Hi my name is Ryan Deal, a lifelong Miami Dolphins fan, and I have a confession to make: I was an honorary Green Bay Packers fan this season. Whew, that wasn’t so bad to say. 

The Dolphins put me through another up-and-down season, ending in the AFC Wild Card round to the Kansas City Chiefs. But the Packers' run to the NFC Divisional playoffs softened the blow of Miami’s thud after a 9-3 start.  

It’s because my hometown of Timber Lake, South Dakota, had one of its own in the NFL this season. When Timber Lake native Tucker Kraft was drafted by the Packers in April, our tiny town roared and we kept roaring all season long. 

Tucker’s rookie season turned non-Green Bay fans into cheeseheads, brought national attention to our small West River town and Kraft No. 85 apparel became a hot commodity. 

Tucker Kraft apparel was popular among Timber Lake locals. (Courtesy photo)

Tucker’s humble beginnings from small Timber Lake were repeatedly chronicled on national television, including Mike Tirico’s mention of our small population/lack of stop lights on NBC. Heck, even our water tower made it on national television.

Tirico’s national shoutout was printed on clothing and it became a popular Christmas gift, along with Kraft No. 85 stocking caps. 

This NFL season was unlike any other for us Panthers. We were regularly fixated on Green Bay games, Tucker’s weekly performance dominated bar talk and Sunday updates flooded our phones. 

I regularly received text messages like “Yay Tucker” and “Tucker had a great game” or “That’s a Timber Lake TD!” Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat were littered with Tucker posts all season long. 

Green Bay Packer tight end Tucker Kraft hurdles a San Diego Charger defender this season. (Evan Siegle / Green Bay Packers)

We boasted anytime Tucker trucked and hurdled over defenders. Tucker’s first NFL touchdown on Thanksgiving was all the buzz during the holiday. Timber Lake’s Corner Bar & Grill erupted for his first playoff touchdown. 

We also flocked to NFL stadiums to support our favorite Panther. Lambeau Field became a popular destination for Tucker fans, while we also gathered at road games.

Tucker’s closest game to Timber Lake was in Minneapolis and it felt like an all-Panther reunion. We gathered at Lyon’s Pub in downtown Minneapolis for a pre-game party and roughly 200-300 Tucker supporters packed the joint. They were expecting between 50-75 people.

On the field, Tucker emerged as a reliable target for quarterback Jordan Love, he blocked at a high level and became a fan favorite in Green Bay. He played in all 19 games, hauled in 379 yards receiving and caught three touchdowns. 

Tucker and the Packers fell short of reaching the ultimate prize, falling to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC playoffs. 

But Tucker gave a small West River town of 500 people one hell of a fun season and we can’t wait for more. 

Go Tuck Go. 

Timber Lake native Tucker Kraft enjoyed a solid rookie season for the Green Bay Packers. (Evan Siegle / Green Bay Packers)