Heath Evans(White Running Back)
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By Carlos FrÃÂas
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Friday, April 28, 2006
Rob Konrad doesn't regret his decision for a minute.
He walked away from pro football at 29 with plenty of mileage left in his legs. But he much prefers life as a young radio analyst to his punishing and unfulfilling role as an NFL fullback.
"In the NFL, you're really just a battering ram," said Konrad, a Miami Dolphins fullback from 1999 to 2004. "It's one of the reasons I retired. You're just a glorified lineman in most systems."
What once was a position of stature, legend and necessity  envision the highlight reels of Hall of Famers Larry Csonka, Jim Brown and Jim Taylor  is now mostly an afterthought. Many NFL teams don't even carry a true fullback on their roster and they are the second-lowest paid players in the league.
The average salary for a fullback is $640,035, according to the NFL Players' Association, which is less money than kickers and punters make. Only long snappers, at $569,260, make less than fullbacks.
More than a day might pass before a fullback's name is called in this weekend's NFL draft. Last year, Montana's Justin Green was the first fullback taken, by the Baltimore Ravens, in the fifth round, 158th overall. This year, Colorado's Lawrence Vickers, considered perhaps the best fullback available, is projected to do a little better  the fourth round.
A glorious past
So what has happened to the bruising position first made famous by Bronko Nagurski?
For one, the game has become more about speed. Passing attacks have become more complicated, and teams often favor quick scoring over methodical ball-control offenses.
Fullbacks have been phased out in favor of a third receiver or second tight end.
"It's been a long time since the fullback has been an impact player with the football," ESPN analyst Chris Mortensen said. "The idea of the traditional fullback disappeared a long time ago."
Fullbacks reached their star potential in the '50s and '60s, when football was a game of power. Offenses were built around big, bruising backs like Rick Casares, who was a five-time Pro Bowler with the Chicago Bears from 1955-64 before finishing his career with the expansion Dolphins in 1966.
With 5 yards to go for a first down or touchdown, Casares said there was a "100 percent chance" he'd get the ball  and not just to ram his way up the middle.
"I loved the fullback sweep, running to the outside," said Casares, who led the NFL in rushing in 1956 with 1,126 yards. "There was no distinction between the fullback and the halfback."
During Casares' rookie year, running back Bobby Watkins was shaken up on a play, so they switched positions. Casares took a sweep 81 yards for the longest run from scrimmage in the league in 1955.
Back then, the fullback was the most multifaceted player on the field, asked to carry the ball, block and catch passes. Nowadays, defenses respond quicker to the running game. Even on third-and-short yardage, many offenses clear the backfield and spread out four receivers. The shotgun formation and three-step drop-back passes mean offenses often don't need a back to protect the quarterback.
"Right now, it's tougher to block defenses than ever," Mortensen said. "The days of a fullback running over a defense are gone."
Offensive shifts
The transformation started in the early 1980s when Joe Gibbs introduced the one-back formation. He made John Riggins the lone running back for the Washington Redskins and paired him not with a fullback, but with an "H-back," a cross between a fullback and tight end.
The H-back is split in the backfield so he can more easily pick up blitzes, blast a hole for the running back or go out for a pass.
That scheme allowed teams to use three receivers in their base offense, doing wonders for the passing game and placing the fullback on the endangered species list.
"There's only one football and you want to get it into the hands of your best ball-carrier," Mortensen said.
The remaining fullbacks saw a change in their job description: fewer carries, more blocking and pass routes.
San Francisco's Tom Rathman fit that mold in the 1980s, collecting more than 2,600 receiving yards in his nine-year career and blowing open holes for 49ers running back Roger Craig.
Rathman, a running backs coach with the 49ers and Detroit Lions since his retirement, said the traditional fullback is a "dying breed" and he has noticed talented fullbacks switching to linebacker in college.
Konrad had to accept a lesser role in the pros after a productive career at Syracuse, where he played in the same backfield with Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb and scored 23 touchdowns.
In 82 NFL games, he had 38 carries for 114 yards and caught 30 or more passes in only two seasons. Most of the time, Konrad was a blocker.
"Fullbacks in the NFL are a dime a dozen," Konrad said. "It's easy to find a special-teams guy who's 230, 240 pounds who's willing to run into a wall for you."
Konrad said several teams have contacted him about coming out of retirement, but he's not interested.
"For the role I'd be playing, it's just not fun for me," he said.
King's Academy graduate Heath Evans, who as an Auburn fullback was a third-round pick of Seattle in 2001, saw just how dispensable the position can be last season with the Dolphins. Excited to be playing in South Florida, Evans was abruptly waived after six games, one carry for no yards and four catches for 17 yards.
He was signed by New England, but he knows that he'll rarely see the ball, even though he had 33 carries for 158 yards in his first two games with the team while serving as its emergency running back.
"The opportunity for a fullback to carry the ball, to be remembered for your running instead of your blocking, is pretty much long gone," Evans said.
Even today's most-productive fullbacks are mislabeled.
Seattle's Mack Strong and Tampa Bay's Mike Alstott might be listed as "FB" in your game program, but they often take handoffs out of running back formations. After Alstott made his sixth Pro Bowl team as a fullback in 2002, Mortensen said, "People around the league were laughing because he's always lined up as a running back."
Old-schooler Rathman believes the position might once again become important. He said NFL coaches tend to be "copycats," noting how many teams tried to emulate the St. Louis Rams' quick-strike attack after their Super Bowl appearances in 2000 and 2002.
Daryl Johnston, who was a key player as a fullback on the Dallas Cowboys' Super Bowl teams of the '90s, agrees.
"I blame it all on the Rams. That was the beginning of the end for the fullback," Johnston said.
But some teams, Rathman said, realizing they don't have the personnel to run a Rams-like offense, might return to a more traditional approach.
"There's nothing wrong with that," Rathman said.
It might even mean a few more carries for fullbacks like Evans.
"Is it frustrating for a fullback? Yes," Evans said. "Am I going to retire because of it? No."
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Friday, April 28, 2006
Rob Konrad doesn't regret his decision for a minute.
He walked away from pro football at 29 with plenty of mileage left in his legs. But he much prefers life as a young radio analyst to his punishing and unfulfilling role as an NFL fullback.
"In the NFL, you're really just a battering ram," said Konrad, a Miami Dolphins fullback from 1999 to 2004. "It's one of the reasons I retired. You're just a glorified lineman in most systems."
What once was a position of stature, legend and necessity  envision the highlight reels of Hall of Famers Larry Csonka, Jim Brown and Jim Taylor  is now mostly an afterthought. Many NFL teams don't even carry a true fullback on their roster and they are the second-lowest paid players in the league.
The average salary for a fullback is $640,035, according to the NFL Players' Association, which is less money than kickers and punters make. Only long snappers, at $569,260, make less than fullbacks.
More than a day might pass before a fullback's name is called in this weekend's NFL draft. Last year, Montana's Justin Green was the first fullback taken, by the Baltimore Ravens, in the fifth round, 158th overall. This year, Colorado's Lawrence Vickers, considered perhaps the best fullback available, is projected to do a little better  the fourth round.
A glorious past
So what has happened to the bruising position first made famous by Bronko Nagurski?
For one, the game has become more about speed. Passing attacks have become more complicated, and teams often favor quick scoring over methodical ball-control offenses.
Fullbacks have been phased out in favor of a third receiver or second tight end.
"It's been a long time since the fullback has been an impact player with the football," ESPN analyst Chris Mortensen said. "The idea of the traditional fullback disappeared a long time ago."
Fullbacks reached their star potential in the '50s and '60s, when football was a game of power. Offenses were built around big, bruising backs like Rick Casares, who was a five-time Pro Bowler with the Chicago Bears from 1955-64 before finishing his career with the expansion Dolphins in 1966.
With 5 yards to go for a first down or touchdown, Casares said there was a "100 percent chance" he'd get the ball  and not just to ram his way up the middle.
"I loved the fullback sweep, running to the outside," said Casares, who led the NFL in rushing in 1956 with 1,126 yards. "There was no distinction between the fullback and the halfback."
During Casares' rookie year, running back Bobby Watkins was shaken up on a play, so they switched positions. Casares took a sweep 81 yards for the longest run from scrimmage in the league in 1955.
Back then, the fullback was the most multifaceted player on the field, asked to carry the ball, block and catch passes. Nowadays, defenses respond quicker to the running game. Even on third-and-short yardage, many offenses clear the backfield and spread out four receivers. The shotgun formation and three-step drop-back passes mean offenses often don't need a back to protect the quarterback.
"Right now, it's tougher to block defenses than ever," Mortensen said. "The days of a fullback running over a defense are gone."
Offensive shifts
The transformation started in the early 1980s when Joe Gibbs introduced the one-back formation. He made John Riggins the lone running back for the Washington Redskins and paired him not with a fullback, but with an "H-back," a cross between a fullback and tight end.
The H-back is split in the backfield so he can more easily pick up blitzes, blast a hole for the running back or go out for a pass.
That scheme allowed teams to use three receivers in their base offense, doing wonders for the passing game and placing the fullback on the endangered species list.
"There's only one football and you want to get it into the hands of your best ball-carrier," Mortensen said.
The remaining fullbacks saw a change in their job description: fewer carries, more blocking and pass routes.
San Francisco's Tom Rathman fit that mold in the 1980s, collecting more than 2,600 receiving yards in his nine-year career and blowing open holes for 49ers running back Roger Craig.
Rathman, a running backs coach with the 49ers and Detroit Lions since his retirement, said the traditional fullback is a "dying breed" and he has noticed talented fullbacks switching to linebacker in college.
Konrad had to accept a lesser role in the pros after a productive career at Syracuse, where he played in the same backfield with Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb and scored 23 touchdowns.
In 82 NFL games, he had 38 carries for 114 yards and caught 30 or more passes in only two seasons. Most of the time, Konrad was a blocker.
"Fullbacks in the NFL are a dime a dozen," Konrad said. "It's easy to find a special-teams guy who's 230, 240 pounds who's willing to run into a wall for you."
Konrad said several teams have contacted him about coming out of retirement, but he's not interested.
"For the role I'd be playing, it's just not fun for me," he said.
King's Academy graduate Heath Evans, who as an Auburn fullback was a third-round pick of Seattle in 2001, saw just how dispensable the position can be last season with the Dolphins. Excited to be playing in South Florida, Evans was abruptly waived after six games, one carry for no yards and four catches for 17 yards.
He was signed by New England, but he knows that he'll rarely see the ball, even though he had 33 carries for 158 yards in his first two games with the team while serving as its emergency running back.
"The opportunity for a fullback to carry the ball, to be remembered for your running instead of your blocking, is pretty much long gone," Evans said.
Even today's most-productive fullbacks are mislabeled.
Seattle's Mack Strong and Tampa Bay's Mike Alstott might be listed as "FB" in your game program, but they often take handoffs out of running back formations. After Alstott made his sixth Pro Bowl team as a fullback in 2002, Mortensen said, "People around the league were laughing because he's always lined up as a running back."
Old-schooler Rathman believes the position might once again become important. He said NFL coaches tend to be "copycats," noting how many teams tried to emulate the St. Louis Rams' quick-strike attack after their Super Bowl appearances in 2000 and 2002.
Daryl Johnston, who was a key player as a fullback on the Dallas Cowboys' Super Bowl teams of the '90s, agrees.
"I blame it all on the Rams. That was the beginning of the end for the fullback," Johnston said.
But some teams, Rathman said, realizing they don't have the personnel to run a Rams-like offense, might return to a more traditional approach.
"There's nothing wrong with that," Rathman said.
It might even mean a few more carries for fullbacks like Evans.
"Is it frustrating for a fullback? Yes," Evans said. "Am I going to retire because of it? No."
white is right
Hall of Famer
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I think part of the problem is how many teams have lines that can blow a defense off the ball? Many fullback carries are obvious gutshot carries and if you have a finesse type line that's only good for 3rd and short 4th and short type carries. I do miss the fullback as this position was what football was meant to be. This is part of the reason why hate arena ball and generally dislike the CFL, as both leagues have no power game to speak of.......
white lightning
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I hope that Heath Evans can get some more playing time this year at running back.It would be cool if they could use some 2 back sets or just give him some carries every game.The Pats are trying to keep Flutie for another year and they signed Matt Shelton,the speedy receiver out of Notre Dame.Hopefully he can win a roster spot and fill in where Tim Dwight left off.
white is right
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He will have his hands full if the Pats don't think he can run as 3rd back. Most teams don't keep two fullbacks on the roster and the Pats drafted a fullback in the 4th round.....
Colonel_Reb
Hall of Famer
I wish there were a couple of teams that would give whites a legitimate shot at RB. Their merchandizing would go through the roof if there was a white starting RB. Unless there are coaches who will give these players a chance to start, the small numbers of potential RB's will not allow for there to be any.
well Patriots seem to use Heath Evans quite a lot this preseason, kinda like Bucs use Mike Alstott last couple of seasons...
he just scored anotehr rushing TD of this preseason, and on the drive first he got a ball on 3rd and 1, and than got three chances from 1 yard to run it in... which is what he did on 4th and goal... so they'd rather give the ball to him than to Faulk, let's just hope that it will still hold true in the regular season!
so far he had 3 rushing and one receiving TDs this preseason
he just scored anotehr rushing TD of this preseason, and on the drive first he got a ball on 3rd and 1, and than got three chances from 1 yard to run it in... which is what he did on 4th and goal... so they'd rather give the ball to him than to Faulk, let's just hope that it will still hold true in the regular season!
so far he had 3 rushing and one receiving TDs this preseason
white is right
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Logically he is their biggest back so that would be logical for him. Faulk (who is distant kin folk with the Marshall) is way too small for that roll. From what I have seen of Evans he has been way underutilized by Seattle and maybe New England is waking up to his potential. He has fresh legs for a 28 year old because he was never used in Seattle, so an Alstott role is perfect for him, or maybe even a prime Alstott/Kevin Mack type role.......
Edited by: white is right