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David Fulcher came to Arizona State as wide receiver in 1983, and left the program in 1985 as a world-class defensive back. While Fulcher also received a scholarship to play baseball at ASU, his decision to play football was clearly the right one. His excellence on the gridiron spoke for itself, sporting three All-American selections.
At 6'3", 238 pounds, Fulcher's size and strength was a huge obstacle for opposing wide receivers. To put it in perspective, the current average college cornerback is about 5'10" and 185 pounds.
Could you imagine trying to throw a jump ball against Fulcher? It would be impossible. He looked like a linebacker but had the quickness of a wide receiver.
Fulcher earned the nickname "Fo-Rock" after delivering numerous punishing hits--although Fulcher did break the universal rule that no one should nickname themselves. However, "Fo-Rock" was very fitting due to a brutal hit against a New Mexico State wide receiver. Fulcher was famously quoted describing the hit by saying "The guy laid there for a while, then got up and was dizzy."
With countless impressive shut down performances on Saturdays, Fulcher was among the most decorated Sun Devils ever. He earned first team All-Pac-10 honors in 1983 to go along with a second team All-American spot. His final two years in 1984 and 1985 resulted not just in All-Pac-10 spots, but a pair of consensus All-American selections. Fulcher joined Woody Green and Mike Richardson as the only Sun Devils with two consensus honors on their resume.
Fulcher's accolades at ASU earned him a spot in the school's Hall of Fame, being inducted in November of 1996. That alone puts him in an elite class but also went on to be a successful professional in the NFL.
The Cincinnati Bengals used their third round (78th overall) pick of the 1987 draft on Fulcher. His NFL career lasted seven years; six of them were played as a Bengal, while closing his career out in 1993 for the Los Angeles Raiders.
Fulcher's impact professionally could be described by: one first team All Pro season in 1989 and a second team All Pro year while earning three Pro Bowl berths. He collected 31 career interceptions and 8.5 sacks.
Some defensive backs rely solely on speed, while others use their strength to bother wide outs. Fulcher was a perfect hybrid of the two.
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