William Henry Fuller Jr. (born March 8, 1962) is a retired

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

player who played

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...

for 13 seasons in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL). Fuller played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

at the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

(UNC) and professionally for the

Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars The Philadelphia / Baltimore Stars were a professional American football team which played in the United States Football League (USFL) in the mid-1980s. Owned by real-estate magnate Myles Tanenbaum, they were the short-lived league's dominant t ...

of the

United States Football League The United States Football League (USFL) was a professional American football league that played for three seasons, 1983 through 1985. The league played a spring/summer schedule in each of its active seasons. The 1986 season was scheduled to be ...

(USFL), and the

Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 as ...

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

, and

San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...

of the NFL. Fuller was one of the better

pass rush On defense in American football, a pass rush is charging across the line of scrimmage towards the quarterback in an effort to stop or " sack" them. The purpose is tackling, hurrying or flushing the quarterback out of their protective pocket or ...

ers in the NFL during his time in the league and finished his career with 100.5 sacks. He was named to the

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

four times and selected as an All-American twice while in college. In 2004, Fuller was inducted into the

Virginia Sports Hall of Fame The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame honors athletes, coaches, administrators, journalists and other contributors to athletics. Many of the more than 350 inductees since 1972 were born in Virginia or enjoyed success in college, professional, amateur or ...

. During his career and after his retirement, Fuller has also done considerable work in raising funds for

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

research.

Early years

Fuller was born in

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...

. He grew up in

Chesapeake, Virginia Chesapeake is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 249,422, it is the second-most populous independent city in Virginia, tenth-largest in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 90th ...

, and attended Indian River High School,Robinson, Tom
You can go home again; Just ask William Fuller
''

The Virginian-Pilot ''The Virginian-Pilot'' is the daily newspaper for Norfolk, Virginia. Commonly known as ''The Pilot'', it is Virginia's largest daily. It serves the five cities of South Hampton Roads as well as several smaller towns across southeast Virginia ...

'', March 28, 1996, accessed February 26, 2007. where he

lettered Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...

in track, basketball, and football.William Fuller
espn.com, accessed March 12, 2009. Fuller graduated from Indian River in 1980.

College career

Fuller attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he played defensive line for the

North Carolina Tar Heels football The North Carolina Tar Heels football team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the sport of American football or Gridiron Football. The Tar Heels play in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate ...

team. He recorded nine sacks and 22

tackles for loss Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling are to dispossess an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend. The word i ...

as a sophomore. As a senior, he had 81 tackles, a team-leading five sacks, and 22 tackles for loss.William Fuller
chargers-stats.com, accessed February 27, 2007. For his efforts that season he was awarded

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

and first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) honors as well as UNC's defensive

Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

award.The Class of 2004: William Fuller
virginiasportshalloffame.com, accessed March 4, 2007. Fuller was also a finalist for the Lombardi and Outland Trophies, special awards designated only for

linemen Lineman or linesman may refer to: In personal roles: *Lineworker, one who installs and maintains electrical power, telephone, or telegraph lines *Lineman (gridiron football), a position in American football *Head linesman, the American football of ...

. While at UNC, Fuller helped lead the Tar Heels to three

bowl game In North America, a bowl game is one of a number of post-season college football games that are primarily played by teams belonging to the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). For most of its history, the Division I Bowl Subdivis ...

s, made the All-ACC team three times, and the All-America team twice (

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...

and

1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to Internet protocol suite, TCP/IP is officially completed (this is consid ...

). He graduated in 1986 with a degree in

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...

. Fuller was later inducted into UNC's sports hall of fame, and selected as a member of the ACC's 50th Anniversary Football Team in 2002.

Professional career

Fuller was selected by the Philadelphia Stars in the 1984 USFL Territorial Draft.William Fuller
sportingnews.com, accessed February 26, 2007. He was also selected with the 21st selection in the first round of the

1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL Players The 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL players was a one-time draft of United States Football League and Canadian Football League players, held in the spring of 1984. Reason for the draft In New York City on Tuesday, June 5, startin ...

by the

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...

. Fuller decided to play in the USFL with the Stars, where he played for two seasons, winning two USFL championships and playing with future NFL players such as

Bart Oates Bart Steven Oates (born December 16, 1958) is a former American football player in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers. He played center for the Giants from 1985 to 1993 and with the 49ers from 1994 ...

and

Sam Mills Samuel Davis Mills Jr. (June 3, 1959 – April 18, 2005) was an American football linebacker who played twelve seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers. He also played for three seasons for ...

. Fuller joined the NFL after the USFL folded in 1986 and his rights were subsequently traded by the Rams to the Houston Oilers where he started his career in the NFL. After recording a total of 3 sacks in his first two seasons,William Fuller
, databasefootball.com, accessed February 26, 2007. Fuller emerged in 1988 and tied for the team lead in sacks with 8.5. He was described as the most improved defensive player on the team by

head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...

Jerry Glanville Jerry Michael Glanville (born October 14, 1941) is an American football coach who is the head coach of the Alabama Airborne of Major League Football. He played football at Northern Michigan University in the early 1960s, and is a former NASCAR ...

. After recording 14.5 sacks over 1989 and 1990, Fuller finished tied for second in the NFL with 15 sacks in 1991,1991 NFL Sacks
jt-sw.com, accessed April 30, 2007. and was named to his first Pro Bowl. He followed that up by recording eight and ten sacks, respectively in 1992 and 1993. After the 1993 season Fuller signed a three-year $8 Million contract as a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

with the Philadelphia Eagles, in part out of a desire to be closer to his off–season home in Virginia.Kravitz, Gary
Where Are They Now: DE William Fuller
philadelphiaeagles.com, December 17, 2004, accessed April 2, 2007. He subsequently played three stellar seasons in 1994, 1995, and 1996. He recorded 9.5 sacks in his first season there (1994) and set a team record for most consecutive games with a sack at seven. Fuller had 13 sacks in each of the following two seasons (1995 and 1996), and was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his three seasons with the Eagles. After the 1996 season Fuller signed a two-year $5.6 million contract with the San Diego Chargers, while there his production steeply declined. After two seasons, in which he recorded three sacks each, Fuller retired following the 1998 season. By the time his NFL career ended Fuller had recorded 100.5 sacks becoming one of the few players in NFL history to record more than 100 sacks.All time leaders: sacks
espn.com, accessed February 26, 2007.

NFL career statistics

Personal life

Fuller has four daughters by his wife Precilla, Karen, Krystal, Kimberly, and Kalisa. Shortly before the 1995 season Fuller's father, who was blind at the time due to type 1

, died.Ducibella, Jim
Injury only compounds Fuller's season of grief
''The Virginian-Pilot'', October 15, 1995, accessed February 26, 2007. Fuller and his father were very close and had filmed a United Way and the NFL commercial together during the offseason. The commercial, which featured an organization for the blind, was not aired until two days after his father's death. Fuller is also a noted philanthropist, who was actively involved in programs relating to

Juvenile diabetes Type 1 diabetes (T1D), formerly known as juvenile diabetes, is an autoimmune disease that originates when cells that make insulin (beta cells) are destroyed by the immune system. Insulin is a hormone required for the cells to use blood sugar for ...

Special Olympics Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in 1 ...

Ronald McDonald House Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is an independent American nonprofit organization whose stated mission is to create, find, and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children. RMHC has a global network of c ...

and the Boys' Clubs of America during his time in the NFL. He hosts the William Fuller Tournament in Houston for

JDRF JDRF is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that funds type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, provides a broad array of community and activist services to the T1D population and actively advocates for regulation favorable to medical research and approval o ...

(formerly Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). The event has raised over $1 million for research to cure diabetes, and Fuller himself has helped raise over $3 million for diabetes research. Fuller currently owns and operates his own

real estate Real estate is property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this (also) an item of real property, (more general ...

development company, Fulco Development, which is based in Norfolk. His company is currently working on development projects in the Hampton Roads region. He has also donated his time as an assistant football coach for

Frank W. Cox High School Frank W. Cox High School is a secondary school located in the Great Neck subdivision of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Virginia Beach, Virginia. It was founded in 1961 as the Northeast Junior High School, but upon opening, it was named after a former s ...

Virginia Beach Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...

.Krumrie, Matt
"Just" Coach Fuller
nflhs.com, accessed April 30, 2007. In 2011, Fuller became a radio commentator for the

Virginia Destroyers The Virginia Destroyers were a professional American football team based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. They began play in the United Football League (2009–2012), United Football League (UFL) in the 2011 UFL season, 2011 season. They played their ...

UFL team.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fuller, William 1962 births Living people All-American college football players American Conference Pro Bowl players American football defensive ends Houston Oilers players National Conference Pro Bowl players North Carolina Tar Heels football players Sportspeople from Chesapeake, Virginia Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars players Philadelphia Eagles players Players of American football from Virginia San Diego Chargers players 100 Sacks Club