No. 26 — The Fullbacks

No. 26 . . . Last season, Iowa fullbacks accounted for 11 receptions for 65 yards and two carries for two yards. Either through Twitter or email or some sort of electronic communications mechanism, we will have a discussion at some point on the fullback producing bigger numbers in the Iowa offense. I'll humor you. I might even bring up Jeremy Allen, the one uber fullback who did ballcarrier and receiver things in Iowa's offense. Eventually, I will tell you that Iowa fullback will never be a huge number position. Overall, fullbacks are dwindling football animals who aren't expected to put up numbers.

They're measured in the blocks they throw, in how they can help the running game be more efficient. That's a tougher measure, but you know it when you see it. I would submit Iowa's 2013 victory at Iowa State as a 'fullback' game. Iowa rushed 60 times for 218 yards. It basically put the Cyclones in a headlock. Iowa tried to fullback the Cyclones last season and it didn't work (44 carries, 129 yards).

So, why have fullbacks Macon Plewa and Adam Cox this high on the list?

Fullbacks are drafted into service. Few want to do what they do, which is lead blocker, linebacker absorber, path clearer. It's often ugly and, sometimes, painful. Cases in point, Cox missed all of 2014 after suffering a torn ACL in fall camp. Plewa missed five games with a shoulder injury last season. (John Kenny was pulled into the position from linebacker with zero prep time and filled in nicely. This spring, he moved back to linebacker, found himself buried on the depth chart and subsequently transferred. I can't blame him. Once you get a taste for the game, I imagine it's really hard to go back to the bench.)

It's a physical grind, but also look at their stories. Cox is a walk-on from a small town in Illinois. Plewa is a walk-on from Wisconsin. They break various body parts — literally — to earn their scholarships. They are senior tone-setters for a lot of what the team does and, I imagine, a lot of what we don't see — conditioning, weight room (you know, the tough stuff).

Those roles carry value. You need stories and players like Cox and Plewa. ('Stories,' ugh, some of you skeptics are thinking. The good Iowa teams have them. Does Alabama need them? Yes, but probably not to the same degree. Iowa will never have the talent reserves that Bama has. Just as I said at the beginning of this post, I'll humor you if you believe fullbacks can have big — or even respectable — offensive numbers, but I will tell you you're wrong. Same deal if you believe Iowa can consistently have high-end talent that can compare to Alabama's. I will agree with this, however, and that is you can't rely on a huge number of 'stories' coming true.)

Outlook . . .

Last August, Cox was awarded a scholarship on a Tuesday. The next day at practice he suffered his ACL injury. So, yeah, he wants to get to it.

'I was at an all-time high and the next day, I injured my knee and was at an all-time low,' Cox said.

Earlier during this early summer interview, Cox was asked about the fullback as a dying breed.

'I get asked that question a lot,' he said with a laugh. 'It's fun. I always watch teams to see if they have fullbacks. I think it's trending up maybe. I think there are more sometimes, and then sometimes, I think we're about the last ones.'

Why is it fun to play?

'It's fun to hit people,' Cox said.

He smiled with satisfaction and shook his head.

It's cool to 'ugh' over the stories. For some of the disenchanted, you roll your eyes to your frontal lobe when you hear Kirk Ferentz mention 'stories.' In his mind and under his vision, Iowa has been fueled by 'stories.' They are important to what Iowa is and can be (no matter the coach).

But you do have to stratify this and that should go something like this: Priority 1 — NFL draft picks/stars/all-Big Ten caliber 2 — Two-year starter types, maybe NFL free agents and 3 — 'Stories,' walk-ons who work their way to scholarships and, maybe, Priority 1 status.

Somewhere in there the percentages exist for the perfect Iowa team. Sorry for the lecture, by the way.

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com