DeKALB – Former NIU football wide receiver Cole Tucker was selected as the fourth overall pick by the Calgary Stampeders at the 2023 Canadian Football League Draft. 

Tucker was the first wide receiver chosen in the CFL Draft and is the first Huskie drafted in the CFL since wide receiver Juwan Brescacin in 2015, according to an NIU press release.

Tucker appeared in 53 games as a Huskie, catching 155 passes for 2,030 yards and 10 touchdowns during his time in DeKalb. He is tied for seventh place in NIU history for career catches and is just the eighth player in school history to record more than 2,000 career receiving yards.

Tucker was voted to the All-MAC second team by Pro Football Focus during the 2022-2023 season. He tallied 86 catches, 1,207 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in his final two seasons.

Tucker also received an invitation to attend the Minnesota Vikings’ rookie mini-camp after going undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft.

The Stampeders begin preseason play at 3 p.m. May 22 at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.