The Jacksonville Jaguars probably didn’t generate a lot of headlines when they signed Hayden Rucci to their practice squad earlier this week.
Maybe they should’ve, though, because Rucci has one of the coolest pedigrees on the Jags’ roster. He’s a third-generation NFL player.
That’s right: Rucci’s father and grandfather both played in the NFL, too.
Rucci may be just a depth addition at tight end, but he comes with quite the pedigree.
What To Know About Hayden Rucci
Rucci is already an NFL journeyman. He was undrafted out of Wisconsin in the 2024 draft class.
The 6-foot-5 tight end has had brief contracts with the Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers before joining the Jags this summer.
He’s originally from the state of Pennsylvania and was a four-star high school recruit. He actually played at Wisconsin alongside his brother Nolan, who was an offensive lineman.
Rucci has appeared in four regular season games in the NFL, and he has a special teams tackle on his ledger.
Hayden Rucci’s Dad
Rucci’s dad is Todd Rucci.
Todd was a second-round pick by the New England Patriots in 1993 out of Penn State, and he played his entire career for the Pats, retiring after the 2000 season.
The 6-foot-5, 296-pound offensive guard was named to the Patriots’ All-1990s Team.
Hayden Rucci’s NFL Grandpa
Rucci’s grandfather who played in the NFL was named Tom Gilburg.
Gilburg was from Bronxville, New York, and he went to college at Syracuse University.
He was an offensive lineman for the Orange on the unit that blocked for Ernie Davis when he won the Heisman Trophy. He also won a national championship at SU.
Gilbrug was a second-round pick in the 1961 NFL Draft (and also a third-round pick in the 1961 AFL Draft).
He signed with the Baltimore Colts in the NFL, and he was an offensive tackle and a punter for the Colts.
Gilburg’s biggest achievements from that point on came in coaching. He became the head football coach at Franklin & Marshall from 1975 through 2002. He won five Centennial Conference championships there.
His career football coaching record was 160-112-2. He also coached four years of lacrosse at Lehigh in the early 1970s.
Jaguars TE Depth Chart
Rucci has a lot of names in front of him if he wants a chance to break through for Jacksonville this season, but the first step was making the practice squad, and he achieved that.
The Jags have Brenton Strange, followed by rookies Nate Boerkircher and Tanner Koziol. They also signed Quintin Morris in free agency from the Buffalo Bills this offseason.
Rucci is the only tight end on the practice squad.
Jacksonville showed in its draft approach that it certainly would like to play a lot of TEs this season, so if injuries pop up, Rucci could become important in a hurry for the Jaguars.
Jaguars Sign 3rd-Generation NFL Player