
Tribute to Wes Rucker: Tenn. sports journalist dies at 43
Beloved Tennessee sports journalist Wes Rucker, known for his distinctive voice and two-decade coverage of UT and broader college sports, died at 43 in a car crash on I-40 near Cedar Bluff. His career spanned The Daily Beacon, Times Free Press, 247Sports, CBS, ESPN Knoxville radio, GoVols247, and WBIR, where he hosted 10 at 3. He survived a stroke at 32 and balanced a demanding career with family life—wife Lauren, son Hank, their corgi Gus, and a baby girl due this spring. Colleagues and WBIR leadership praised his integrity and energy, and a GoFundMe has been set up to support his family.













