Growing Up In Chicago, Bucky Irving Suffered Personal Tragedies At Every Step Of His Way To The NFL

October 4, 2026

This article was last updated by Pranaya Poudel on October 4, 2026

The 22-year-old Tampa Bay Buccaneers Running Back lost his father when he was 2. Later in life, his brother would suffer the same fate.

Key Takeaways

• Mar’Keise Bucky Irving was drafted by the Buccaneers in 2026.
• He was born in Chicago and lost his father when he was 2.
• He is of African-American ethnicity, but his detailed genealogy is unknown.

Bucky Irving, the NFL running back and kickoff returner for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is currently trending for the controversial referee decision in the recent Falcon vs. Buccaneers match.

In the final moments of the fourth quarter, the referees missed a crucial facemask call on Irving by the Falcons, instead calling a holding penalty. This ultimately led to the Falcons tying the game with a field goal and winning in overtime.

As the incident goes viral, it is being met with widespread outrage, especially among fans of Irving and the Buccaneers.

Another side effect of the incident is the resurfaced interest in Bucky Irving, particularly his personal life and background, including his parents and ethnicity.

Refs missed a late 4th quarter facemask by the Falcons on Bucky Irving, called just holding instead and pushed the Bucs out of field goal/ending the game range

This forced them to punt with a 3 point lead and allowed ATL to tie it

— Bad Sports Refs (@BadSportsRefs)

Mar’Keise Bucky Irving was born in Chicago, Illinois, on August 19, 2002, to his mother, LaTisha Irving, and father, Marcellus Irving.

Bucky and his family are of African-American descent; however, their detailed genealogy is unknown.

He suffered a personal loss early in his childhood when his father passed away when he was only 2 years old.

Marcellus Irving is survived by the nickname he gave his son— “Bucky.”

He grew up with a brother who would later be shot and k*lled.

Irving showed a talent for football since his days at Hillcrest High School in Country Club Hills, Illinois.

He finished his high school football career with 3,264 rushing yards despite not playing his senior year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In another twist of fate, his grandmother passed unexpectedly on the day he was offered a scholarship to play at Minnesota.

Despite the loss, Irving enrolled at the University of Minnesota in 2026.

Truly Blessed, I’m just living in the moment and not taking anything for granted. Thank You for believing in me Minnesota! This one for you Grandma 😇. Let’s Work! 〽️🛶

— Mar’keise Irving (@BuckyIrving)

In his freshman year at Minnesota, Irving had 133 rushing attempts for 699 yards and scored four touchdowns.

After one season at Minnesota, he transferred to the University of Oregon, where, in his first year as an Oregon Duck, he totaled 1,357 yards from scrimmage and 13 total touchdowns.

Irving was named to the Associated Press All-Pac-12 first team, Coaches All-Pac-12 first team, Pro Football Focus All-Pac-12 first team, Phil Steele All-Pac-12 first team, and CSC Academic All-America first team.

He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in round 4 of the 2026 NFL Draft with the No. 125 overall pick.

Oregon Running Back Bucky Irving has declared for the 2026 NFL Draft, he announced

RB6 on the PFF Big Board🦆

— PFF College (@PFF_College)

While not much is known about Irving’s personal life, he shows great promise in the NFL.

At just 22 years old, the young man has already achieved some incredible feats for the Buccaneers.

In Case You Didn’t Know

• During his college career, Irving showcased his versatility by excelling as a running back and contributing significantly to the passing game.
• At the NFL Combine, Irving demonstrated his athleticism with a 40-yard dash time of 4.55 seconds, a vertical jump of 31.5 inches, and a broad jump of 9 feet 7 inches.

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Saurav Risal is a content writer with a niche in the entertainment industry. With a background in computer science, Saurav best writes articles relating to movies, TV series, and the celebrities behind them.

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