Xavier Allen Fulton (born April 18, 1986) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

offensive tackle Offensive may refer to: * Offensive (military), type of military operation * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Fighting words, spoken words which would have a tendency to cause acts of violence by the ...

. He was selected by the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...

in the fifth round of the

2009 NFL draft The 2009 NFL draft was the 74th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft c ...

. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

. Fulton was also a member of the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

, and

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...

Virginia Destroyers The Virginia Destroyers were a professional American football team based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. They began play in the United Football League (UFL) in the 2011 season. They played their home games at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex. The t ...

Edmonton Eskimos The Edmonton Elks are a professional Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. The club competes in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member of the league's West Division and plays their home games at Commonwealth Stadium. The E ...

Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in 19 ...

Hamilton Tiger-Cats The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division (CFL), East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home game ...

, and

Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes (Canadian French, French: ''Les Alouettes de Montréal'') are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has disbanded twice and been re-established thrice. The Alouettes compe ...

. He was the starting

left tackle A tackle is a playing position in American football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a tackle played on both offense and Defensive tackle, defense. In the modern system of ...

, converted from a

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...

, for the Illinois Fighting Illini football team for which he also played in the 2008

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Early life

Fulton played football at

Homewood-Flossmoor High School Homewood-Flossmoor High School (H-F) is a comprehensive public high school in Flossmoor, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The school serves an area of nearly , drawing students from Homewood, Flossmoor, and parts of Chicago Heights, Glenwoo ...

from 2000–2004 for coach Tom Bailey. As a senior, he recorded 98

tackles Tackle may refer to: * In football: ** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football ** Tackle (gridiron football position) A tackle is a playing position in American football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent ...

, 58 solo stops, and 7.5 sacks, as well as, 17 quarterback hurries, three blocked

field goals A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. Consequently, a ...

, three fumble recoveries, and five PBUs. Fulton was named to All-State teams by the ''

Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...

'', ''Champaign News-Gazette'', and Illinois High School Coaches Association. He was also named an All-Area performer by ''Chicago Sun-Times'', ''Daily Southtown'', and ''Star Newspapers''. Fulton was ranked as a Top-25 Illinois recruit by '' Rivals.com'', ''

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

'', and ''The Insiders''. He was also named ''SuperPrep All-Region''. While at H-F, he lettered in football and wrestling. He is the son of Alma and Glen Fulton. As one of the top defensive line recruits in the country, Fulton chose

over

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

Purdue Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donat ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the ...

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, and more than 20 other top schools. He was recruited by Ron Turner and his staff.

College career

As a

true freshman The following terms are used in American football, both conventional and indoor. Some of these terms are also in use in Canadian football; for a list of terms unique to that code, see '' Glossary of Canadian football''. 0–9 ...

Fulton played as a defensive end in eight games and started three, collecting six tackles, two quarterback hurries and one PBU. He recorded one solo tackle, two QBH and one PBU vs.

. He also recorded

vs. Minnesota, Indiana, and Northwestern. As a sophomore, Fulton played and started in the first seven games of the season before suffering a season-ending knee injury at

Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with ca ...

. Before his injury he registered 13 total tackles, two tackles-for-loss, a sack, and three quarterback hurries. He had a career game at Indiana, recording three solo stops, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a blocked extra point attempt. He also recorded three quarterback hurries in the season opener against Rutgers and posted a sack against

San Jose State San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a Public university, public research university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the List of oldest schools in California, oldest public university on the West Coast of ...

. For his junior year, he took a medical redshirt year to rehab his injured knee from the previous season. In his redshirt junior year, during spring practices in 2007, Fulton moved from defensive line to offensive line, specifically, from defensive end to offensive tackle. Fulton impressed the coaches so much that in his first time playing offensive tackle at the college level, he started at left tackle for all 13 games and was in on 997 offensive snaps. He recorded a team-leading 109 knockdowns, and helped pave the way for 260 rushing yards at No. 1

Ohio State The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one of the largest universities by enrollme ...

, quadrupling the Buckeyes' average rushing yards allowed. At

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

, he led the way for 655 total yards, the third-best single-game total in school history. At

Syracuse Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...

, he led the way for 508 total yards and 378 rushing yards, Illinois' most rushing yards since 1998. At

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

, he protected for 316 passing yards, the best Illini aerial performance since September 20, 2003, against Cal. Fulton finished the season with second-team All-Big Ten honors by both coaches and media, as well as, Rivals.com. Fulton stayed for a fifth year and was part of an offensive line that has helped the Illini rank first in the

Big Ten The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives in 1 ...

in total offense (448.3) and pass offense (274.5) and second in scoring offense (30.4) through 11 games. At Mizzou, he protected for 451 passing yards, the third-best passing total in Illinois history. Again, Fulton finished the season with second-team All-Big Ten honors by both coaches and media, as well as, Rivals.com. At Fulton's senior banquet, he was honored with the Bruce Capel Award for displaying the most courage, dedication and accomplishment throughout the season. Immediately following his senior year, he was invited to the 2009 Under Amour

Senior Bowl The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football all-star game played annually in late January or early February in Mobile, Alabama, which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those players who have completed their college eligibility. Pr ...

and played for the North team. In December 2008, Fulton graduated from the University of Illinois with a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

in sociology.

Professional career

Pre-draft

Fulton signed with agent Rick Smith from Priority Sports in Chicago. He trained at D1 Sports Training in

Franklin, Tennessee Franklin is a city in and the county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. About south of Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, it is one of the principal cities of the Nashville metropolitan area and Middle Tennessee. As of 2020 Uni ...

, a facility owned by

Peyton Manning Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...

. Fulton was one of only 300 top college football players to be invited to the 2009

NFL Scouting Combine The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Foot ...

in Indianapolis, Indiana. Fulton posted phenomenal results at the 2009 Combine. He finished in the top 10 (OL) in 5 out of the 6 workouts: 40-yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump, 3-cone drill, & 20-yard shuttle. His only workout that he did not finish in the top 10 was the bench press which is most likely due to his shoulder injury that he was having surgery on the week following the combine. He still posted an impressive 27 reps, only 3 away from a top 10 finish. Fulton was the top rated

from the

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Fulton was the 19th pick in the fifth round of the

, picked by the

. He will be wearing the number 68 on his jersey, the same as his collegiate number. On Wednesday, June 10, 2009, Fulton signed a four-year contract with the Buccaneers. He was the first draft pick by Tampa to reach a contract agreement with the club. Fulton played a majority of the four preseason games before tearing his

anterior cruciate ligament The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligaments (the other being the posterior cruciate ligament) in the human knee. The two ligaments are called "cruciform" ligaments, as they are arranged in a crossed formation. In ...

in the final preseason game against the

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...

on September 4, 2009. Fulton was put on Injured Reserve for the season. After being drafted, Fulton signed a four-year endorsement deal with

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...

. Fulton was cut from the team on September 4, 2010.

Indianapolis Colts

On September 6, 2010, Fulton was signed to the

practice squad. He was released on September 17.

San Francisco 49ers

Fulton was signed to the 49ers practice squad on November 10, 2010. He was released on November 30, 2010.

Washington Redskins

Fulton was signed on December 20, 2010. On January 3, 2010, Fulton signed a futures contract with the team for the 2011 season. He was waived on August 30, 2011.

2011 lockout

During the NFL labor dispute, Fulton trained in boxing in addition to his football conditioning at the Academy of Human Performance.

Canadian Football League

On April 23, 2012, Fulton was traded to the

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...

from the

, in exchange for a 6th round pick in the 2013 CFL draft. The Roughriders won the 101st Grey Cup in November 2013. Fulton re-signed with the Roughriders in May 2016. Fulton was traded to the Hamilton Tiger Cats on Monday October 10, 2016. Fulton was traded from Hamilton to Montreal in 2017.

Boxing & Golden Gloves Champion

Fulton began boxing as a way to train for the NFL, most notably in the off-season prior to reporting for the Redskins training camp. In February 2012 he signed up for the Golden Gloves in Chicago and became a

Golden Gloves The Golden Gloves of America is an organization that promotes annual competitions of amateur boxing in the United States, in which winners are awarded a belt and a ring, and the title of national champion. The organization currently owns 30 fr ...

Champion on April 13, 2012. In Fulton's boxing career he has stayed undefeated at 3–0.

Personal life

Fulton's younger brother, Zach Fulton, was an offensive lineman at the

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (or The University of Tennessee; UT; UT Knoxville; or colloquially UTK or Tennessee) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee, United St ...

. Zach Fulton, drafted to Kansas City Chiefs. Fulton is said to have a voice between

James Earl Jones James Earl Jones (January 17, 1931 – September 9, 2024) was an American actor. A pioneer for black actors in the entertainment industry, Jones is known for his extensive and acclaimed roles on stage and screen. Jones is one of the few perfor ...

and

Dennis Haysbert Dennis Dexter Haysbert (born June 2, 1954) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as President David Palmer on the first five seasons of '' 24,'' baseball player Pedro Cerrano in the '' Major League'' film trilogy, Secret Service agent ...

and has done

voice-over Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique used in radio, television, filmmaking, theatre, and other media in which a descriptive or expository voice that is not part of the narrative (i.e., non- ...

work in the past.

References

External links

Saskatchewan Roughriders bio

Official biography at 49ers.com

Official biography at Buccaneers.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fulton, Xavier 1986 births Living people American football offensive tackles Edmonton Elks players Illinois Fighting Illini football players Indianapolis Colts players Players of American football from Chicago Saskatchewan Roughriders players Tampa Bay Buccaneers players Virginia Destroyers players Hamilton Tiger-Cats players Montreal Alouettes players Homewood-Flossmoor High School alumni 21st-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen San Francisco 49ers players Washington Redskins players