Montana State University safety Joel Fuller has a photograph from his childhood that, when viewed today, seems to foreshadow his football future.
In the photograph, a young Fuller is seen with Troy Polamalu, who is arguably the NFL’s premier strong safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fuller’s father Neil coached Polamalu at Douglas High School in Winston, Ore., before moving to Northwest Montana where he became coach at Libby High School and coached another athletic strong safety – his son.
For Fuller, the photograph is a reminder of the roots he shares with Polamalu. And it’s one of many reasons the NFL star remains an inspiration today.
“I’ve studied him over the years,” Fuller said last week. “I feel that he’s the best safety in the league. He’s fearless. And he’s a great role model.”
In his first year as starting strong safety for the Bobcats, Fuller has done his best to emulate Polamalu. The junior was named second team Big Sky All-Conference after a regular season in which he finished fourth on the team in total tackles and second in pass breakups.
Fuller now turns his attention to Dec. 3, when MSU hosts New Hampshire in the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. The Bobcats are ranked seventh in the nation and New Hampshire is ranked 12th. It will be Fuller’s first career playoff start.
“I’m excited; it’s a great opportunity,” he said. “They’re a great team and I’m glad we’ve got them at home.”
Head coach Rob Ash said Fuller has done a “fantastic job” filling the shoes of departed defensive backs Jordan Craney and Michael Rider, who were both captains as seniors in 2010. Ash said Fuller is a “smart” and “heady” player who has developed into an “outstanding tackler.”
Though Fuller is “quiet and unassuming” by nature, Ash said his safety is becoming more of a vocal leader. Next year, Ash expects big things out of Fuller, who will be playing in his final year for the Bobcats.
“He needs to look at trying to be first team all-league or All-American,” Ash said. “I think Joel Fuller has that ability.”
But anybody who watched Fuller play in high school in Libby may not have even guessed he would end up playing safety. Fuller was a three-time Class A all-state selection at quarterback, in addition to racking up accolades at safety. According to the Bobcats, Fuller threw for 6,399 yards in high school, fifth best in state history for all classifications, and 69 touchdowns, which is third best in state history. He also rushed for 1,000 yards.
Fuller said he received interest in playing quarterback in college, including from the University of Montana. But he decided he wanted to play safety and he felt “Montana State was the best fit.”
“I miss it sometimes,” Fuller said of playing quarterback. “But I know I’m in the right spot.”
Ash says, though Fuller “can still throw the ball,” he doesn’t envision any scenario in which the junior would return to the offensive side of the ball.
“We have a pretty good quarterback,” Ash said, referring to standout sophomore DeNarius McGhee, a friend of Fuller’s.
During the Bobcats’ 36-10 loss to rival Montana on Nov. 19, Fuller felt he made mistakes that led to big plays for the Grizzlies. He called it “a disappointing performance for myself,” though there’s no time to hang his head. With the playoffs looming, Fuller can only use the UM loss as a learning experience.
“You never want to lose those games, but at the same time we still have the playoffs to look forward to,” Fuller said. “We can focus on that and put (the loss) behind us.”
And no matter what happens in Saturday’s game, Fuller said it has already been a magical ride in his first year as starter, playing for a program that has developed into a championship contender.
“It’s great,” he said. “You love winning as a competitor. We’ve done a great job for the most part. I like the atmosphere that we have here with the fans. It’s been a lot of fun to be a part of.”