CLEMSON FOOTBALL

Fuller finds his inspiration as camp heats up
Fuller celebrates his touchdown against Ohio St . in the Fiesta Bowl

Fuller finds his inspiration as camp heats up


by - Senior Writer -

CLEMSON – C.J. Fuller doesn’t have to look very far to find inspiration. When he needs a little boost, all he has to do is look at the tattoo on his left arm, where “Psalms 27:3” is set in ink.

The King James version of the verse reads, Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

“It's a bible verse, Psalm 27:3. It's one of my favorite verses,” Fuller told TigerNet recently. “It means something to me. It gives me a lot of confidence coming into the spring and I hope into next season.”

Fuller carried the ball 47 times for 211 yards last season, and caught seven passes for 62 yards and two scores. However, he did most of his damage late in the season as he emerged as the main backup to starter Wayne Gallman. He earned over half of his carries from the start of November on, and now he’s striving to win the starting job.

He knows there is work to do.

“Just being committed on and off the field and doing what they ask me to do is the main thing,” Fuller told TigerNet. “I guess my confidence improved a lot throughout the season. Just come in and work day in and day out and lead my segment. It's a little different without Wayne (Gallman) because he was that guy that set the tempo, but I'm looking to fulfill that role.”

Fuller is in a battle with Tavien Feaster, Adam Choice and walk-on Darien Rencher for playing time.

“It's great competing with these guys. We all bring something different to the table,” he said. “It's great to come in and know that you have to work your tail off because you have Tavien and Adam and Rencher. It's an open battle. All three backs are deserving to go out there first and it's a day in and day out battle. We're all equal. I might have a good day, Choice might have a good day, or Feast might have a good day but we all try to stay level headed. We're just going to let the coaches decide."

Fuller credits Gallman with helping him turn the corner.

"Just my confidence,” he said. “Being behind Wayne, I didn't just have that chance to build my confidence but over these years being behind him and listening to him, everything he gave me, just building my confidence."

Along the way, Fuller helped the Tigers win a National Championship, and he said he thinks about that game daily. That includes his kickoff return late in the game that set up the Tigers’ game-winning touchdown drive.

“It felt great. The best way to say it it's a dream come true. Watching Clemson and being so close to home it was great being a part of that and playing in the game,” Fuller said of winning the title. “Yeah, I actually did (thought he was headed for a touchdown on the return). I thought I was about to break it. I was looking downfield and I see (Grant) Radakovich had blocked the kicker and I'm thinking I'm gone, but Tony Brown, their kicker, came in and tripped me up. I feel like I'll be pretty big in special teams and that's a role I look forward to.”

In the meantime, if he needs inspiration, all he has to do is look down at his arm.

"It's always there. Whenever I need something to pick me up, I look at that," he said.

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