Hard to Wear Lineman Down but Phone May Do It : Arroyo’s Rick Fuller Wearies of Night Calls From College Recruiters; Others in Same Fix

At 6-8 and 275 pounds, All-CIF Southeastern Conference lineman Rick Fuller of Arroyo High in El Monte expected to receive considerable interest from college football recruiters.

But after a barrage of letters and phone calls since the end of the season and four recruiting trips, Fuller admits the process is wearing thin.

“It’s going to be a big relief when I decide because they won’t call me as much and I’ll be able to concentrate more on other things,” he says.

The 17-year-old Fuller said: “I get an average of four or five calls a night and it’s a lot slower than it was. If I’m talking to my friend and I get a call, I have to get off the phone and talk to them, or if I’m doing homework I have to break away to take a call.”

It has been so bad lately, he says, that it is affecting his schoolwork.

“I go away every weekend (on recruiting trips) and am so tired when I get back. My grades are dropping.”

He said the trips did not make it any easier for him to decide which college to attend.

“It’s all been very confusing,” Fuller said. “It’s hard to decide which school is better. All look good, so I just decided that I will go where I feel most comfortable.”

Fuller has visited UCLA, USC, UC Berkeley and Washington and had a trip scheduled to Arizona.

But after the trips to Berkeley and Washington, Fuller decided to stay closer to home. “I thought I wanted to go away but decided that I would miss my family and friends. All the trips were great and I liked every college I went to, but staying home is important to me.”

He said that has narrowed his choices to UCLA and USC and that he will probably cancel the trip to Arizona.

“I’m just tired of everything and I’m close to committing,” he said. “I don’t think it’s fair for me to take a trip (to Arizona) without really even considering them.”

That would seemingly make Fuller’s choice easier. Only the decision between the Bruins and Trojans is not easy because he wants to compete in both football and track.

If Fuller wanted to play only football, his decision might be easy. That’s because Fuller wants to play defensive tackle, where USC is recruiting him. UCLA wants him to play offensive tackle, where he made All-CIF in high school.

“I like playing defense a lot better,” he said. “To me it’s just a lot more fun.”

However, there is also the track factor--which immediately eliminated a lot of colleges.

“That’s the first thing I told them when they called,” Fuller said. “If they weren’t going to let me compete in track, I told them just don’t call and they’ve all been pretty cooperative.

That would seemingly help UCLA’s chances, considering that the Bruins won the NCAA track title last season. But Fuller said it will probably depend on which track and football coaches he feels most comfortable with.

“If the coach works it out, I can work out with the track team before spring practice,” he said. “I’m just looking for where I can get along best with the track coach and the football coach.”

Fuller had an outstanding junior year in track, finishing fifth in the shot put with a 58-3 at the CIF state finals. “I like track,” he said. “It’s just something that I think would be hard to give up.”

He has received more attention from colleges for his football skills, though.

Fuller was named to Houston-based scout Max Emfinger’s preseason top 100 list of prospects and earned honorable mention on Street and Smith’s team. Emfinger called Fuller the best offensive tackle in the state.

He was looking as good as advertised until an ankle injury ended his season in a second-round playoff game against Apple Valley last November. Fuller tore two ligaments and had bone chips.

“It’s not fully recovered but it’s getting there,” he said. “I was in a cast for about four weeks and as soon as I got out of it I was running on it. It has healed fast but it’s still a little tender.”

The injury marked a disappointing end to his season, especially when he had to stand on the sideline while his team lost to Cajon (44-6) in the CIF Southeastern Conference finals.

“I was depressed about the whole thing,” he said. “It was boring for me, especially for the last game when I felt like it was such a helpless situation. It would have been better if it happened at the start of the season.”

Fuller says he is happy with the progress he made last season and is looking forward to playing in college.

Fuller has speed with a 40-yard dash time of 5.0 seconds but realizes he must improve in other areas.

“I know I need to get a lot stronger, but I’ll probably redshirt (next season) and learn new techniques,” he said.

USC and UCLA have told him he will likely be redshirted next season and have four years of eligibility remaining, a situation which does not bother him, he said.

“I’m not strong enough right now,” Fuller said. “I’m big and I’m quick, but I need to work a little harder with weights. I just want to play for the last four years. That’ll be fine with me.”

The only thing standing in his way is the question of which school. But with the first day for signing national letters of intent Wednesday, he will have to decide soon.

Fuller is not the only San Gabriel Valley player who has attracted the interest of major-college recruiters. According to scouts, as many as 30 players from the valley could wind up with Division I schools.

Here is where some other top prospects are leaning:

Chad Brown (Muir, linebacker-tight end)--Muir has its usual share of outstanding college prospects and the 6-3, 220-pound Brown heads the list. A two-time All-CIF Coastal Conference selection, his top choices are Brigham Young, Colorado and Arizona although he also visited UC Berkeley. With speed of 4.7 seconds in the 40-yard dash, Brown’s future may be at linebacker, but he has the size to play tight end. He had 138 tackles, 10 quarterback sacks and 5 blocked passes as a senior lineman.

Larry Bryan (Damien, offensive guard)-- At 6-3 and 270, he is regarded as one of the valley’s best offensive line prospects. The front-runners are USC, Pittsburgh and Colorado. He was an All-Eastern Conference selection last season.

Charles Lough (Damien, linebacker-tight end)--Talent-rich Damien has another major-college prospect in Lough, a 6-5 225-pounder who has made a verbal commitment to Stanford. Two other schools that were heavily recruiting him were UC Berkeley and Arizona State. A good athlete who also starts for Damien’s basketball team, he has the size and agility to play linebacker or tight end for the Cardinal.

Bascom Mellon (Diamond Bar, defensive lineman)--Selected The Times lineman of the year for the valley last season, Mellon will probably choose between Washington State, Oregon State and Utah, with Utah having the advantage. He also visited Utah State. At 6-4 and 255 he was a two-way player in high school but will probably play defensive tackle in college.

Mike Mooney (Temple City, fullback)--A knee injury may have kept Mooney from a great season as a senior when he rushed for 277 yards in 61 carries after running for 1,400 yards as a junior. But it has not turned away college recruiters. The 6-2, 230-pound fullback has narrowed his schools to USC, Arizona and Syracuse and also visited Vanderbilt. USC may lead the pack.

Stephon Pace (Bishop Amat, defensive back)--Considered one of the most gifted athletes in the valley, Pace (6-0, 175) has chosen football over basketball. The recruiting battle is most likely among USC, UCLA and Washington although he also visited Nebraska. The All-CIF selection had six interceptions as a senior and 12 in his career to tie Bishop Amat’s all-time mark, and he excelled at wide receiver.

Al Robinson (Muir, defensive back)--He has not been recruited as heavily as Brown but Robinson has the size and speed (4.7 seconds in the 40) that have attracted interest from scouts. At 6-1 and 190 pounds, he figures to play strong safety in college. The front-runners are Brigham Young, which already has former Muir standout Tony Crutchfield, and Iowa State.

Mazio Royster (Bishop Amat, running back)--The latest in a long line of talented running backs that includes Eric Bieniemy of Colorado and Pernell Taylor of Notre Dame, Royster made a big impression on recruiters as a senior by rushing for 1,704 yards and 18 touchdowns. He has narrowed a long list of schools to USC, Washington and San Diego State, with the first two the front-runners.

DeNail Sparks (Claremont, defensive lineman)--It is not every 6-4 and 240 defensive lineman who also has 4.6-second speed in the 40. That explains the big interest in Sparks, who has visited USC, Colorado and Oregon, with trips remaining to Arizona and Arizona State. An All-CIF Eastern Conference performer who played middle guard for the Wolfpack, he is considered to be leaning to USC.

Cream of the Crop

Player School Pos Ht Wt Chad Brown Muir LB-TE 6-3 220 Larry Bryan Damien OG 6-3 270 Rick Fuller Arroyo OL-DL 6-8 270 Charles Lough Damien LB-TE 6-5 225 Bascom Mellon Diamond Bar DL 6-4 255 Mike Mooney Temple City FB 6-2 230 Stephon Pace Bishop Amat DB 6-0 175 Al Robinson Muir SS 6-1 190 Mazio Royster Bishop Amat RB 6-0 178 DeNail Sparks Claremont DL-LB 6-4 240 Other Top Recruits Robert Compton Wilson DB 6-4 205 Marcus Crunk Rosemead WR 5-11 170 Bill Gallis Northview QB 6-3 180 Aron Gideon Bishop Amat DL-OL 6-2 230 John Goyich Azusa FB 6-2 205 Baraka Harper Claremont QB 5-9 160 Blake Hayward Los Altos WR 6-1 170 Craig Hudson Muir LB 6-2 220 James Mason South Pasadena DB 5-10 180 Steve Matuszewicz Nogales DE 6-5 220 Wes McGarrity Muir LB 6-2 220 Royce Risser Los Altos LB 6-2 210 Pete Rodriguez Nogales LB 6-2 230 James Sheridan So. Pasadena LB 6-4 210 Eric Shipp So. Pasadena DB 6-1 180 Kevin Szalonek Bishop Amat DT 6-4 265 Jason Thomas Claremont DB-WR 6-2 180 Rick Ward Damien LB-FB 6-2 215 Derek Zdarstek Bishop Amat WR 5-11 150

Player Leading Contenders Chad Brown BYU, Cal, Colo., Ariz. Larry Bryan USC, Pittsburg, Colorado Rick Fuller USC, UCLA, Wash., Cal Charles Lough Stanford (verbal commitment) Bascom Mellon Utah, Ore. St.,Wash. St. Mike Mooney USC, Arizona, Syracuse Stephon Pace USC, UCLA, Washington, Neb. Al Robinson BYU, Iowa St. Mazio Royster USC, San Diego St., Wash. DeNail Sparks USC, Colo., Ore., Ariz., Ariz St. Other Top Recruits Robert Compton Wash. St. Oregon St., Marcus Crunk New Mexico, CS Fullerton Bill Gallis Washington St., Cal Aron Gideon Hawaii, No. Arizona John Goyich Air Force, CSUN, Arizona Baraka Harper Navy, Arizona Blake Hayward Utah, Pacific, Cal Poly SLO Craig Hudson Oregon, Oregon St., Iowa St. James Mason Navy Steve Matuszewicz Vanderbilt Wes McGarrity Oregon, Iowa St. Royce Risser Vanderbilt, Air Force Pete Rodriguez New Mexico James Sheridan Army Eric Shipp S.D. ST., Nevada Reno, Ark. Kevin Szalonek UNLV, USC, UN Reno, No. Ariz. Jason Thomas Oregon Utah St. Rick Ward Army, AF, Wash. St., Vanderbilt Derek Zdarstek Hawaii, No. Arizona