Ricky Ray and Jason Tucker: A Stellar Partnership in Edmonton’s Football Legacy

EDMONTON – For a certain generation of Double E fans, the name Ricky Ray is synonymous with the Edmonton Elks. Over his remarkable nine-season tenure in Green and Gold, Ray established himself as a franchise cornerstone, throwing an impressive 210 touchdown passes. His list of trusted targets includes a who’s who of All-Star talent, such as Ed Hervey, Kamau Peterson, Fred Stamps, Terry Vaughn, and notably, Jason Tucker.

The partnership between Ray and Tucker was particularly noteworthy, yielding more than 250 points over their six-season collaboration. Between 2002 to 2003, and from 2005 to 2008, Ray connected with Tucker for 42 touchdowns, representing one in every five of Ray’s touchdown passes with Edmonton. This duo was instrumental in over 70% of Tucker’s career 59 touchdown receptions, which ranks as the second most in the history of the Edmonton Elks.

“Whenever you look at a good quarterback, obviously he’s got a really good receiver that’s playing for him,” Ray remarked, emphasizing the importance of having a dependable receiver. “You’ve always got to have that No. 1 guy that you can just count on.”

Jason Tucker reciprocated Ray’s praise, highlighting the seamless dynamic of their partnership. “He put the ball right where it needed to be each and every time,” Tucker states. “When I had to do something spectacular, I’d just run my route, get open, and I knew the ball would be there.”

This formidable pairing spearheaded Edmonton’s path to Grey Cup victories in 2003 and 2005, with Tucker earning the MVP accolade at the 91st Grey Cup in Regina. During the game, Tucker caught seven passes from Ray for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Ray was named MVP of the 93rd Grey Cup at B.C. Place Stadium, completing 35 passes for 359 yards with two touchdowns, including one to Tucker.

Describing Ray, Tucker noted, “He’s a guy that leads by actions, he doesn’t say many words—he’s calm, he’s cool, he’s collected. You look in his eyes and you know this dude’s ready to play.”

Ray’s confidence in his receivers was mutual. “I just wanted them to be confident in what they were doing,” Ray explained. “I just knew what to expect from them and thought I could be more confident throwing to those guys by doing it that way.”

This celebrated quarterback-receiver synergy remains a vivid chapter in the storied history of the Edmonton Elks and their profound impact on Canadian football.