Feb. 23, 2008

By Patrick Obley, The State

Columbia, S.C. -- Pity the fullback.

Once upon a time, the position was vital in football, a must-have for teams. Fullbacks were the beefy pillars of every team's running game, lead blockers whose solemn duty was to pulverize the first body that stepped in front of them.

Then came the forward pass. Thanks for playing.

Saying fullbacks are a dying breed would be inaccurate. Rather, this brand of player has evolved into a do-it-all hybrid. Call them halftailblockingbacks.

Finding such a player in the NFL draft is rare. Furman's Jerome Felton is hoping to be one of the lucky few. He is one of six fullbacks to be invited to this week's NFL Scouting Combine. On average, five fullbacks are drafted each April.

According to many ranking services, Felton is the No. 5 fullback in this year's class, putting him on the bubble.

"I want to come in here and show everyone that I can be an all-around player," Felton said this week from Indianapolis. "I want to show them my versatility, that I'm a dominant blocker and can catch the ball out of the backfield."

He did all of that during his four years at Furman. He led the Paladins with 705 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in 2007, capping his career as the school's all-time leading fullback (2,652 yards) and leading scorer (414 points).

Last month, he became the schools first All-American fullback when he was named to the 2007 Sports Network FCS first team.

Of the six fullbacks at this week's combine, Felton is the lone non-FBS player, but he said that was no handicap.

"I don't know that I'm underrated," he said. "At this point, the scouts know us, they've seen the film, talked to us ... they definitely know about all of us here."

West Virginia's Owen Schmitt is considered the top fullback in this year's class. He is 6-foot-2 and 247 pounds. Felton is the same size, and both own mid-4.6-second times in the 40-yard sprint.

Felton said of all the things he wants to accomplish this week, improving his time in the 40 is most important.

"I want to show them my speed. That's the big thing," he said. "They know I weigh 245, but I can run. I can carry that 245."

Since graduating with a degree in political science in December (with a 3.28 grade-point average), Felton has spent most of his time in Los Angeles with a professional trainer. He participated in the East-West Shrine game, playing for coach Dick Vermeil and James Saxon, Vermeil's fullbacks coach when he was with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Speaking of the Chiefs, they are one of a handful of teams that continue to employ true fullbacks as part of their game plan. Others include Tampa Bay, St. Louis and Minnesota. What all four have in common is a need at the position. The Chiefs used a converted linebacker to ill effect this past season. In Minnesota, All-Pro Tony Richardson is near the end of his career. Tampa Bay's Mike Alstott announced his retirement last month. St. Louis recently hired Al Saunders, who coached Richardson in Kansas City, as its offensive coordinator.

Felton grew up a fan of the Steelers, another team that traditionally uses big backs. That said, he cares little which team drafts him.

"I'll play for anybody, man," Felton said. "Whoever takes me, I'm going to play hard for them because they appreciated me enough to draft me. It's a privilege to be in the league."