University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Four Battle For Job At Fullback
August 12, 2001 | Football
Aug. 8, 2001
By Adam Lucas
TarHeelBlue.com
Fullbacks aren't born, they just move over from linebacker. Or strong safety. Or even quarterback.
North Carolina has a four-way battle going for the starting slot at fullback, and none of the competitors are position lifers. Kitwana Jones came to Chapel Hill as a linebacker, as did Madison Hedgecock. James Faison started at UNC as a strong safety. And Richard Moore, well, he's done everything except film practice, including some time at quarterback and linebacker.
The quartet is locked into perhaps the fiercest battle for a starting job in preseason practice. On Wednesday morning, head coach John Bunting said that Moore has nudged ahead.
"That battle has been very good," Bunting said. "Richard Moore right now is probably making the least mistakes, and he's our number one guy right now. That's today, and that could change tomorrow or the next day. It's open competition throughout this camp."
Moore, a junior who served as the holder last season, moved from fullback to tight end in the spring of 2001. He had previously moved from linebacker to quarterback in the spring of 2000, when he was the most improved offensive player of the spring session.
With all those changes, his weight has fluctuated more than Oprah Winfrey's.
Gain weight for linebacker -- he went from 210 to 225. Lose it for quarterback -- he went from 225 to 215. And now gain it back for fullback, where he's up to 245. Unless the coaches decide to give him a shot at cornerback, he may have finally found a home at fullback, where he expresses the perfect attitude for the do-everything position.
"My goal coming in here was just to be able to compete at this level," Moore said. "I never expected to be an All-American."
Playing fullback under Gary Tranquill's new offense probably won't lead to any All-America honors. The new system features increased amounts of movement and shifting, but the primary purpose is simple: protect the quarterback.
"I believe in protecting the quarterback," Bunting said. "Our fullbacks need to do three things, and number one, we need them to protect. Number two, we need them to not make mental mistakes. Number three, I want to see them catch the ball."
Hedgecock says that catching the ball is currently the strongest part of his game. He played some tight end as a senior at Ledford High School but was originally slated to be a linebacker for the Tar Heels.
That linebacker mentality still pops out on occasion. After catching a pass, he's not averse to lowering his head and delivering some punishment to an unsuspecting tackler.
After watching Moore leapfrog to the top of the fullback depth chart, the redshirt freshman who tries to pattern his game after Larry Csonka says he knows it's still too early to know who will be on the field for the first play at Oklahoma.
"Any day anybody can take over," Hedgecock said. "One day somebody will have a good practice, and the next day it's somebody else."
Coming into practice, Faison was the only member of the group who had playing experience at fullback. The sophomore biology major seemed to personify the fullback position, having played seven positions at Clinton High School, including kicker.
After walking on, he was originally placed at strong safety, but eventually found playing time late last season after showing good toughness as a blocker. He ripped off a 16-yard rumble at Virginia and cleared the way for Willie Parker to pick up 71 yards at Charlottesville.
With a major like biology--Faison picked it after breaking his ankle in high school and deciding he wanted to be able to fix himself instead of relying on trainers--it wouldn't seem that he would have much time to master the new offense. But he says it's slowly coming around.
"We weren't really used to all that motion last year," Faison said. "Once you get it down, you've got it. The key is making sure you get it and know what to do. Basically, we're just trying to move around and confuse the defense."
It shouldn't be too hard for Faison or any of the other players competing for time at fullback to get the hang of the motion-intense offense. After all, they're used to moving around.
ALSO BY ADAM LUCAS
Adam Lucas is the co-publisher of Basketball America. He is a lifelong observer of UNC sports and can be reached at JAdamLucas@aol.com.
Players Mentioned
