Troy University Athletics
Commitment, Consistency Define Justin Fuller
10/7/2016 8:43:00 AM | Football
This story originally appeared in the Austin Peay edition of GAMEDAY -- Troy's official football game program
On fourth down in double-overtime in a crucial road game against Appalachian State, Justin Fuller went to go out on the field for the tying field goal when head coach Neal Brown stopped to tell him something.
"We do this every day in practice," Brown said. "Nothing is different."
The kick went through the uprights and the game rumbled on to a third overtime on a cool night in Boone, N.C.
Fuller, who enters his third year as the Trojans' long snapper, knew Brown was right. After all, they had numerous situations in practice where the field goal unit was called out to make a field goal that decided if the team was going to run laps or stay put.
Coach Brown and staff have helped Fuller with the discipline of playing the most overlooked position in football, but it was Fuller who more or less taught himself how to become a long snapper.
"Most people went to long snapper camps," Fuller said. "I never went to one."
Instead he started as a center at Crenshaw Christian Academy. Luckily for Fuller the Cougars played out of the shotgun, which meant when the team needed a long snapper he already had plenty of experience snapping the ball.
He was a two-way player—center on offense and linebacker on defense—who turned into a three-way player. His added long snapping duties meant the only plays he got off for the entire game were kickoffs.
The prowess of playing multiple positions translated into playing multiple sports. At Crenshaw, he was also a member of the basketball team in 2009 that won a AISA 2A State Title and played for the baseball team.
When the time came for college, Fuller decided to walk-on to the Troy football team, where he redshirted for his freshman season and was a member of the scout team his redshirt-freshman season.
Much like how his flexibility benefited him in high school, the Luverne, Ala. native's patience benefited him in college. He earned a scholarship for the 2014 season and has started every game since.
He remembers going out for his first snap, a field goal, against UAB in the opener of the 2014 season. That was the first and last time he felt nerves in a game. That first snap put him into a routine he has yet to get out of.
Being level headed has also applied to his mentality on being on the team. He doesn't credit the clutch field goal at Appalachian State or any other singular memory as his crowning achievement at Troy.
"The highlight is really just getting the chance to play football," Fuller said. "Being on a team and making friendships. It really is my family away from home."
When Fuller's sister Kristin passed away in 2014, his teammates embodied the spirit of being a family by showering with him support and calling him constantly to spend time with them.
His commitment to the team in any circumstance is what has made him so likeable among his teammates and is something Jon Sumrall, associate head coach and special teams coordinator, pointed out as one of his defining characteristics.
"He goes about his work very humbly," Sumrall said. "He's commitment. He does the right thing, works hard and always gives great effort."
Sumrall said long snapper is one of the most thankless positions in the sport; few take notice when things go fine, but everyone is quick to deconstruct when something goes wrong.
He credited Fuller's commitment and countless hours of training he puts in as reasons why Troy kickers have made 71-of-72 extra points and 26-of-35 field goals in the two years he has been with the special teams starting unit.
Fuller said he looks at the holder's elbow on field goals but doesn't look at a certain area on punts. It seems to be working as Troy punter Ryan Kay's average rose from 39.8 average yards per punt in 2014 to 41.9 in 2015, good for 51st in the nation.
He has shown dedication by balancing his athletic career and personal life with his major, surveying and geomatics sciences, a major in which Fuller believes he will become the first Troy football player to graduate with.
If his football days end in Troy, Fuller would like to pursue a career in the field. He enjoys that it gives him the opportunity to be outside and hopes his internship of the past two summers will lead him to landing a job upon graduation.
Regardless of whatever situation he ends up in after Troy, he has already built the foundation for success. He's practiced with the team spotlight on him and he's snapped with the game on the line. His routine is already set.
