Luke Stocker

Luke Stocker was born in Berea, Kentucky, and attended Madison Southern High School, where he was a standout basketball player and a three-year starter on the football team. An honor student, he was an Academic All-State selection in both football and basketball.

After high school, he signed a football scholarship with the University of Tennessee and played for the Volunteers from 2007 to 2010. He scored his first collegiate touchdown in a game against Alabama during the 2007 season. In the 2009 season opener against Western Kentucky University, he hauled in two touchdown receptions. Over his college career, Stocker totaled 85 receptions for 956 yards and eight touchdowns.

In the 2011 NFL Draft, Stocker was selected in the fourth round, 104th overall, by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and signed a four-year contract. His rookie season was disrupted by a hip injury sustained on his first day of practice, causing him to miss several weeks. He recorded his first career reception—a 17-yard gain—against the Minnesota Vikings and finished the season with 12 catches for 92 yards.

Stocker’s 2012 season saw him improve under a new head coach, finishing with 16 receptions for 165 yards and one touchdown. Injuries limited him in 2013 to just two games before he was placed on injured reserve. In 2015, he earned a three-year contract extension after contributing significantly as a fullback and on special teams.

In 2017, Stocker was released by Tampa Bay but not before scoring a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints. He soon signed a two-year deal with the Tennessee Titans, catching his first pass with the team—a 12-yard gain—against the Jacksonville Jaguars. That season, the Titans went 9-7, finishing second in the AFC South and earning a Wild Card playoff berth.

Stocker began the 2018 season with a 31-yard catch in the opener and wrapped up the year with 15 receptions for 165 yards and two touchdowns. In 2019, he signed a two-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons, appearing in 15 games and starting nine. He followed that with 16 appearances and 13 starts in 2020.

Stocker concluded his playing career in 2021 with the Minnesota Vikings.

Off the field, he is an avid bass fisherman, married, and a father of three. He currently serves as an assistant coach with the Tennessee Titans.

Football images licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Headshot photo from Tennessee Titans.