The Fullback Position in Football: Skills, Evolution & Training
At the very least, the fullback position in American football is resilient. The fullback has gone from one of the most glamorous positions to nearly extinct to impactful again in the National Football League (NFL). The traditional role of a fullback, which revolved around running the football in the middle of the field, is still part of high school and college offenses but not the NFL, where a fullback must be a multidimensional offensive player.
Evolution of the Fullback: Past to Present
The term “fullback” comes from rugby, where their main job is to be the last line of defense against any opponents that might get past their teammates. In football, Walter Camp, a rugby player who was largely credited with creating the modern football positions, the fullback was designed to be a powerful runner. Teams typically used 2 halfbacks and a fullback in early 20th century offenses. All 3 players could block and run the football. Bronko Nagurski, one of the greatest fullbacks ever, glamorized the position. Nagurski played with the Bears from 1930—1943. Nagurski weighed 235-pounds, and he was 6’2”. The NFL hall-of-famer was a bruising blocker, and a powerful runner who helped the Bears win 3 NFL championships.
The 1950s and 60s ushered in a new era of prominence for the fullback. From 1950 to 1965, a fullback led the NFL in rushing. The superstar fullbacks in that era were often the center of the offense, along with the quarterbacks. They were big, fast, and difficult to tackle. Jim Brown, perhaps the greatest running back of all-time, was a fullback. He led the league in rushing 6 times, finishing with an astounding 1,863 yards rushing in 1963.
In the mid 1960s, the emphasis on using the fullback, who typically lined up closer to the line of scrimmage than the halfback, changed. Fullbacks morphed into blocking backs for speedier, more elusive runners. Teams often started using 2 running backs instead of 3—1 halfback and a fullback. Their main job was to help create holes for the halfback, who was lined up further from the line-of-scrimmage. The idea was that often the fullback would be the lead blocker behind the line-of-scrimmage for their running mate, and the fullback would be the change-of-pace running back, carrying the ball intermittently to keep defenses from focusing their energy on the halfback.
When the offensive emphasis in football started to switch from running the football to passing it, which was around 2000, the impact of the fullback declined. Many teams stopped using them, preferring to carry an extra wide receiver instead. A tight end, a receiver that also typically specializes in blocking, was often used in place of a fullback. In 2013, the NFL only listed two players as fullbacks. The fullback has returned to the NFL albeit in a modified way. Twelve teams carried fullbacks in 2024. Fullbacks today play more of a wide receiver/blocking position than they do a running position.
Roles & Responsibilities
In the NFL, only a small fraction of a fullback’s time is spent running the football. Most of their time is spent blocking. Below is a description of a modern fullback.
Run Blocking: In an I-formation, where the running backs are positioned in a straight line, the fullback is always the first back. Their job in that situation is to be the lead blocker for the featured runner, who’s called a halfback or a tailback. The fullback will move into the line-of-scrimmage either on the left side, up the middle, or the right side. The featured back will often follow the fullback, whose job it is to open the hole.
Pass Blocking: Often, a fullback will stay in the backfield and help protect the quarterback from the pass rush. In this situation, the fullback could assist the offensive line, or they could pick up a defensive player that’s blitzing.
Receiving: A fullback might run short pass routes, or they could be an outlet for the quarterback if the pass protection breaks down. An outlet means that if the quarterback is pressured, they often must dump the ball to the nearest receiver. The fullback could be an option in that situation. Usually, if the fullback is an option, they have stayed back to be an extra blocker.
Short Yardage: Fullbacks, because they’re typically the biggest runner on the team and one of the strongest, often take the handoff from the quarterback when the team needs to just pick up a yard or 2 for a first round. The idea is that the fullback can muscle their way to getting the necessary yardage to keep a drive alive.
Sometimes, teams will have specific pass plays called for the fullback. Often, it’s a screen pass. That’s a pass where the fullback catches the ball behind the line-of-scrimmage with blockers in front of them. The play is set up when the offensive line lets the defensive line players break through the line without blocking them. The quarterback then throws the ball over the oncoming defensive linemen, and the fullback catches it and starts running.
The Triple Option
A fullback is more likely to have a prominent role in an offense that’s centered around the running game. Running focused offenses are more common in high school football than they are in the NFL or college football. One offense that can feature the fullback, 2 halfbacks and the quarterback through running the football is called the triple option. The triple option relies on the quarterback reading the defense at the line of scrimmage and deciding what to do. There are 3 main options on a running play. The quarterback can keep the ball and run it; they can hand it off to the fullback; or the ball can be handed off to 1 of the halfbacks. In this scenario, the philosophy is to spread the ball around to as many running backs as possible so the defense can’t key in on 1 runner. The triple option relies on deception. The quarterback will start many of the plays by either handing off to the fullback or faking a handoff to the fullback. The QB’s job is to “mesh” with the fullback, putting their hands with the ball in the fullback’s belly, and sometimes pulling the football out at the very last second and running with it or sometimes giving it to the fullback to run. This offense requires great timing, footwork, and precise blocking from the offensive line.
The history of the fullback in American football is a fascinating one. One thing is certain: The role of the fullback will continue to change as football moves forward.