Nov. 28, 2001
By Baylor Athletic Media Relations Student Assistant Scott Lea
When Baylor wideout Andra Fuller was asked about his pre-game ritual, a funny grin appeared on his face. "I like to dance," he said.
While most fans have their eye on the opponents before the game, others enjoy watching Fuller "bust a move" during pregame drills.
Fuller is not only exciting to watch before the game, but during the game he has been a menace to defensive coordinators as he dances through their backfields. In 1999, Fuller led all Baylor receivers with 308 yards receiving and two touchdowns, including a 73-yard strike against Boston College on national television.
Fuller has not only excelled on the field, but also in the classroom where he was a double major in business management and corporate communications. Within three years of arriving at Baylor Fuller graduated, in December 2000, and he is currently working on his masters in education administration. Fuller expects to graduate in August 2002 and said his goals are to become an athletic director or a school administrator if he is not working in the corporate world.
His mother, Shirley Payne, influenced Fuller's excellence both on the field and in the classroom. Fuller grew up in a poverty stricken neighborhood near Aldine, Texas, where his mother played both the role as a father and mother to him and his brother. When Fuller graduated last December, his brother graduated on the same day from Prairie View A&M. Fuller's mother woke up early in order to make it to both graduations in one day. Fuller and his brother were the first to graduate college in their family. Because of Fuller's intense love for his mother, he not only goes all out on Mother's Day to express his love for her, but Father's Day is a day that is dedicated to her as well.
"Everything that I do in my life, I try to do to please my mom," Fuller said. "She was both my mother and my father. She did a great job and she will always be my inspiration."
Fuller came to Baylor in 1997 and was redshirted as a true freshman. Fuller got his first start as a redshirt freshman in 1998 at Notre Dame. He finished the year with six catches for 50 yards and 17 punt returns for 119 yards.
After grabbing a 73-yard touchdown in the first game of the 1999 season against Boston College, Fuller led the team in receptions with 26 catches for 308 yards and returned 11 punts for an 8.6 average. Fuller played in all 11 games and earned 10 starts.
In 2000 Fuller finished the season as the team's fourth-leading receiver and returned seven punts for 99 yards with a long of 32 yards against North Texas. Fuller played in every game except the Nebraska and Texas contests due to a knee injury.
Now, having finished his final season at Baylor, Fuller said that with the help of Coach Steele he has discovered the importance of being a man instead of being, "the man".
"The light clicked on at some point last year and I finally became aware of the difference between being a man and being the man," Fuller said. "It used to be about how many catches I could get or how many touchdowns I could score. Even though I know that it's important to be confident in the talent I possess, Coach Steele taught me it's more about being a team leader. If I don't catch five or six passes a game, I just have to go into practice on Monday and work harder so I that I can do my part for the better enrichment of my team."
Fuller will leave the Bears after this year, but hopes to be remembered as an impact player.
"I want to be remembered by Baylor fans as the player that could step out on the field and make a big play at any given moment," said Fuller. "I hope they remember me as the guy who gave the fans a good game to watch."
