Marvin Harrison is the greatest football player to come out of Roman Catholic High School, but the future Hall of Fame wideout doesn't hold the record for receiving yards in a single game at his school.
That distinction belongs to Will Fuller.
In fact, the 276 yards Fuller amassed on 10 receptions against Chestnut Hill last September are the most by anyone ever in the city of Philadelphia.
"We utilize him anywhere we get a one-on-one matchup,'' Roman Catholic coach Joe McCourt said of the performance, in which Fuller scored two touchdowns, came up a yard shy of a third and broke a mark that stood for 42 years by 24 yards. "We had a decent running game, and it was one of those deals where they [Chestnut Hill] had to pick their poison. They just wanted to load up in the box, so we got one-on-one matchups all day. We hit a couple of streaks with him early on, and then they started playing off. Then we threw a couple of short routes with him that he took to the house.''
Still, it took a strong showing at Penn State's first advanced skills camp to secure a scholarship offer from the Nittany Lions. Fuller came up big again, the coaches liked what they saw, and, on June 5, the 6-foot, 165-pound receiver became the 10th member of Bill O'Brien's 2013 recruiting class.
"You could just tell when he was going through the drills, the one-on-ones, he was a step ahead of everyone, just a lot smoother. He was on another level,'' said Lions247.com's Sean Fitz. "I don't think he dropped a ball. He was all over the place. Where he went, everybody was watching. That was a good indication that he brought the talent level of the camp up.''
Fuller picked Penn State over Rutgers, Boston College and Temple. He was beginning to draw interest from other colleges but jumped at the scholarship offer from Penn State two days after he received it.
"I wanted to see some other schools before I decided. But I talked to people and they said, 'If your heart is at Penn State, just go there,'' Fuller, reportedly an Ohio State fan growing up, said to 247Sports. "I called Coach [Ron Vanderlinden]. He told me that he was so excited and told me he would call Coach O'Brien. Coach O'Brien told me the same thing, that he was excited, too. He said that I'm a player that they want there and the whole nine yards.''
Fuller could fill the role Deion Branch played for the New England Patriots when O'Brien was the offensive coordinator there.
"He's not the biggest guy. Obviously, he needs to fill out. He can play outside, he can play the slot - he's a guy you can line up a couple of different places. He's not going to run by you, but he's going to be so clean in his cuts that he's going to create separation when he comes out of his break, and that's what you are looking for, because Penn State's offense is going to be based on timing and precision,'' Fitz said. "He's really polished, he's skilled, he catches the ball well, and he also knows when to go up and get it and how to time his jump. You throw it to a spot, and he'll be at that spot.''
Fitz also said Fuller ran the 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds.
A two-time first-team Daily News all-Philadelphia selection, Fuller heads into his senior season with 85 receptions for 1,408 yards and 19 touchdowns. With a similar season to the one he posted as a junior (45 receptions for 758 yards), Fuller could become the city's all-time receiving yardage leader - the current mark is 2,242 yards.
"He's the best route runner that I've ever seen at the high school level. His hands are impeccable; he doesn't drop any balls and catches everything with his hands,'' said McCourt, who uses pro-style and spread offenses. "He's long. He goes up and gets the football. He's just as effective in the red zone as on our own 30-yard line. He's the complete deal.''
Fuller might help the Nittany Lions catch a blue-chip running back, as well: He and highly rated David Williams of Imhotep Charter are friends and former teammates. Williams already had Penn State high on his list before Fuller committed.
"I was just working out with Will, and he was trying to get in my ear to commit," Williams recently told 247Sports. "He actually sends me text messages every day about committing to Penn State, telling me to come with him to Penn State.
"I'm still high on them. [Fuller's commitment] can't hurt them.''
Fuller said his family had a big impact on his choice. McCourt described Fuller as a grounded, level-headed young man.
"He's very, very even-keeled. He doesn't get excited. But, when he came back from that first visit to Penn State - he said, 'Coach, I loved it.' - he was excited,'' McCourt said. "Notre Dame was ready to offer him, Tennessee, South Carolina. It was only a matter of time before he blew up. Penn State got him at the right time.''
