Fullback (gridiron football)

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A fullback (FB) is a position in the offensive backfield in gridiron football and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback. Fullbacks are typically larger than halfbacks, and, in most offensive schemes, the fullback's duties are split among power running, pass catching, and blocking for both the quarterback and the other running back.^[1]

Many great runners in the history of American football have been fullbacks, including Jim Brown, Marion Motley, Bronko Nagurski, Jim Taylor, Franco Harris, Larry Csonka, John Riggins, Christian Okoye, and Levi Jackson. However, many of these runners would retroactively be labeled as halfbacks, due to their position as the primary ball carrier; they were primarily listed as fullbacks due to their size and did not often perform the run blocking duties expected of modern fullbacks. Examples of players who have excelled at the hybrid running–blocking–pass catching role include Vonta Leach, Mike Alstott, William Henderson, Daryl Johnston, Kyle Juszczyk, John Kuhn, Le'Ron McClain, Lorenzo Neal, Marcel Reece, Larry Centers and Tom Rathman.

A decline in the usage of fullbacks, particularly at the professional level, occurred during the late 2000s to mid 2010s. Moreover, the term fullback is increasingly used to refer to specifically running backs focused on blocking, much like how the original quarterback is the blocking back. This is likely due to teams beginning to focus more on passing, as well as the increased popularity of personnel groupings and formations that omit the position. As a result, the role of fullbacks as ball-carriers in the run game has decreased, and most fullbacks only run the ball in rare instances, typically in short-yardage situations. The decline of the position peaked during the mid 2010s, where many NFL teams began phasing the position out of their offenses entirely. However, following the 2017 NFL season the position saw a gradual resurgence and evolution as teams began using the position again. By the early 2020s, following the position's evolution into a role more similar to a tight end rather than a running back. Even NFL teams who do not carry an official fullback on their roster still use the position in their offense, usually having a main player who acts as their primary fullback or through a rotation of players at the position.