Tyrique Tucker, once an unranked player out of high school, has now become an anchor of the Hoosiers’ defensive line. However, his journey to Bloomington has been anything but smooth. But the star DL had the backing of his strongest pillar of support: his mother, Tonya Giddings-Tucker.

As the DL prepares for his big night in the National Championship game, he sure will be remembering his mom.

Who are Tyrique Tucker’s parents?

Tyrique Tucker was born to Tommie Tucker and Tonya Giddings-Tucker. Not much is known of the DL’s father.

Tonya Giddings Tucker graduated from high school in Peshtigo, Wisconsin. Interestingly, she used to play flute in the school marching band. Tonya began working in customer service at Capital One in Norfolk.

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A remarkable aspect of Tonya Giddings-Tucker is that she got a college degree in 2012, while raising her three kids—Destini, Diamonte, and Tyrique. Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey was also a footballer and played for Texas and JMU during his career. Tyrique joined him at Harrisonburg in 2022.

How did Tyrique Tucker’s mother die?

Tyrique Tucker navigated a tough time in 2024 when his mother passed away. Tonya Giddings-Tucker was battling a second bout of breast cancer and succumbed to it in April of that year. The cancer returned only 18 months after she entered remission in 2020. This time, she was diagnosed with stage IV cancer.

Curt Cignetti offered his support to Tucker when he was grieving and even attended his mother’s funeral service. After Indiana defeated Purdue, the Hoosiers’ head coach personally congratulated Tucker.

“He was genuinely saying how proud he was of me and my journey,” the DL told the Herald-Times. “I’ve been through a lot, and he’s seen it firsthand.”

What ethnicity are Tyrique Tucker’s parents?

Tyrique Tucker’s parents hail from America. They are all natives of Norfolk, Virginia. The DL attended Lake Taylor High School for three years before joining Life Christian Academy for his senior season.

Inside Tyrique Tucker’s relationship with his mother

Tonya Giddings-Tucker gave her everything to raise her kids as a single parent. She was their No. 1 supporter at every milestone in their lives. She saw her sons, Diamonte and Tyrique, go from JMU to Texas and Indiana, respectively. Whenever she could, Giddings-Tucker also attended JMU games to cheer for her sons.

“She did everything with us and for us. She was our support system,” Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey told the Herald-Times.

Tyrique Tucker honored his late mother during and after the Big Ten Championship game against Ohio State. He wrote “Tonya’s son” on the tape around his wrists. Tucker performed and helped Indiana limit the powerful Buckeye offense to only 10 points. He later dedicated the win to his mother.

“I wanted to do this for her, this whole season,” he said after the game. “She’s smiling down on me right now.”

Tyrique Tucker held his mother’s hand when she passed. He told the Herald-Times that he still found comfort in the fact that Tonya saw him move on to the Power 4 ranks when he transferred to Indiana. Tucker never received an offer like this in high school, which is why this was a pivotal moment for the DL.

Tyrique Tucker has made a significant impact in just two years since his arrival at Bloomington. He just missed making the top 10 in ESPN’s Mel Kiper’s top draft prospects at the position. But he’s sure emerged as a notable player in the conference, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors from the media and coaches. Tucker has been extremely productive during Indiana’s playoff run. However, he sure will miss his mother’s presence in the stands as he tries to cap it off with a National Championship win.