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Fullback (American football)

 

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Fullback (American football)



 
 
In American football
American football

American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive team sport known for mixing strategy with physical play....
, a fullback (FB) is a position in the offensive backfield. Traditionally, the duties of a fullback are split between power running and blocking for the quarterback
Quarterback

Quarterback is a position in American football and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the center , in the middle of the Lineman ....
 on passing plays, and the running back
Running back

A running back is the position of a player on an American football or Canadian football team who usually lines up in the History of American football positions#Offensive Backfield....
 on running plays.

Many of the great runners of the history of American football have been fullbacks, notably Jim Brown
Jim Brown

James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an United States former professional American football player who has also made his mark as an actor and social activist....
, Franco Harris
Franco Harris

Franco Harris is a former American football player best known for his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall....
, Mike Alstott
Mike Alstott

Michael Joseph Alstott , is a former American football Fullback in the National Football League. He spent his entire 12-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers....
, and Larry Csonka
Larry Csonka

Larry Richard Csonka is an US former collegiate and professional running back in American football who played in the late 1960s and 1970s.One of six children, Csonka was born in Stow, Ohio, Ohio....
, but in recent years the position has evolved to be more a blocker than a runner, with occasional pass-catching duties.






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Encyclopedia


In American football
American football

American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive team sport known for mixing strategy with physical play....
, a fullback (FB) is a position in the offensive backfield. Traditionally, the duties of a fullback are split between power running and blocking for the quarterback
Quarterback

Quarterback is a position in American football and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the center , in the middle of the Lineman ....
 on passing plays, and the running back
Running back

A running back is the position of a player on an American football or Canadian football team who usually lines up in the History of American football positions#Offensive Backfield....
 on running plays.

Many of the great runners of the history of American football have been fullbacks, notably Jim Brown
Jim Brown

James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an United States former professional American football player who has also made his mark as an actor and social activist....
, Franco Harris
Franco Harris

Franco Harris is a former American football player best known for his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall....
, Mike Alstott
Mike Alstott

Michael Joseph Alstott , is a former American football Fullback in the National Football League. He spent his entire 12-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers....
, and Larry Csonka
Larry Csonka

Larry Richard Csonka is an US former collegiate and professional running back in American football who played in the late 1960s and 1970s.One of six children, Csonka was born in Stow, Ohio, Ohio....
, but in recent years the position has evolved to be more a blocker than a runner, with occasional pass-catching duties. While some teams have actually phased-out fullbacks altogether in favor of two tight end
Tight end

The tight end is a position in American football on the offensive team. The tight end is sometimes the last man on the offensive line, but has a slightly different build and, in some cases, a different role than other linemen....
 sets, the remaining prominent fullbacks in the NFL such as Lorenzo Neal
Lorenzo Neal

Lorenzo LaVonne Neal is an American football Fullback who is currently a free agent. He played for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League during the 2008 Baltimore Ravens season....
 are typically employed for breaking through tight defensive alignments, often in short-yardage situations as they are usually larger and heavier than halfbacks or tailbacks, or for screen passes. As a result, fullbacks are typically known less for speed and agility and more for muscularity and the ability to shed tackles. However, Le'Ron McClain
Le'Ron McClain

Le'Ron McClain is an American football Fullback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft....
 was the rushing leader for the Baltimore Ravens in 2008, being deployed from the half-back
Halfback (American football)

A halfback or tailback is an Offense position in American football, and college football who lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays....
 position.

Although a running back by name, typically fullbacks are valued by their contributions to the running game by their blocking.

Some well-known active fullbacks are Le'Ron McClain
Le'Ron McClain

Le'Ron McClain is an American football Fullback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft....
, Lawrence Vickers
Lawrence Vickers

Lawrence Blanchard Vickers, Jr. is an is an American football player who currently plays fullback for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League....
, Mike Sellers, and Madison Hedgecock
Madison Hedgecock

Madison Smith Hedgecock is an American football Fullback who currently plays for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the St....
.

See also

  • American football positions
    American football positions

    In American football, each team has 11 players on the field at one time. However, because the rules allow unlimited substitution between plays, the types of players on the field for each team differ depending on the situation....