Brady Ross makes transition to fullback

For Brady Ross, making the transition from linebacker to fullback has been challenging – but one that he is fully embracing.
Ross, a 2015 Humboldt High School graduate, made a name for himself on the scout team last fall as a true freshman. He’s now listed at No. 2 on the depth chart at fullback entering fall drills.
“The instinct is to tackle people, but that’s a 10-yard penalty if I do it on offense,” Ross said. “That won’t fly.”
“The biggest challenge is the new experience of it as a whole,” Ross said. “As you know in high school I was a tailback, which technically, a fullback is considered a running back like that, but really it’s not even close to being the same position.”
“In high school you get the ball and you can tip toe through the hole and drag people, break a few tackles and dive forward for eight yards,” Ross said. “In a worst-case scenario, here, you run into linebacker Josey Jewell and try to keep him from tackling your running back in the backfield – I think the challenge in that statement kind of speaks for itself.”
“It’s not an easy position, but none are at this level. It is all about improving every day and I have improved by leaps and bounds, for sure,” Ross said. “You are never completely there. You have to keep improving all year around. That is the only challenge that matters, keeping up the improvement. Blocking seems like it could be easy, but it’s not.”
Despite the challenges, the transition went well for Ross during spring ball.

See full story in the Aug. 11 issue of the Humboldt Independent Newspaper. Subscribe today for print/digital access to the Independent by selecting the link on this page to get started!