Author: Jeffrey L Tucker

Jordan's dad
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“Soccer in my Life” – Jordan’s Senior Class Essay

Playing soccer has been a big part of my life for the last nine years. It has taught me many life lessons while at the same time allowing me to meet a lot of new friends and make many good memories. I have played soccer for most of my life, since I was eight years old, and it has been a big part of my life since then. I have enjoyed my time playing soccer and will probably miss it when the time comes that I can’t play anymore.

Soccer has taught me many life lessons over the years that I have played. One of the biggest lessons that I have learned is to be a good sport, win or lose. In life it is important to not be a poor sport when something doesn’t go the way that I want it to. That goes along with having a positive attitude and learning to take things as they come. Through all the hard practices that I have been through and playing against the toughest teams around I have learned that hard work pays off. It is a good feeling working hard at practice to face a tough team and then coming out with a victory. At the same time I have learned to have a positive attitude even if the game doesn’t go my way and we end up losing the game that we worked so hard preparing for. I have learned how important teamwork is and to trust the people around me. I won’t be able to do everything in life without the help of other people and soccer has helped teach me that lesson.

I have met many people through playing soccer over the years. From playing in the Sister City Soccer Cup against kids from Sweden to just playing against teams from around the area, I have gotten to know many people. I have met some of my best friends through soccer, either through playing on the same team as them, or just getting to know an opponent that I have played against many times. I haven’t liked everyone that I have met but I have gotten along with most people and learned to tolerate those that I don’t get along with as well. It is a lot of fun getting to know other people through a sport that we both have in common, even if they play for a rival team. I have also learned the importance of respecting everyone, even those that I may not like as much.

I have made many good memories through playing soccer. One of my best memories is the Sister City Soccer Cup. That tournament was especially fun because I got to know some people from Sweden and learning a little bit about their culture. The teams that I played on in that tournament were also probably two of the best teams that I ever played on, and it was really fun getting to play with some of the best players in the area instead of just playing with the kids from my school. Playing in tournaments with my competitive team in the summer is one of my memories, all the fun that we had hanging out around the hotel and playing the games. My junior year is also one of my best memories because we accumulated the best record that and C-E-C team had ever got in the history of the program. Just knowing that I was a part of the best team that our school has ever produced is something that I will be proud of for the rest of my life. Just the thought of kids a few years from now talking about how they hope to be as good as the team was in 2007 and knowing that I was a part of that team makes that one of my best memories. Another one of my good memories is making the all conference team my senior year. Even though our team was not as good as we were my junior year it was still a fun year and to be considered one of the best players in the Lake Superior Conference is an honor. The experience of being one of the leaders and people that are looked up to on the team is a good memory in itself.

Soccer has been a big part of my life and I have gotten many benefits out of it that I would not have otherwise gotten. I couldn’t have made the good memories and I would not have nearly as many friends without soccer. I have made many memories that I will have for the rest of my life through soccer, along with learning lessons that I might have learned the hard way if I didn’t play soccer all those years. The experience of soccer will benefit me a lot in the future by helping me get into college and all the lessons I have learned that will help me in the future in college and in any jobs that I may have in the future.

2008, Jordan L. Tucker, Esko High School

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Esko High School Mourns Loss of Senior Student – Duluth News-Tribune, November 18, 2008

By Janna Goerdt

and Steve Kuchera

news tribune staff writers

Students wearing blaze orange jackets, vests, shirts and hats trickled out of Esko’s Lincoln High School on Tuesday afternoon after two days of school grieving for a lost classmate.

The attire was in honor of Jordan L. Tucker, 18, an honor student and athlete who died unexpectedly in his sleep early Saturday. The subdued emotions were felt by the many students who knew and loved “Tucker,” as everyone called the well-liked senior.

“Today, probably 60 or

70 percent of our student body are dressed in blaze orange in his honor,” Principal Greg Hexum said Tuesday of the gregarious student who co-founded the school’s “blaze orange Fridays” during deer hunting season.

“He was the kind of guy who crossed a lot of social boundaries and got along with a variety of people,” Hexum said. “He had a low-key, laid-back demeanor that appealed to a lot of people. In addition to that he was a real gentleman. He could get along with anybody. That was very much Jordan.”

Senior Matt Tengesdal was hanging out with Tucker and another friend the night before his death. They had dinner at a Cloquet restaurant and returned to Tucker’s home to start research for English papers — Tucker’s was about “global warming and its effects on fish in

Minnesota lakes,” Tengesdal said.

Tucker died of an apparent heart attack, said his mother, Barbara Krzenski.

“He had no symptoms until the night he passed on,” she said. In text messages to his friends, Tucker described how “his heart was racing,” Krzenski said. “He was in his own room, in his own bed.”

Krzenski described her son as “a lister” who recorded every fish he ever caught and who counted down the days to the Minnesota fishing opener.

He also maintained a 3.4 average as a senior and was the goalie for the Cloquet-Esko-Carlton varsity soccer team.

“Any team he played, he knew people,” Krzenski said. After the squad lost to Hermantown, she said, “every player on that team hugged Jordan.”

Until his senior year, Tucker was “the consummate back-up goalie,” Hexum said.

“There always seemed to be one person in front of him. He waited his turn patently, was a supportive team member. You never had any playing-time issues with him. He was a great teammate.”

And a great starting goalie, Hexum added.

“His last half of soccer was shut-out soccer,” he said. “As a goalie, that’s a big deal.”

Tucker was named all-conference goalie and played in the regional all-star game.

“Jordan accomplished so much in his life because he set goals for himself and he achieved those goals,” said his father, Jeff Tucker.

Almost all of the school’s students learned of Tucker’s death on Saturday or Sunday, Esko Superintendent Aaron Fischer said. Teachers were informed via telephone. The district activated its crisis team, establishing a grief center and staffing it Monday with school counselors and four clergy members.

When teachers arrived Monday, they were told what services were available for the students.

“We tried to give them some ideas on how to help the kids deal with this,” Fischer said. “It’s a traumatic event for everyone.”

Many students arrived at school Monday dressed up in honor of Tucker.

“Something special for him was to wear nice clothes and dress up,” Fischer said. “So they dressed up. Most of them wore black in tribute to him.”

And on Tuesday, most wore some form of blaze orange — many students had orange ribbons pinned to their jackets, shirts or even shoes — to recognize Tucker’s love of hunting, fishing and outdoor activities.

Today will be “jersey day,” Tengesdal said, in honor of Tucker’s dedication to sports.

His funeral service is planned for Thursday at 4 p.m. at Grace Baptist Church in Cloquet. A candlelight vigil is planned at 8 p.m. today at Nelson Funeral Care in Cloquet.

Senior Eliza Grames, 17, recalled her classmate as “always smiling.”

“No one could say that Tucker was ever mean to anyone,” she said.

Friend Rebecca Davidson, 20, and her boyfriend had spent many days ice fishing with Tucker. She described how he would run across the ice of Big Lake or Chub Lake “and slide and grab the tip-up as he went by,” she said.

Jeff Tucker described his son as being “at one with nature.”

“That’s where he found his peace.”

(c)2008 Duluth News-Tribune

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Lake Vermillion Tower Soudan News Report

Area Shocked by teen’s death PDF Print E-mail
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Written by JBH
Wednesday, 19 November 2008 12:50

Content provided by:

Duluth News Tribune, Pine Journal
Published Tuesday, November 18, 2008Jordan Tucker

Many students wore blaze orange to Esko’s Lincoln High School today in memory and honor of their classmate Jordan L. Tucker. Tucker, 18, died unexpectedly in his sleep early Saturday.

  • Remember Tucker
  • Obituary: Jordan L. Tucker
  • Esko senior’s class essay: Soccer in my life
  • Photo gallery: Esko remembers Jordan Tucker

    • “Today probably 60 or 70 percent of our student body are dressed in blaze orange in his honor,” high school Principal Greg Hexum said. “Jordan was one of the founders of our blaze orange Fridays here during deer hunting.”

    Hexum, who had Tucker as a student before becoming principal, remembered Tucker as a popular student.

    “He was the kind of guy who crossed a lot of social boundaries and got along with a variety of people,” Hexum said. “He had a low-keyed, laid-back demeanor that appealed to a lot of people. In addition to that he was a real gentleman. He could get along with anybody. That was very much Jordan.”

    Tucker was an honor student, with a 3.4 grade point average as a senior. In addition, he was the goalie for the Cloquet-Esko-Carlton varsity soccer team.

    “Until his senior year, he was the consummate back-up goalie,” Hexum said. “There always seemed to be one person in front of him. He waited his turn patently, was a supportive team member. You never had any playing-time issues with him. He was a great teammate.”

    Tucker used his time as starting goalie. He was named all-conference goalie and played in the regional all-star game. “His last half of soccer was shut-out soccer,” Hexum said. “As a goalie, that’s a big deal.”

    Almost all of the school’s students learned of Tucker’s death Saturday or Sunday, Esko Superintendent Aaron Fischer said. Many of the students arrived at school Monday dressed up in honor of Tucker.

    “Something special for him was to wear nice clothes and dress up,” Fischer said. “So they dressed up. Most of them wore black in tribute to him.”

    Tucker’s senior class contains 100 students, so everyone knows everyone else. School officials began preparing for Monday as soon as they heard of Tucker’s death. Teachers were informed via a telephone calling tree. The district activated its crisis team, establishing a grief center and staffing it Monday with school counselors and four clergy members.

    “We had that set up right away in the morning,” Fischer said.

    When teachers arrived Monday, they were told of what services were available for the students.

    “We tried to give them some ideas on how to help the kids deal with this,” Fischer said. “It’s a traumatic event for everyone.”

    Fischer described the mood at school Monday as somber.

    “There was a lot of sadness,” he said. “But having a day in-between certainly helped. A lot of them had Saturday night and all day Sunday to talk and process with family and friends.”

    Community churches had also been informed of Tucker’s death before Sunday services.

    “The whole community really came together and did our best to support” the students, Fischer said.

    “It’s been a couple rough days here, but the students are handling it well,” Hexum said.
    Last Updated ( Wednesday, 19 November 2008 19:58 )

    Copyright © 2008 Lake Vermilion Soudan Tower News. All Rights Reserved.
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    Pine Journal article, 11/14/2008

    This article was published the day before Jordan’s death:

    Carlton County well represented in All-Star soccer games

    Kerry Rodd Pine Journal
    Published Friday, November 14, 2008
    The best of the best got together on the soccer pitch last Wednesday as Kerz and Kompany presented their 2008 High School All-Star Soccer Games at Griggs Field on the University of Minnesota Duluth campus.The Carlton County area was well represented on both the boys and girls rosters of the annual event.

    For Cloquet-Esko-Carlton on the boys team were goaltender Jordan Tucker, defenders Jeff Lindemood and Brent DeVries and midfielder Colton Roy.

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    The Area Boys team defeated the Duluth team 4-1.Colton Roy got the Area team on the board at 25:44 of the first half, and Matt Holter of Proctor added a goal lest than 5 minutes later as the Area Team led 2-1 going into halftime.

    CEC goalie Jordan Tucker played the second half for the Area Team and did not give up a goal.

    The girls Area Team featured goalie Kaitrin Rathe, defender Jes Vork, midfielders Sarah and Ashton Johnson, and forward Hannah Roy of Cloquet.

    Kelli Rengo, Alexis Abrahamson and Sarah Krocka of Esko-Carlton were also on the Area Team.

    Duluth won the girls game 5-2, but Esko’s Rengo scored for the Area Team in the loss. Rathe played the entire game in the nets for the Area squad.

    (c)2008 The Pine Journal, Cloquet, MN