Shortly after Auburn's loss to Florida State in the national championship game, Brandon Fulse told tight ends coach Scott Fountain he wanted to take on a bigger role for the Tigers in 2014.
The senior said he wants to fill Jay Prosch's shoes at H-back.
"It was really good to hear that," Fountain said. "What's even better is he took it into the weight room, he took it into spring. I feel like in camp, he's a different guy. He's playing with a different pad level and different energy. He's becoming a good leader for us."
Arguably the best fullback in college football last season, Prosch left the Plains for an NFL career with the Texans.
According to Fulse, the H-back position is one of the key positions besides quarterback.
"This is a big role," Fulse said. "We open up holes for everybody, and we hit our perimeter blocks for running backs, receivers. We mostly do it all; we go out, catch passes, we do it all, protect for the quarterback. We just do it all for this offense."
The Fort Meade, Florida, native tries to mimic Prosch by watching his film.
"I've been watching some last-year film with Jay Prosch, just trying to get the blocking down on what he does because he's a physical guy," Fulse said. "I'm trying to be as physical as Jay Prosch."
Fulse said Prosch gave him some advice before he left Auburn.
"The opposition is fresh in the beginning, but they wear off, so just maintain your physicality and play fast all game," Prosch said to Fulse.
Offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said there are things Fulse has done well, and there are other things he's still working on to get better.
"Brandon has been good at the point of attack," Lashlee said. "We've just got to continue to rep him on some things that he just needs to keep accumulating more reps on so he can execute the block better."
The senior's first catch this season was a 3-yard touchdown against South Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 25.
"I was like, 'No one's ripping it out; I'm not dropping it,'" Fulse said. "Either way, however I had to catch it, I was going to catch it."
Lashlee said Fulse and senior C.J. Uzomah give Auburn the best chances playing the H-back position.
"We might look at doing some things to help those guys out and try to focus on what they do better, but those are two senior guys we're counting on," Lashlee said.
As an older player on the team, Fulse competes with his teammates for the starting job and said he doesn't have any friends on the field during practices.
"Off the field all the guys are my friends," Fulse said. "They're my brothers."
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