Top 5 Fullbacks
Notre Dame has had some talented running backs in the last 30 years, but a case could be made that the fullback position has been even stronger …. at least until the position was retired in the last decade.
Here’s my list of the best Notre Dame fullbacks that I’ve seen, which begins back in 1988.
1. JEROME BETTIS (1990-92)
Career Stats: 337 carries, 1,912 yards, 5.7 YPC, 27 TDs / 32 catches, 429 yards, 6 TDs
This is arguably the biggest no-brainer of any position group breakdown. Bettis was a brilliant player at Notre Dame, and in 1992 he combined with Reggie Brooks to form the best backfield I’ve seen at Notre Dame or anywhere else.
Bettis finished his Notre Dame career with 1,912 rushing yards despite being a primary ball carrier for just two seasons. As a sophomore he racked up 972 yards (5.8 YPC) and 16 touchdowns on the ground. Bettis had four more touchdowns in the pass game, giving him 20 for the season, which remains a Notre Dame program record. Those 972 yards were the second most all-time for an Irish fullback, behind the 994 that Jerome Heavens posted in 1977. The note here is that Bettis had just 22 fewer yards on 61 fewer carries.
Bettis went for 825 yards (5.4 YPC) and 10 touchdowns as a junior while splitting carries with Brooks, who had a brilliant 1992 campaign. The Detroit native was a dominant force that had a number of memorable performances. He finished his career with 150 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the Sugar Bowl victory over Florida.
Bettis left Notre Dame after his third season and was selected by the Los Angeles Rams with the No. 10 overall pick of the 1993 NFL Draft. It was the highest a Notre Dame running back has ever been drafted.
2. MARC EDWARDS (1993-96)
Career Stats: 311 carries, 1,591 yards, 5.1 YPC, 27 TDs / 46 catches, 498 yards, 5 TDs
Edwards was the last of the great fullbacks from the “golden era” of the position. He rushed for eight touchdowns as a true freshman as part of the 1993 team, which was the last truly great Notre Dame squad.
Edwards split carries with Ray Zellars as a sophomore, but he was outstanding as a junior when he became “the man” at the position. Edwards rushed for 717 yards and nine touchdowns that season, to go with 25 catches for 361 yards and three more scores. Edwards finished his career with 2,189 total yards and 32 touchdowns. He was a legit weapon in the pass game, catching 46 passes for 598 yards during his career.
Edwards was a lot of fun to watch. He got through the line with speed and power, and when you go back and watch games from that era you’ll see highlight after highlight of Edwards running through defenders. Good luck bringing him down with just one player, and Edwards was also a force near the goal line, which is why he had at least eight touchdowns in three different seasons.
The San Francisco 49ers took him in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft.
3. RODNEY CULVER (1988-91)
Career Stats: 340 carries, 1,697 yards, 5.0 YPC, 15 TDs / 20 catches, 231 yards, 2 TDs
Culver’s overall numbers weren’t what they could have been due to when he played. His first two seasons overlapped with Anthony Johnson and his final two seasons overlapped with Bettis. That didn’t stop Culver from being an impactful fullback, and like Bettis he would also line up at tailback from time to time.
Culver’s most productive season was in 1990 when he racked up 710 rushing yards and five scores. The most memorable play from that season for me was Culver racing across the goal line to seal Notre Dame’s 29-20 victory over #2 Miami. Culver had great feet for a player with his size and he looked more like a tailback than a fullback. Bettis was brilliant in the Sugar Bowl win over Florida, but don’t forget the 93 yards on 13 carries that Culver produced in the win.
Culver rushed for the second most yards (1,697) of any player on this list and he and Bettis are the only two fullbacks on the list to go over 500 yards in multiple seasons.
The Indianapolis Colts drafted Culver in the fourth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. Culver tragically died in a plane crash at the age of 26. It was on my 18th birthday, so it’s something I will never forget.
4. ANTHONY JOHNSON (1986-89)
Career Stats: 358 carries, 1,512 yards, 4.2 YPC, 32 TDs / 25 catches, 376 yards, 2 TDs
Johnson was a key part of Notre Dame’s outstanding offenses in 1988 and 1989. The South Bend native finished his career with 1,512 rushing yards (4.2 YPC), which is the second fewest of all the players on this list. But Johnson played in an offense where carries were split between a wide array of players.
When Notre Dame got near the goal line, however, the carries were not as split, and that is when Johnson shined. He finished his career with 32 rushing touchdowns, which is tied with Vagas Ferguson for the fourth most in Notre Dame history.
Johnson was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the 1990 NFL Draft. Of the players in this breakdown, only Bettis had more career rushing yards in the NFL than did Johnson.
5. RAY ZELLARS (1991-94)
Career Stats: 210 carries, 1,135 yards, 5.4 YPC, 9 TDs / 28 catches, 237 yards, 5 TDs
No player had his numbers tamped down more by the time he played than Zellars, who had Bettis ahead of him his first two seasons at Notre Dame and Marc Edwards on the roster in his final two seasons. In fact, when Zellars was a freshman he was behind both Bettis and Culver, which is why he only had 51 yards that season.
Zellars doesn’t have the production of the other players on this list, and he was never the focal point of the offense that others were, but a case could be made that only Bettis had more highlight reel runs. Who will ever forget this run?
Past top rankings:
Top 5 Quarterbacks
Top 5 Running Backs
Top 5 Wide Receivers
Top 5 Offensive Linemen
Top 5 Edge Players/Defensive Ends
Top 5 Linebackers
Top 5 Cornerbacks
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