Irving was,\u201d said Morgan Weaver, Irving\u2019s coach at Hillcrest High School in Country Club Hills.<\/span><\/p>\n However, Irving\u2019s name carried weight far beyond the field. The tragedy behind the nickname \u201cBucky\u201d is what makes Irving who he is \u2013 and is what drove him to an all-conference college career and a fourth-round selection in the 2024 NFL draft.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n His motivation\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n According to an article from the <\/span>Daily Emerald<\/span><\/a>, LaTisha and Marcellus Irving noticed their son, Mar\u2019Keise, had wide eyes at birth. When Mar\u2019Keise would fall asleep, his eyes would remain slightly open, leading Marcellus to coin the nickname \u201cBucky.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n But Marcellus never got to witness Bucky\u2019s football career. When Bucky was just 2 years old, his father died. Years later, on the day he received his offer to Minnesota \u2013 where he started his college career \u2013 tragedy struck again, as Irving lost his grandmother. Not long after, one of his younger brothers was shot and killed.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI carry them with me every day,\u201d Irving told reporters after he was drafted.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cI know they<\/span>\u00a0smiling<\/span> down on me.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Dan Lanning, Irving\u2019s coach at Oregon, praised his resilience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe adversity this guy\u2019s faced, for him to be the remarkable young man that he is, it\u2019s really impressive,\u201d Lanning told reporters after Irving scored three touchdowns in a win over Washington State in October. \u201cI have three sons. I hope my sons can grow up and be like Bucky Irving.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Signs of stardom\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n In the south suburbs, Irving\u2019s high school exploits are fabled.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhen he was at Hillcrest, we had him do everything,\u201d Weaver said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Irving played running back, wide receiver, quarterback, defensive back and even kicker. Coaches knew he was a star from the fifth game of his sophomore season, when he recorded nearly 400 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns against rival Lemont.<\/span><\/p>\n Current Hillcrest head coach Kyran Weaver, then an assistant, recalled a punt return later in Irving\u2019s sophomore season when he broke \u201clike nine tackles\u201d on the way to the end zone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf you were there, you\u2019d never forget it,\u201d Kyran Weaver said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Irving\u2019s stature in the Chicago area grew after earning the South Suburban Conference Player of the Year award and becoming one of the highest-ranked prospects in the state, but COVID-19 interfered with his senior season of high school football. Prior to their shortened six-game spring season, Morgan Weaver gave Irving his blessing to enroll early at Minnesota.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Irving\u2019s response shows what the Buccaneers are getting in their rookie running back.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHe just sat there and told me like, \u2018I\u2019m not leaving my team. I\u2019m going to play this season, we\u2019re going to win conference, and then I\u2019m going to go to college,\u2019\u201d Morgan Weaver said.<\/span><\/p>\n Once a HAWK, always a HAWK. Best of luck in the NFL! #hillcresthawkpride<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/MBH3cWLWCA<\/a><\/p>\n — Hillcrest High School (@HCHawkEye) May 2, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n