Rams rookie safety Jordan Fuller seizes opportunity, earns starting role
Jordan Fuller made perhaps the biggest play of the game in the Los Angeles Rams first victory at SoFi Stadium last week.
The Rams led 20-17 with 11:46 left in the game. The Dallas Cowboys surprisingly went for it on fourth-and-3 from the Rams 11-yard line. Dak Prescott hit rookie receiver CeeDee Lamb on a crossing route, but Fuller tracked the Oklahoma product from his safety position and tackled him a yard short from the first down marker.
“Teams in those down and distances always try and rub you to create a lot of traffic,” Fuller said about the play. “Just going into that play, I kind of realized that. And I just ended up getting over the top and getting there just in time to make the play.”
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky breaks down the play here.
Fuller’s heroics was just the latest example of the intelligence, speed and instincts he showed on a consistent basis during training camp, demonstrating why he earned the starting strong safety job next to free safety John Johnson III for the Rams season-opening win.
A knee injury by incumbent Taylor Rapp during training camp provided an opportunity for Fuller to get reps with the starters. As the University of Washington product continues to work back from the injury, Fuller proved that he should remain there.
Fuller said he found out heading into game week against the Cowboys that he would get his first career start.
“Obviously, you come in just wanting to compete every single day,” Fuller said. “That’s just how I approached everything. I didn’t set any expectations for myself, but I just wanted to attack every single day and live with the results that way.”
At 6-2 and 203 pounds, Fuller’s calling card is versatility. He can provide bone-jarring hits as his idol, the late Sean Taylor used to do for the Washington Football team. Fuller grew up a fan of Washington.
But Fuller also has good change of direction and speed, and can play with anticipation like other safeties Fuller admired growing up playing the position in Earl Thomas and Tyrann Mathieu.
Fuller started three years at safety for Ohio State, finishing with 62 combined tackles and two interceptions his final season for the Buckeyes.
“For him to come in without an OTAs (organized team activities) or other opportunities to kind of build that stuff early on and only have training camp to get a grasp of the defense, he’s done an incredible job,” Receiver Cooper Kupp said. “He’s been able to adapt from college to pro and the speed at which we run things at this level.”
Fuller played 71 defensive snaps against the Cowboys, leading the Rams with eight combined tackles.
Rams head coach Sean McVay said Fuller made some mistakes, which is expected for a rookie making his first start. However, McVay liked Fuller’s resiliency and ability to battle through adversity.
“What I love is that he just stayed the course, ended up making the biggest play of the game arguably on the fourth-and-3,” McVay said. “They have a man route on him and he does a great job being able to come off and fight over the top and beat Lamb to that spot and make a sure tackle on a fourth-and-3 that we had to have. That was arguably a game-winning play.
“He had a couple of missed opportunities and plays that I know he’d be better from, but he’s such a conscientious guy that he’s wired the right way to be able to handle mistakes in stride, and I thought that was reflected in just the way that the game played out, where he got better as the game unfolded.”
