Derrek Tuszka (born July 11, 1996) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...

who played in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

North Dakota State North Dakota State University (NDSU, formally North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences) is a public land-grant research university in Fargo, North Dakota, United States. It was founded as North Dakota Agricultural Colle ...

Early life

Tuszka attended Warner High School in

Warner, South Dakota Warner is a town in Brown County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 485 at the 2020 census. History The town's name is derived from Warren Tarbox, a pioneer settler. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the t ...

. He committed to

on April 22, 2014.

College career

Tuszka played

where he was a three-year starter. As a senior in 2019, he recorded 48 tackles including 19 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and five passes defensed. Tuszka was named a

Football Championship Subdivision The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Bowl Subdivision (F ...

first-team

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

as well as the

Missouri Valley Football Conference The Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC), formerly the Gateway Football Conference, is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern United States. It participates in the National Collegiate A ...

Defensive Player of the Year. In his collegiate career he started 34 of the 53 games in which he appeared and compiled 133 tackles, 42 tackles for loss, 29.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and six passes defensed.

Professional career

Denver Broncos

Tuszka was selected by the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...

with the 254th overall pick in the seventh round of the

2020 NFL draft The 2020 NFL draft was the 85th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2020 NFL season. The first round was held on April 23, followed by the second and third rounds on April 24. The ...

. He was waived on September 5, 2020, and was signed to the

practice squad In gridiron football, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. They serve as extra players during the team's practices, often as part of the scou ...

the following day. He was elevated to the active roster on September 14 for the team's week 1 game against the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...

, and reverted to the practice squad the next day. He was elevated again on September 19 for the team's week 2 game against the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...

, and reverted to the practice squad again after the game. He was promoted to the active roster on September 30, 2020. He was placed on

injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...

on October 27, 2020, with a hamstring injury. On December 12, 2020, Tuszka was activated off of injured reserve. On August 31, 2021, Tuszka was waived by the Broncos.

Pittsburgh Steelers

On September 1, 2021, Tuszka was signed to the Steelers practice squad. He was promoted on September 28, 2021. He was released on September 1, 2022.

Tennessee Titans

On September 2, 2022, Tuszka was claimed off waivers by the Titans. He was waived on September 26.

Los Angeles Chargers

On September 28, 2022, Tuszka was claimed off waivers by the

Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC W ...

References

External links

North Dakota State Bison bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tuszka, Derrek 1996 births Living people Sportspeople from Brown County, South Dakota Players of American football from South Dakota American football linebackers North Dakota State Bison football players Denver Broncos players Pittsburgh Steelers players Tennessee Titans players Los Angeles Chargers players