Although the fullback position doesn’t carry as much cachet as others, his role is still important. Someone needs to make blocks and pave the way for running backs. It’s not a flashy job but someone has to do it and Alec Ingold excelled at it for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2019.
Alec Ingold plowed the way for the Raiders star RB in 2019
Ingold had 10 carries for 17 yards last season and six receptions for 44 yards and a receiving touchdown. Those numbers don’t tell the whole story though. The fullback opened holes for running back Josh Jacobs and helped him run for 1,150 yards and seven touchdowns. Ingold was a key contributor in the Raiders offense last season and he should continue having the same kind of impact as he’s currently the only fullback on the team’s roster.
An undrafted free agent in 2019, Ingold capitalized on veteran Keith Smith’s injury. Although it isn’t nice to see others go down with lesions, the Wisconsin standout seized on the opportunity to impress the coaching staff and never looked back. Ingold may see more targets his way and should not have problems scoring his first rushing touchdown in 2020.
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The young fullback tries to be objective when assessing himself
Ingold mostly got positive reviews in his rookie season. Nevertheless, the sophomore fullback believes he can be better. In his latest press conference, he said he still has work to do and has to focus on finishing the season strong.
“If I had to give myself a letter grade I would say probably a ‘B’. I think I exceeded some people’s expectations but definitely not my own and not the coaching staff’s. I think I started off slow, and had a great middle part of the season, and then ended off with that rookie wall, I didn’t exactly finish off how I wanted.”
Moreover, he touched on the importance of taking care of his body and treating football like any other job.
“Just understanding how much grind this season is and how much being a pro plays into being able to finish down the stretch in December, playing good December football is really important to us. Once again, it goes back to the body and just really focusing on being a professional about everything that goes into this job. So that, we can start fast, we can stay fast, we can finish fast.”
The running game was a strength for the Raiders last season. Based on Ingold’s focus on getting better, it will likely be the case again in 2020.
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Top Photo:Â AJ Mast/Associated Press
