Justin Tucker sings opera in the shower, has rapped with Sergio Kindle and once developed such a fondness for soccer shoes that his mother likened him to Imelda Marcos.
Other than that, Texas' place kicker/punter is not much different from other Longhorns football players.
"Quirky. That's a good word for him," offensive guard David Snow said.
Tucker is one of the best kickers around. The senior from Westlake has converted 10 of his 11 field goal attempts, including a personal-best 52-yarder against Kansas last Saturday. His 90.9 percent accuracy mark ranks second in the Big 12.
As a punter, Tucker averages a pedestrian 39.9 yards, seventh-best in the league, with the rugby style approach he uses. But the average return against Texas has been a mere 2.2 yards.
Tucker kicks in bright orange Nike soccer shoes that at least one teammate appreciates.
"I'll maybe try to steal a pair," cornerback Carrington Byndom said. "I would definitely wear them."
Mack Brown does not necessarily favor those shoes, but the Longhorns coach would never say that to Tucker.
"I'm not going to mention shoes to a kicker that's making kicks," Brown said. "I would be the reason that he missed, because he changed shoes."
Tucker said he would wear black and white shoes, but the model he prefers is only available in bright colors.
"A lot of soccer players are a bit flashier," said Tucker, who played the sport until he was 15. "They might wear the purple and the fluorescent green. I get told by members of the officiating crews that 'we keep running after your feet because we think they are penalty flags.'"
Tucker's mother, Michelle, says Justin's passion for soccer boots reminded her of Marcos, the former first lady of the Philippines famous for her shoe collection.
"In high school, I called him Imeldo Marco, the male version," Michelle Tucker said. "I had to hide the Eurosport magazine or throw it away. He'd want to order four pairs."
Not that Tucker is shallow. Indeed, he gives legitimacy to the term student-athlete. He's a music recording technology major who makes good grades, plays several instruments and writes songs.
He auditioned for admittance to his major by performing opera.
Tucker has bonded with teammates by rapping, including in a group that included Kindle, a former star at defensive end and linebacker.
But it's the opera that caught linebacker Emmanuel Acho's attention.
"He's weird, singing in the shower. But he's got a leg on him," Acho said. "He hit from 52, so more power to him. I don't care what he does if he keeps kicking like that."
Tucker's sister Samantha, a sophomore on the Texas women's swimming team, said she is impressed with how her older brother handles one of the occupational hazards of his job.
"There is a lot of pressure," Samantha Tucker said. "If you miss one kick, everyone hates you. If you make it, that's what you are supposed to do."
Tucker handles kickoffs along with punting, field goals and extra points. That's why the staff offered Tucker extra time off to rest when the Longhorns had two weeks between games against Oklahoma State and Kansas.
"We asked him to do nothing except tune up and make sure he got his energy back," Brown said.
Tucker responded with the 52-yarder against Kansas.
"I love to play every snap, every kick of every game," Tucker said. "But during the course of a season, I might lose a couple of yards here or there. I noticed, even after just a few days of limiting the number of hits, it helped out tremendously. Right now I feel I'm hitting the best ball I've ever hit."
