Fuller throws for 604 yards, 8 TDs, rushes for another

	Robert Fuller set a sectional record for passing yards with 604 last week. Photo courtesy of San Bernardino High School

Each week SI.com will select the athlete who displays excellence on and off the field as the Primetime Performer.

Robert Fuller, Jr., QB, 6-3, 200, San Bernardino (Calif.) High

Robert Fuller was a virtual unknown before last Thursday night. Today, he is on his way to becoming a household name in high school football. Fuller threw for a Southern Section-record 604 yards to lead San Bernardino (Calif.) High to a 62-41 victory over San Bernardino Pacific. He completed 30-of-43 passes including eight touchdowns, and ran nine times for 72 yards and one TD.

The previous Southern Section record of 564 yards was set by Doug Baughman of Boise Grande (Garden Grove) in 1996. The state and national record is 764 yards by David Koral of Palisades (Pacific Palisades) in 2000. He was just two shy of the national record for touchdowns passes.

Even though Fuller had thrown for only 2,100 yards in his first nine games, second-year coach Marcus Soward said his record performance "really didn't surprise me, because he had been having some good games against quality opponents. He had over 400 yards in one game.

"He's really improved each and every game. "His maturity level has grown so much. He was a shy, quiet kid as a sophomore. Now he celebrates and is more of a vocal leader. He always makes great decisions. We run a spread offense, a lot of zero backs and five receivers. He did a great job of reading defenses and scanning the field all night. Everybody touched the ball and he spread it around pretty evenly. I know next year he's going to be scary."

Fuller was surprised by his performance. "I thought we were going to run more and I was going to have the same game as usual, about 250 yards," he said. "We have two fast dudes. It was basically just throw the ball up in a good spot. I didn't have to thread the needle."

As a freshman, Fuller didn't expect to be a quarterback. "I had been a receiver and safety," he said, "but we didn't have very many players and only one other quarterback. After two games it was cool. When I was a sophomore, I wasn't mature enough. I'd just throw the ball. I would watch a lot of film with my offensive coach, Tony Wilson, and go over the defenses. I learned the zone and man defenses."

Fuller won't soon forget the A.B. Miller (Fontana) game early in his sophomore year. "I threw three picks to the same person in the same place," he said. "I always saw them [his receivers] as open, but he [the linebacker] came out of nowhere."

The Cardinals' star can run a 4.6 40 and concedes his toughest challenge has been to "stay in the pocket" until the last second as he searches for an open receiver. "I used to run a lot my sophomore year and try to run through people," he said. "They've taught me how to run out of bounds."

Off the field, Fuller works with youngsters in Pop Warner and Junior All-American leagues. Coach Soward says his star is a "great motivator. He is a role model for so many kids around our area and it's a tough, crime-ridden area. Young kids love him and he's like an icon around here."

Fuller also plays basketball and runs track and carries a 3.0 GPA. "I'd like to go to Oregon because I like their spread offense," he says.

After college, Fuller is interested in pursuing law enforcement. "If I can't make it in football, I want to be a detective," he says. "I like the challenge and discovering things."