{{Short description|American football player (born 1994)}} {{Use American English|date=April 2021}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}} {{Infobox gridiron football biography | name = Devin Fuller | image = Devin Fuller 2016.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Fuller with the Atlanta Falcons in 2016 | current_team = | number = 87 | position = Wide receiver | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1994|01|24}} | birth_place = Englewood, New Jersey, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 0 | weight_lbs = 194 | high_school = Northern Valley Regional {{nowrap|(Old Tappan, New Jersey)}} | college = UCLA | draftyear = 2016 | draftround = 7 | draftpick = 238 | pastteams = * Atlanta Falcons ({{NFL Year|2016}}–{{NFL Year|2017}}) | highlights = | pfr = FullDe00 }}
'''Devin Lewis Fuller''' (born January 24, 1994) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver with the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins. Fuller was converted from quarterback to receiver as a freshman, and was the Bruins' second-leading receiver in 2013 and 2014. He was also a kick returner with UCLA. He was selected by Atlanta in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL draft.
==Early life== Fuller was born in Englewood, New Jersey, to Bart Fuller and Cindy Mizelle.<ref name=ucla_bio>{{cite web|title=Devin Fuller Biography|website=UCLABruins.com|url=http://www.uclabruins.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=207914080|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160501035000/http://www.uclabruins.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=207914080|archivedate=May 1, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=demovsky_04042016/> His mother became a touring singer when she was 17.<ref name=demovsky_04042016>{{cite news |last=Demovsky |first=Rob |title=Draft hopeful Devin Fuller hopes to make his game sing in NFL |date=April 4, 2016 |website=ESPN.com |url=https://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/201135/draft-hopeful-devin-fuller-hopes-to-make-his-game-sing-in-nfl |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505154750/http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/201135/draft-hopeful-devin-fuller-hopes-to-make-his-game-sing-in-nfl |archive-date=May 5, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> She was on tour with Luther Vandross when she found out she was pregnant with Fuller. After he was born, Fuller accompanied his mom when she would perform with Vandross, who encouraged his tour members to also bring their children along on his tour bus.<ref name=demovsky_04042016/><ref>{{cite news|last=Torres|first=Aaron|title=UCLA's Devin Fuller and mom Cindy Mizelle keep everything in tune|date=September 12, 2014|website=FoxSports.com|url=http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/story/ucla-s-devin-fuller-and-mom-cindy-mizelle-keep-everything-in-tune-091214|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150120165540/http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/story/ucla-s-devin-fuller-and-mom-cindy-mizelle-keep-everything-in-tune-091214|archivedate=January 20, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>
Fuller grew up in Norwood, New Jersey,<ref>Ledbetter, D. Orlando. [http://www.ajc.com/news/sports/football/falcons-select-xxx-in-the-seventh-round-of-the-nfl/nrFRp/ "Falcons select Devin Fuller in the seventh round of the NFL draft"], ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'', April 30, 2016. Accessed May 1, 2016. "Fuller, of Norwood, N.J. played in 11 games and made seven starts. He was also one of the top returners."</ref> and attended Northern Valley Regional High School in Old Tappan, New Jersey,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/hssports/blog/football/index.ssf/2012/01/old_tappans_fuller_commits_to.html|title=Devin Fuller of Old Tappan picks UCLA over Rutgers, Nebraska|work=NJ.com|accessdate=May 2, 2016}}</ref> where he became the team's starting quarterback as a freshman.<ref>msgvarsity.com/new-jersey/all-metro-profile-qb-devin-fuller-old-tappan-1.862171</ref> He led Northern Valley to back to back state championship appearances as a junior and senior. As a senior, he passed for 2,247 yards and 20 touchdowns, and also ran for 1,326 yards and 17 touchdowns.<ref name=foster_08172015/> For his career, he compiled over 10,000 yards of total offense (6,148 passing, 4,589 rushing) and scored 118 touchdowns (58 passing, 60 rushing).<ref name=ucla_bio/>
==College career== [[File:Devin Fuller against Dion Bailey (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|upright|Fuller with UCLA in 2012]] Fuller was recruited to UCLA as a quarterback. However, he was behind several players including Brett Hundley on the Bruins' depth chart.<ref name=demovsky_04042016/> Wanting to get Fuller's skills on the field, they moved him to wide receiver five games into his freshman year in 2012.<ref name=demovsky_04042016/> Playing at the slot position, Fuller had 20 receptions for 145 yards in eight games. He continued to improve, finishing with 43 catches, which ranked second on the team, for 471 yards in 2013.<ref name=ucla_bio/><ref name=foster_08172015>{{cite news |last=Foster |first=Chris |title=Wide receiver Devin Fuller is always in the right position for UCLA |date=August 17, 2015 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/ucla/la-sp-ucla-football-fuller-20150818-story.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603022549/http://www.latimes.com/sports/ucla/la-sp-ucla-football-fuller-20150818-story.html |archivedate=June 3, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> He also threw a touchdown pass to Hundley against Utah.<ref name=ucla_bio/> As a junior in 2014, Fuller was again second in receptions, catching 59 passes for 447 yards and a touchdown.<ref name=dasilva_02292016/> He had at least four receptions in nine games, and his 93-yard touchdown against Utah was the second-longest in UCLA history.<ref name=ucla_bio/>
In his senior year in 2015, Fuller was moved from the slot to the outside to give him more matchups against man-to-man coverage. The Bruins also lost Hundley, who had left for the NFL, and replaced him with freshman Josh Rosen.<ref name=foster_08172015/> Fuller had his best game of the season against California, when he caught seven passes for a career-high 100 yards and two touchdowns.<ref name=ucla_bio/><ref name=demovsky_04042016/> However, he was hampered by injuries to his head and ankles that year, and his production fell to just 24 catches for 259 yards and three touchdowns.<ref name=demovsky_04042016/> He still excelled as a kick returner, ranking sixth in the Pac-12 Conference with a 24.2 yard average.<ref name=dasilva_02292016/> He finished his college career with 146 receptions for 1,322 yards and 10 touchdowns.<ref name=demovsky_04042016/>
==Professional career== {{NFL predraft | height ft = 6 | height in = 0 | weight = 194 | dash = 4.39 | ten split = 1.59 | twenty split = 2.59 | shuttle = 4.07 | cone drill = 7.03 | vertical = 36.0 | broad ft = 10 | broad in = 4 | bench = | arm span = 30 1/2 | hand span = 9 1/2 | wonderlic = | note = All values from Pro Day<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=123051&DraftYear=2016 |title=Devin Fuller, UCLA, WR, 2016 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football |website=draftscout.com |access-date=January 12, 2022}}</ref> }}
Fuller was disappointed that he was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.<ref name=dasilva_02292016>{{cite news|last=DaSilva|first=Cameron|title=UCLA's Devin Fuller is taking a different route to the NFL|date=February 29, 2016|website=FoxSports.com|url=http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/nfl-draft-combine-ucla-devin-fuller-different-route-022916|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160323201354/http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/nfl-draft-combine-ucla-devin-fuller-different-route-022916|archivedate=March 23, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> However, he drew attention at the Bruins Pro Day, where he impressed NFL scouts with his 40-yard dash time of 4.37 seconds and {{convert|36|in|cm|adj=on}} vertical jump.<ref name=demovsky_04042016/> Fuller was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the seventh round (238th overall) in the 2016 NFL draft.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-falcons-select-devin-fuller-with-238th-pick-20160430-story.html|title=Falcons select UCLA's Devin Fuller with 238th pick in NFL draft|author=Los Angeles Times|date=April 30, 2016|work=Los Angeles Times|accessdate=May 2, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Falcons First Team To Sign Entire Draft Class|url=http://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/blog/article-1/Falcons-First-Team-to-Sign-Entire-Draft-Class/375e8756-cf30-41b5-b6fe-f95ea1c8170f|website=AtlantaFalcons.com|date=May 5, 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729111748/https://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/blog/article-1/Falcons-First-Team-to-Sign-Entire-Draft-Class/375e8756-cf30-41b5-b6fe-f95ea1c8170f|archivedate=July 29, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was placed on injured reserve on August 31, 2016, after injuring his shoulder during the preseason.<ref>{{cite web|title=Falcons put rookie WR Devin Fuller on injured reserve|url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/08/31/falcons-put-rookie-wr-devin-fuller-on-injured-reserve/|author=Alper, Josh|website=ProFootballTalk.NBCSports.com|date=August 31, 2016|accessdate=November 26, 2016}}</ref> He missed the entire 2016 season, when the Falcons advanced to Super Bowl LI, losing 34–28 in overtime to the New England Patriots.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201702050atl.htm|title=Super Bowl LI - New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons - February 5th, 2017|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|accessdate=August 6, 2017}}</ref>
On July 28, 2017, Fuller tore his ACL in training camp and was placed on injured reserve for the second year in a row.<ref>{{cite web|title=Injury Report: Falcons Receiver Devin Fuller Out For The Season With A Knee Injury|url=http://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/training-camp/article-1/Injury-report-Falcons-receiver-Devin-Fuller-out-for-the-season-with-a-knee-injury/649ba7dc-a526-48d3-b7fc-7f109354ec1a|author=Tabeek, Matthew|website=AtlantaFalcons.com|date=July 29, 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801090344/https://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/training-camp/article-1/Injury-report-Falcons-receiver-Devin-Fuller-out-for-the-season-with-a-knee-injury/649ba7dc-a526-48d3-b7fc-7f109354ec1a|archivedate=August 1, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Falcons Have Waived/Injured Receiver Devin Fuller|url=http://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/blog/article-1/Falcons-have-waivedinjured-receiver-Devin-Fuller/97655d48-d6e5-494b-b441-042d7ce3e86c|author=Conway, Kelsey|website=AtlantaFalcons.com|date=August 3, 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804053345/https://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/blog/article-1/Falcons-have-waivedinjured-receiver-Devin-Fuller/97655d48-d6e5-494b-b441-042d7ce3e86c|archivedate=August 4, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
On June 29, 2018, Fuller was waived by the Falcons.<ref name="f126">{{cite web | last=Tabeek | first=Matthew | title=Falcons officially waive wide receiver and returner Devin Fuller | website=Atlanta Falcons| date=2018-06-29 | url=https://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/falcons-officially-waive-wide-receiver-and-returner-devin-fuller | access-date=2025-01-25}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== {{commons category}} *[http://www.uclabruins.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=207914080 UCLA Bruins bio]
{{Falcons2016DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fuller, Devin}} Category:1994 births Category:Living people Category:American football quarterbacks Category:American football return specialists Category:American football wide receivers Category:Atlanta Falcons players Category:Players of American football from Englewood, New Jersey Category:People from Norwood, New Jersey Category:UCLA Bruins football players