This Make and Model Is a Winner
August 29, 2005

Ford and Chevrolet like to make little changes in the make and model of their products from year to year. They do so just to keep things fresh and make things interesting. Their alterations are often done for fun.

Ashland University defensive end Jarrett Fuller (Tiffin, OH/Columbian) is a remodeled football player. Not because of any passing fancy, but because of necessity.

In 2002, Fuller was an active linebacker. He started the year with 10 tackles at Michigan Tech and was in the midst of the action the second week of the season at Edinboro when his world changed.

“I was locked up on a lineman on a belly play,” recalled the 6-1, 246-pound Fuller. “It was near the goal line. Someone came in from the left on my legs. The offensive lineman pushed me over and my leg crumbled underneath. It happened real fast. It was scary.”

So scary that after the game, Edinboro head coach Lou Tepper took time out from assessing his team to say he felt terrible about an Ashland player who suffered a knee injury. Tepper’s a defensive whiz and no doctor, but as he said, it looked grim.

Even Tepper didn’t know how bad it was. Fuller had torn his MCL, his ACL, cartilage and dislocated his knee cap. He was advised by several doctors to go through rehabilitation rather than surgery because at the time of the injury, an MRI showed no tear of the ACL. Fuller missed the rest of the 2002 season, but as the offseason began, he thought he was on the way to recovery. Harsh pain in his knee after weight lifting or running brought a second look at his left knee. That revealed the ACL tear.

“That crushed me,” sighed Fuller. “The MCL can heal on its own. The MRI didn’t show the (ACL) tear.”

Fuller fought his way back and played linebacker in nine games in 2003. He had 31 tackles, but wasn’t the player he was before the injury.

“I didn’t realize how slow and out of shape I was,” said Fuller. “The coaches, they were a little tough. I’m OK with that now. I played through a lot of pain that season.”

Last year, the situation improved. A new coaching staff arrived and new schemes were put in place. Fuller remained at linebacker, playing a reserve role. He admits that wasn’t easy, playing a reserve role after being a starter prior to his injury. After a season that saw him make six tackles in five games, the coaching staff and Fuller hit on an idea. Why not move to the defensive line where the Eagles were thin depth-wise? AU needed help up front and there could be less wear and tear on Fuller.

“He’s explosive and aggressive,” praised AU head coach Lee Owens. “He’s quick off the ball and he has good instincts. He’s pretty quick for an offensive lineman to handle. He’s above average in speed and quickness for a defensive lineman.”

Where Fuller is really off the chart is in passion and desire.

“He plays so hard, he has a motor that goes all the time,” added defensive line coach Randy Homa.

Fuller’s always done that, but now he doesn’t have to do it for 40-50 snaps per game. He’s a backup at defensive end, someone who can provide quality minutes.

“He had 15 reps last Saturday,” Homa said. “I’d like to get that up to 20 or 25 reps a game.”

“I just want to play,” explained Fuller. “I felt really good last year. I just want to win, I’ll play anywhere. I’d play offensive line if they wanted me to.”

What Owens, Homa and the rest of the coaching staff wants is for Fuller to continue to improve on the defensive front. He was one of six linemen who saw action in the season opener, a 30-15 victory at Saint Joseph’s where the Eagles held the Pumas to -25 yards rushing.

“I’m 100 percent OK with that, I think it’s a good idea rotating defensive linemen,” Fuller said when asked if he’s bothered by not playing every snap like he did as a linebacker. “It keeps us fresher. I’m not starting, but I’m getting to play. As long as we play well, that’s OK.”

As a linebacker, Fuller was a no-holds-barred, sideline-to-sideline player. He’s not that type of defensive lineman.

“I’m not as reckless,” said Fuller when asked to compare how he plays now to 2002. “I think more, sometimes maybe I think too much. The big difference is I’m a little more cautious. Coach Homa says to stop thinking and just play. He tells me to just play football. That’s what I want to do this week.”

“He’s done a great job,” added Homa. “He’s always looking to learn. He’s getting better every day.”

Fuller is listed as a senior, but he could have another year of eligibility after this season if he chooses to take it. He’s undecided about his future at this point. What’s not in doubt is what he’s meant to the Eagles. Fuller is a remodeled player who’s an excellent role model for the Eagles’ younger players.

“He’s overcome a lot,” Owens stated. “He just keeps fighting. I have a lot of respect for players like him. Position change, injuries, a coaching change, he kept at it. Players like him run the race until the end. He’s stayed with it.”

“I’m just really proud of myself for sticking it out,” said Fuller. “My dad’s proud and I’m proud.”

Like the Marines, this is really a case of the “Few and the Proud.”