Xavier Fulton facts for kids
Fulton during Illinois' 2007 spring practice.
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| No. 59 | |
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| Position: | Offensive tackle |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | April 18, 1986 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Weight: | 287 lb (130 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Flossmoor (IL) Homewood-Flossmoor |
| College: | Illinois |
| NFL Draft: | 2009 / Round: 5 / Pick: 155 |
| Career history | |
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| CFL status: | International |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Player stats at PFR | |
| Player stats at CFL.ca | |
Xavier Allen Fulton, born on April 18, 1986, is a former American football player. He played as an offensive tackle. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked him in the 2009 NFL draft. Before that, he played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini.
Xavier also played for many other teams. These included the Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers, and Washington Redskins. He also played for the Virginia Destroyers, Edmonton Eskimos, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and Montreal Alouettes. He was a starting left tackle for the Illinois Fighting Illini. He also played in the 2008 Rose Bowl.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Xavier Fulton grew up playing football in Illinois. He attended Homewood-Flossmoor High School from 2000 to 2004. His coach was Tom Bailey.
High School Achievements
In his senior year, Xavier was a strong player. He made 98 tackles and 7.5 sacks. He also blocked three field goals.
He was named to All-State teams by big newspapers. These included the Chicago Sun-Times and Champaign News-Gazette. Rivals.com and ESPN ranked him as a top recruit. Xavier also played wrestling in high school.
Choosing a College Team
Xavier was one of the best defensive line recruits. He chose to play for Illinois over many other top schools. These included Wisconsin, Purdue, and Michigan. More than 20 schools wanted him to play for them.
College Football Career
Xavier Fulton played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini. He started as a defensive end.
Freshman and Sophomore Years
As a freshman, Xavier played in eight games. He made six tackles. In his sophomore year, he started seven games. He had 13 tackles and one sack. Sadly, he got a knee injury during a game. This injury ended his season early.
Changing Positions
Xavier took a year off to heal his knee. In 2007, he made a big change. He moved from playing defensive end to offensive tackle. This was his first time playing offensive tackle in college.
He did so well that he started every game as a left tackle. He helped his team gain many rushing yards. He also protected his quarterback. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors.
Senior Year and Graduation
Xavier stayed for a fifth year. He continued to be a key part of the offensive line. His team ranked first in total offense in the Big Ten Conference. He again earned second-team All-Big Ten honors.
At his senior banquet, he received the Bruce Capel Award. This award is for courage and dedication. After college, he was invited to the 2009 Senior Bowl. In December 2008, Xavier graduated with a degree in sociology.
Professional Football Career
After college, Xavier prepared for the NFL. He trained hard and was invited to the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine.
NFL Combine Performance
At the Combine, Xavier showed amazing results. He was among the top 10 offensive linemen in most workouts. These included the 40-yard dash and vertical jump. He was the top-rated offensive tackle from the Big Ten.
| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 4+1⁄8 in (1.93 m) |
302 lb (137 kg) |
5.01 s | 1.68 s | 2.87 s | 4.56 s | 7.35 s | 31 in (0.79 m) |
9 ft 3 in (2.82 m) |
27 reps | |||
| All values from NFL Combine | ||||||||||||
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Xavier in 2009. He was the 19th pick in the fifth round. He signed a four-year contract with the team.
He played in most preseason games. However, he tore a knee ligament in the last game. This injury put him on injured reserve for the season. He was released from the team in 2010.
Other NFL Teams
Xavier then joined the practice squad for the Indianapolis Colts. He was later released. He also had short stays with the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins. During the 2011 NFL lockout, he trained in boxing.
Canadian Football League
In 2012, Xavier was traded to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL. The Roughriders won the Grey Cup championship in 2013. He later played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Montreal Alouettes.
Boxing and Golden Gloves Champion
Xavier started boxing to help with his football training. In February 2012, he entered the Golden Gloves competition in Chicago. He became a Golden Gloves Champion on April 13, 2012. He has an undefeated boxing record of 3 wins and 0 losses.
Personal Life
Xavier's younger brother, Zach Fulton, also played football. Zach was an offensive lineman for the University of Tennessee. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Xavier is known for his deep voice. People say it sounds like famous actors James Earl Jones and Dennis Haysbert. He has even done voice-over work.
Images for kids
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Fulton during Illinois' 2007 spring practice.
