Justin Fuller Interview (Bridgewater State) RB

Justin Fuller is the starting running back for the Bridgewater State Bears. He is considered one the best running backs in Division 3 football. We were able to interview him here at "The Buried Athlete".

You played for Springfield College your first two years in college. What made you decide to transfer to Bridgewater State to play for the Bears?

Springfield College was a great opportunity for me to play in a highly competitive Division 3 conference and also receive a good education and I do not regret my decision for initially going there. There were many factors that influenced my decision to transfer to BSC, including my financial situation, but most importantly I wanted to concentrate on my academics closer to home.

You were able to run for an outrageous 6.49 yards per carry this past season. What do you think contributed to your success this past season?

I was very thankful to be able to establish myself as one of the top backs in division 3, but all the credit goes to the offensive line, our quarterback Steve Clark, the coaching staff, and especially our fullback Jeff Creedan. I was very lucky to have walked into a situation at Bridgewater where there was such an abundance of talent on both sides of the ball and I just worked hard to try and make the team better. The defense also did an outstanding job getting off the field to give our offense the opportunity to put up the numbers up we did.

According to the BSCBears.com website, you are listed at 6-1, 215 pounds, which is a typical build for a Division 1 running back. Were there any division 1 programs scouting you during high school?

In high school, I was not even close to reaching the full potential I had athletically, but there were a few Division 1 programs scouting me my senior year. URI, Umass Amhearst, Syracuse, Uconn, and a few Ivy League schools showed considerable interest but my grades were not good enough to get into any Ivy League schools and I was unaware of my full athletic potential at the time while I was being recruited.


What is the hardest part about playing Division 3 football that people might not know about?

I wouldn’t really say there is any aspect of Division 3 football that is too difficult. The restrictions the NCAA has on Division 3 makes it harder for these programs to compete at their highest level. We are only allowed a few weeks in the summer for camp and we are not allowed to wear any pads during our spring practices, so it makes it difficult for players to become fully committed to the football program in comparison to the Division 1 level.

Division 3 football players are rarely drafted into the NFL. We were lucky enough to interview Pierre Garcon (Mt. Union College), who was drafted in the 5th round by the Indianapolis Colts. If you decide to pursue to play in the NFL, what steps and/or goals do you think you need to accomplish to reach the said playing level of football?

I’ve followed Garcon and it's truly an honor to be put in the same sentence as him, but I think any serious football player has the ultimate goal of making the NFL. For the NFL to consider my talent, I think our team has to put together another outstanding year and I would say I need to become fully committed into reaching my potential as a football player by becoming quicker, stronger, and establishing myself as a good leader this upcoming season.