There reaches a point where even summer vacation can no longer hold your attention and it’s time to get back to work. After an impressive spring spent claiming his role in Vanderbilt University’s defensive secondary has served as added reason for Jay Fullam to anxiously wish away the final days before he returns to try to nail down the starting free safety job.
The former McCallie star has spent the last few weeks helping at McCallie’s sports camp and catching up with old friends, and he will return to begin summer classes at Vanderbilt on July 12. Last year he was moving up the depth chart and in line to get game action before getting the ring finger on his left hand caught in a teammates’ jersey and tearing the ligament off the bone.
That painful injury led to hand surgery and to Fullam redshirting.
“That was the first time that I can remember when I didn’t play football in the fall,” said Fullam, who didn’t get to travel with the team but dressed for all Vandy home games.
“In a way I’m glad it happened, because I learned a lot just by being on the sideline and watching. But it was a very humbling experience. Having to stand around and watch and not be able to help my team was pretty tough.
“It was an eye-opener to the SEC and collegiate football. The thing I noticed was nobody hung their heads or accepted it, they were fired up for every game. We were 0-8 in the SEC, but you wouldn’t know it in our locker room. Coming out of McCallie, I wasn’t used to losing many games, and hopefully I can be in there this year and help us have more success than we did last year.”
One year after their Music City Bowl appearance, the Commodores were relegated back to the SEC basement, finishing 2-10 overall and 0-8 in the conference. Vandy’s offense scored just five touchdowns against its eight SEC opponents. The schedule doesn’t get any easier this year as 10 of Vandy’s 12 opponents won at least seven games last year, including the first four opponents each having won eight or more.
But the secondary is expected to be a team strength with three experienced juniors projected to join the 6-foot-1, 200-pound freshman Fullam as starters. Following a solid spring, several preseason magazines have Fullam listed as a rising star for the Commodores, but he admitted nothing is set in stone, especially with the arrival of heralded freshman safety Kenny Ladler from Stone Mountain, Ga.
“I’ve been working out every day since I’ve been home,” Fullam said. “I’ve noticed at this level, nothing is guaranteed. Even though I played with the starters all spring, I know I have to push myself because there are always going to be guys looking to take your spot. There is so much competition at every position, but I like that because you know nobody on the team can take a day off at practice. We’re all always getting better or else we won’t be out there long.
“The biggest adjustment for any freshman coming into the SEC is the speed of the game. After that for me, it was just learning to recognize all the different types of offenses and formations you see and how to put yourself in the right place to defend them. I noticed in spring practice how much more confident I was than last year, and I plan to carry that attitude with me once we get started again in a few weeks.”