Rich Rodriguez Teases the Return of the Fullback and More Two-Way Players

Curtis Jones Jr. may just be the first of a handful of players who play both sides of the ball.
West Virginia University head coach Rich Rodriguez giving instructions to Bandit/running back Curtis Jones Jr. against Colorado.
West Virginia University head coach Rich Rodriguez giving instructions to Bandit/running back Curtis Jones Jr. against Colorado. | Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

Bandit Curtis Jones Jr. finally saw some action this past week at running back, and it resulted in two touchdowns on just three carries.

West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez mentioned on his radio show Monday night that he now may look to add a fullback to the mix, and it could happen before the end of this season by pulling over someone from the defensive side of the ball.

"We have two of them that we've been repping as blocking backs. I don't have enough guts to give them the ball," Rodriguez said with a chuckle.

"We're going to start looking at that with all of our guys. Two-way players. I want a fullback, believe it or not. I want an Owen Schmitt-type of fullback, and I think I want two of them. A lot of times, you'll find a linebacker or a defensive lineman that plays both fullback and that. We need one. They could play the role of short-yardage and that kind of stuff. There are guys that we're recruiting that can play fullback/linebacker or wide receiver/DB, and I mean, why not? Let's find what we can find."

When asked why he wants a fullback, he gave an answer that put a smile on everyone inside Kegler's and to those listening at home, stating, "I want to hurt somebody. When Owen Schmitt would play, he would break his facemask and hurt himself, but he would hurt them more often. That's like going into a boxing match with someone that throws punches nonstop. You hate to find that guy. That's what I want to be. I want to be the team that you hate to play."

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Schuyler Callihan
SCHUYLER CALLIHAN

Schuyler Callihan is the publisher of West Virginia On SI and has been a trusted source covering the Mountaineers since 2016. He is the host of Between The Eers, The Walk Thru Game Day Show, and In the Gun Podcast. The Wheeling, WV native moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2020 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers.

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