Will Fuller

William Vincent "Will" Fuller V (born April 16, 1994) is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Texans in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.

For the American football defensive end, see William Fuller (American football). For other people with a similar name, see William Fuller (disambiguation).

Will Fuller
Fuller with the Houston Texans in 2016
No. 15 – Houston Texans
Position:Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1994-04-16) April 16, 1994
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:184 lb (83 kg)
Career information
High school:Philadelphia (PA) Roman Catholic
College:Notre Dame
NFL Draft:2016 / Round: 1 / Pick: 21
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2019
Receptions:156
Receiving yards:2,231
Return yards:331
Rushing yards:6
Total touchdowns:17
Player stats at NFL.com

High school career

One of five siblings (he has 4 sisters), Fuller attended Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he played high school football for the Cahillites.[1][2] As a senior in 2012, he was named the MVP of the Philadelphia Catholic League 4A, recording 57 receptions for 932 yards and eight touchdowns.

Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, he was rated as the 19th best wide receiver prospect of his class.[3] He originally committed to play college football at Penn State on June 3, 2012 after receiving a scholarship offer while on a visit at the school.[4] However, Fuller would go on to switch his commitment to Notre Dame on August 5, 2012.[5]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Will Fuller
WR		 Philadelphia, PA Roman Catholic HS 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 168 lb (76 kg) Aug 5, 2012 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 73
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 22 (WR), 3 (PA), 3 (regional), 179 (national)   Rivals: 19 (WR), 7 (PA), 176 (national)  ESPN: 31 (PA)
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Notre Dame Football Commitment List". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  • "Notre Dame College Football Recruiting Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  • "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  • "2013 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 27, 2015.

    College career

    Fuller played sparingly as a freshman at Notre Dame, catching only six passes. He scored his first touchdown on a 47-yard pass from Tommy Rees against Air Force on October 26, 2013. He recorded 160 receiving yards in that game, averaging 26.6 yards per catch, which led the team.[6]

    Fuller emerged as a starter his sophomore year following an impressive off-season, following that up by having a breakout season for the Irish.[7] He recorded 76 receptions for 1,094 yards with 15 touchdowns, tying Golden Tate for the school single season record. His 15 touchdowns were tied for 3rd in FBS, behind Colorado State's Rashard Higgins and Alabama's Amari Cooper.[8] In a game versus Northwestern, he caught nine passes for 159 yards and 3 touchdowns; all career highs. He was recognized as an honorable mention All-American by Sports Illustrated following the season.[9]

    Fuller started off his junior season with two touchdowns on 7 receptions for 142 yards versus Texas. The following week, against the Virginia Cavaliers, Fuller caught 5 passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown pass with 12 seconds left from DeShone Kizer.[10] He had 6 receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown against Georgia Tech in Notre Dame's third game of the season, a 30–22 victory.[11] Against USC, he recorded 3 receptions for 131 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown to beat USC, 41–31. At Pitt, Fuller caught 7 passes for 152 yards and three touchdowns leading to 42–30 victory.[12] His three touchdowns allowed him to surpass both Golden Tate and Jeff Samardzija on the career touchdown list with 28, leaving him only second behind Michael Floyd's 37. Fuller caught 6 passes for 113 yards, including an 81-yard touchdown, in a losing effort against Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. Fuller finished the season with 62 catches, career-high 1,258 yards with 14 touchdowns. He was named a second-team All-American by the Associated Press.[13]

    On January 3, 2016, Fuller announced he would forego his senior year and enter the 2016 NFL Draft.[14] He finished his Notre Dame career with 144 receptions for 2,512 yards (17.4 avg) and 30 touchdowns.[15]

    Collegiate statistics
    YearTeamReceiving
    RecYardsAvgTDLongAvg/G
    2013Notre Dame616026.114712.3
    2014Notre Dame761,09414.4157584.2
    2015Notre Dame621,25820.3148196.8
    Total 1442,51217.4308164.4

    Professional career

    At the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine, Fuller ran a 4.32 official 40-yard dash, which was the best time among wide receivers.[16]

    Pre-draft measurables
    Height Weight Arm length Hand size 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
    6 ft 0 1⁄8 in
    (1.83 m)    		 186 lb
    (84 kg)    		 30 3⁄4 in
    (0.78 m)    		 8 1⁄4 in
    (0.21 m)    		 4.32 s 1.51 s 2.51 s 4.27 s 6.93 s 33 1⁄2 in
    (0.85 m)    		 10 ft 6 in
    (3.20 m)    		 10 reps
    All values from NFL Combine[17][18]

    Fuller was drafted by the Houston Texans in the first round with the 21st overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.[19] He was the second wide receiver taken in the 2016 NFL Draft, only behind Baylor's Corey Coleman, who went to the Cleveland Browns with the 15th overall pick.[20]

    2016 season: Rookie year

    In his first NFL game against the Chicago Bears on September 11, 2016, Fuller had five receptions (on 11 targets from quarterback Brock Osweiler) for 107 yards and a touchdown as the Texans won by a score of 23-14.[21] In the next game against the Kansas City Chiefs, he had 104 receiving yards on four receptions, including a juggled catch for 53 yards. The Texans won by a score of 19-12.[22] Two weeks later, Fuller returned a punt 67 yards for a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans. In doing so, he became the first player in franchise history to record a punt return touchdown and a receiving touchdown in the same game (as he had a touchdown reception earlier in the game). The Texans won 27-20.[23]

    On January 7, 2017, Fuller made his postseason debut against the Oakland Raiders in the Wild Card Round. He had four receptions for 37 yards in a 27–14 victory.[24] His postseason would end the following week in the Divisional Round against the eventual Super Bowl LI Champion New England Patriots. In the 34–16 road loss, Fuller had three receptions for 16 yards.[25]

    In his rookie season, Fuller had 47 receptions for 635 yards, 196 return yards, two receiving touchdowns, and a return touchdown in 14 games and 13 starts.[26]

    2017 season

    On August 2, 2017, during training camp, Fuller suffered a broken collarbone and was expected to be out 2–3 months.[27]

    On September 27, 2017, Fuller was upgraded to full participation in the Texans' practice.[28] He made his season debut for the Texans in a Week 4 57–14 win against the Tennessee Titans, catching four passes for 35 yards and two touchdowns along with a four-yard rush.[29] In the next game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Fuller caught two passes for 57 yards and a touchdown and rushed for five yards in the 43-24 loss.[30] The following week, he caught two passes for 62 yards and a touchdown as the Texans defeated the Cleveland Browns by a score of 33-17.[31] After a Week 7 bye, the Texans went on the road to face the Seattle Seahawks. In that game, Fuller caught five passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns as the Texans lost 41-38.[32]

    Fuller finished the 2017 season with 28 receptions for 423 yards, 135 return yards, and seven receiving touchdowns in ten games and starts.[33]

    2018 season

    Fuller missed the season opener at the New England Patriots with a hamstring injury, which the Texans lost 27-20.[34] He made his season debut in Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans as the second receiver on the Texans' depth chart.[35] He had eight receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown in the 20–17 road loss.[36] In the following game, a 27-22 loss to the New York Giants, Fuller had another solid outing with five receptions for 101 receiving yards and a touchdown.[37] During Week 4, he notched his third consecutive game with a touchdown in a 37-34 overtime victory over the Indianapolis Colts.[38] During a Week 8 42-23 home victory against the Miami Dolphins, Fuller tore his ACL, prematurely ending his season.[39] In seven games and starts, he finished the season with 32 receptions for 503 yards and four touchdowns.[40] Without Fuller, the Texans finished atop the AFC South with an 11-5 record and lost to the Colts in the Wild Card Round 21-7.[41][42]

    2019 season

    On April 26, 2019, the Texans picked up the fifth-year option on Fuller's contract.[43]

    Fuller returned from his injury in time for the Texans' season opener against the New Orleans Saints. He recorded two receptions for 69 yards in the narrow 30-28 road loss.[44] During a Week 5 53-32 victory against the Atlanta Falcons, Fuller finished with 217 receiving yards, marking the first time in his NFL career with 200+ yards in a game.[45] During Week 12 against the Indianapolis Colts, he racked up 140 yards on seven receptions in the 20-17 victory.[46]

    Fuller finished the 2019 season with 49 receptions for 670 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games and starts.[47] The Texans finished atop the AFC South with a 10-6 record and were the #4 seed in the playoffs.[48] In the Divisional Round against the Kansas City Chiefs, Fuller caught five passes for 89 yards as the Texans lost on the road by a score of 51-31 after blowing a 24-0 lead in the second quarter.[49]

    NFL statistics

    Regular season
    Year Team Games Receiving Rushing Returning Fumbles
    GPGSRecYdsAvgLngTDAttYdsAvgLngTDRetYdsAvgLngTDFumLost
    2016HOU 14134763513.55321-3-3.0-301319615.167T120
    2017HOU 10102842315.159T7294.550913515.049000
    2018HOU 773250315.773T4000000000000
    2019HOU 11114967013.7543000000000010
    Career42411562,23114.373T16362.0502233115.067T130

    Postseason
    Year Team Games Receiving Rushing Returning Fumbles
    GPGSRecYdsAvgLngTDAttYdsAvgLngTDRetYdsAvgLngTDFumLost
    2016HOU 227537.6190000.00034615.018000
    2018HOU 00Did not play due to injury
    2019HOU 1158917.8390000000000000
    Career331214211.8390000.00034615.018000

    References
    1. Robertson, Dale (April 29, 2016). "10 things you need to know about Will Fuller". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
    2. Vorel, Mike (October 25, 2015). "Surging WR Will Fuller represents Philadelphia at Notre Dame". South Bend Tribune. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
    3. "William Fuller profile". Yahoo! Sports. April 20, 2011. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
    4. Jones, Ben (June 3, 2012). "Philly Receiver Will Fuller Commits to Nittany Lions". statecollege.com. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
    5. Moyer, Josh (August 5, 2012). "Will Fuller decommits from Penn State Nittany Lions, picks Notre Dame Fighting Irish". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
    6. "Notre Dame vs. Air Force - Game Summary - October 26, 2013". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
    7. "Notre Dame wide receiver Will Fuller's star is on a lightning-fast rise". Elkhart Truth. September 10, 2014. Archived from the original on September 13, 2014. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
    8. "2015 FBS (I-A) College Football Individual Statistics Leaders for Receiving". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
    9. Blazek, Nicholas D. (December 19, 2014). "Notre Dame's Will Fuller All-American Honorable Mention". Slap The Sign. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
    10. "No. 9 Notre Dame beats Virginia 34–27 on last-second TD pass". HeraldNet.com. Associated Press. September 12, 2015. Archived from the original on November 25, 2015. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
    11. "Prosise scores 3 TDs as Irish shut down Ga. Tech". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 19, 2015. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
    12. Lesar, Al (November 7, 2015). "Will Fuller scores thrice in Notre Dame victory over Pitt". Notre Dame Insider. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
    13. Paone, Greg (January 3, 2016). "Philly native and ND star WR Will Fuller declares for NFL draft". NBC Sports Philadelphia. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
    14. Reineking, Jim (January 3, 2016). "Notre Dame's Will Fuller will enter 2016 NFL Draft". NFL.com. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
    15. "William Fuller College Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
    16. "Will Fuller Runs 4.32 40 Yard Dash At The NFL Combine". Slap the Sign. February 27, 2016. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
    17. "2016 NFL Draft Profile: Will Fuller". NFL.com. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
    18. "*Will Fuller - Notre Dame, WR: 2016 NFL Draft Scout Player Profile". draftscout.com. Archived from the original on November 20, 2018. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
    19. Ganguli, Tania (April 28, 2016). "Texans select Will Fuller in first round of 2016 NFL Draft". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
    20. "2016 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
    21. Patra, Kevin (September 11, 2016). "Texans' revamped offense flashes in win over Bears". NFL.com. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
    22. "Fuller makes juggling catch for 53-yard reception". Sports Illustrated. September 18, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
    23. DaSilva, Cameron (November 15, 2016). "Watch Texans rookie Will Fuller return a punt 67 yards for a TD". Fox Sports. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
    24. "Wild Card - Oakland Raiders at Houston Texans - January 7th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
    25. "Divisional Round - Houston Texans at New England Patriots - January 14th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
    26. "Will Fuller 2016 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
    27. Orr, Conor (August 2, 2017). "Texans WR Will Fuller breaks his collarbone in practice". NFL.com. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
    28. Sidhu, Deepi. "Fuller upgraded to full participant in practice". Houston Texans. Archived from the original on September 28, 2017. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
    29. Dougherty, Drew. "Will Fuller returns with bang, helps boost offense". Houston Texans. Archived from the original on October 2, 2017. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
    30. "Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans - October 8th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
    31. "Cleveland Browns at Houston Texans - October 15th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
    32. "Houston Texans at Seattle Seahawks - October 29th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
    33. "Will Fuller 2017 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
    34. "Texans' Will Fuller: Out Sunday". CBSSports.com. September 9, 2018. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
    35. "Houston Texans Depth Chart Archive". www.ourlads.com. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
    36. Wilson, Aaron (September 17, 2018). "Texans wide receiver Will Fuller excels in loss to Titans". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
    37. Dougherty, Drew (September 23, 2018). "Will Fuller, V notches 100-yd, 1 TD game in loss to Giants". Houston Texans. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
    38. "Texans end losing streak with 37-34 win over Colts in OT". KRIV. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
    39. Teope, Herbie (October 26, 2018). "Texans' Will Fuller done for season with torn ACL". NFL.com. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
    40. "Will Fuller 2018 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
    41. "2018 Houston Texans Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
    42. "Wild Card - Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans - January 5th, 2019". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
    43. Alper, Josh (April 26, 2019). "Texans exercise 2020 option on Will Fuller's contract". Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports.
    44. "Lutz's 58-yard field goal lifts Saints over Texans, 30-28". www.espn.com. Associated Press. September 9, 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
    45. Barshop, Sarah (October 6, 2019). "Texans' Fuller explodes for 217 yards, 3 TDs". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
    46. Starr, Patrick (November 22, 2019). "Texans Will Fuller Wants to "Put Fear" in Defensive Backs Hearts". SI.com.
    47. "Will Fuller 2019 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
    48. "2019 Houston Texans Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
    49. "Divisional Round - Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs - January 12th, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.