Oct. 30--Most of the time, Will Fuller is all show and no talk.
The practice has worked well for Notre Dame's junior wide receiver from Philadelphia.
His 21.94 yards per catch ranks sixth nationally. He's 13th in receiving yards per game (100.3) and tied for 10th in touchdown catches (eight).
But enough about "show."
Fuller talked Wednesday about how it was a "dream" to return to his hometown, where he was an under-the-radar receiver at Roman Catholic High School. How he never imagined he would be playing Temple -- No. 21 Temple, no less -- in a matchup of ranked teams at Lincoln Financial Field.
He praised the unbeaten Owls for their revival. An ode to his hometown, in permanent ink in the form of the skyline, peeked from his right arm as he spoke.
"I don't think college football was really that important in Philadelphia," Fuller said. "But (it seems like it is) now since Notre Dame is coming to town, so it will be fun."
Fuller's intention wasn't to end up on a bulletin board somewhere in Philly, but his words probably will land there. They sent Temple Twitter aflutter Wednesday.
He simply was answering, honestly, a question about a game this big being played in Philadelphia while he was growing up. Fuller said, "It was always the Eagles."
He went on to discuss the challenges Temple faces in keeping good players home, how the Owls can "start building their brand" with their 7-0 start.
"I feel like Philly is on the map now," he said. "I'm seeing guys in Philly getting offers left and right. When I was in high school, it was real hard for me. ... We are seeing five-stars coming out of Philly; it's crazy."
Fuller said Temple recruited him, but he never really considered going there. He originally committed to Penn State before changing his allegiance to the Irish. He has a couple of friends who go to Temple -- "They are talking a lot of trash. It's going to be fun," he said -- but he hasn't spoken with them.
The guy who doesn't talk much probably wouldn't have much to say anyway. He said he might be a little more excited going home for the second week in a row (Notre Dame had last week off) but that this is just another game, one in which he expects the opponent to bring its best.
"We know we have to continue to win, and Temple is doing a real good job right now," he said. "Their defensive statistics are off the charts -- top 25 in every category."
In other words, another chance for Fuller to prove himself with actions that, so far this season, have spoken louder than his few words.
pskrbina@tribpub.com
