Over the history of American football, every player position has evolved in one way or another. Either the name changed or the purpose of the position had become obsolete. The game of football continues to develop and time continues to distance us from the great players who filled those now archaic roles.
Columbus, Nebraska isn’t known for much on the national scene outside of the many subscribers of the Youtuber named FRED. June 23, 1972 welcomed another Columbus native who would go on to have a successful career with the Detroit Lions: Corey Schlesinger.
In high school, Schlesinger made a name for himself in the state of Nebraska as a linebacker and fullback in football and as a wrestler. Two all-state nods in football and two individual state championships in wrestling got the attention of in-state football power, the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Schlesinger had a low-key career at Nebraska from a national stand point. That is, until the 1995 Orange Bowl. Nebraska was trailing Miami in the fourth quarter of the national championship game by a score of 17 – 9. A pair of touchdown runs by Schlesinger later, along with a strong defense, sealed the first national championship for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Only a few outside of Nebraska knew Schlesinger’s name before New Year’s Day, 1995. The results of the day got the attention of the Detroit Lions and they selected him in Round 6 of the 1995 NFL Draft.
So why am I talking about Corey Schlesinger? The simply answer is because when someone presents the argument of best fullbacks of all time, Schlesinger’s name is not mentioned. You can see the proof HERE, and HERE, and HERE. Three separate Top 10 lists by three different entities and not one mentions the bruising Detroit Lions fullback.
Why is Schlesinger not mentioned?
First, he wasn’t a scoring fullback. Mike Alstott is mentioned in two of the three lists that appear above (one as an honorable mention). This is mainly due to the much larger role Alstott played in the scoring offense of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, Alstott could not match the ferocity and passion of the complete sacrifice of well-being that Schlesinger displayed every down he played throughout his career.
Secondly, most of his career was spent blocking for a mosaic of low-profile running backs. Did any of the following names ever impact the running game in the NFL: Greg Hill, James Stewart, Shawn Bryson, Kevin Jones, Artose Pinner? The answer is a resounding no.
If you look at the Top 10 lists, you see a man by the name of Lorenzo Neal. Like Schlesinger, Neal is known for one thing, blocking. Neal rushed for only 807 yards over his 16 year career. However, there are a few reasons Neal is highly ranked on these lists and Schlesinger is not. One of those reasons being LaDamian Tomlinson. Neal spent five years blocking for LT in his prime. He would likely be less prominent on the top 10 lists above if not for the perfect storm of: the creation of social media, growing dominance of Yahoo!, ESPN, NFL Network and other sports news sources and Tomlinson’s record setting 2006 season.
Other fullbacks in the history of American football have been talked about over and over again as some of the best players the game has ever seen. John Riggins, Franco Harris, Jim Brown to name a few. However, all these men did things that Schlesinger and Neal didn’t; they touch the ball, often. Brown is regarded as one of the best runners of the game, as a fullback.
So why should Schlesinger be mentioned?
2,053. The number of yards Barry Sanders rushed in the 1997 regular season. Schlesinger was Barry’s main source of blocking outside the offensive line. He had an astronomical rushing total of 11 yards for the season. He preferred the shadows next to the spotlight on Barry. The pride of knowing he did his job was all the recognition he needed.
473. The number of Schlesinger’s career rushing yards. Over 12 years of playing in the NFL and Schlesinger was unable to eclipse 500 yards rushing. What does that mean? He was a facilitator, creating holes for other people to enjoy the limelight. Without Schlesinger, James Stewart would have never rushed for more than 1,000 yards in 2000 and 2002.
200+. The number of facemasks Schlesinger reportedly broke throughout his 12 year career. He is the only person that can claim such an obscure, informal statistic. His job was to get people out of the running back’s way. He did that job so well, his metal facemasks couldn’t keep up with the violence he was creating with his own body.
In the end, Schlesinger’s NFL career will resemble his college career before the ’95 Orange Bowl. A small portion of the population will remember him for the player he was while others overlook his accomplishments. A bruiser with no regard for his own body; willing to risk safety and pain to inch the ball closer to the endzone. He’d probably give his arm for a yard if that meant the Detroit Lions would find themselves in a situation to succeed.
Here’s to a player who thrived and excelled in the shadows of one of the greatest running backs of all time and in an organization that carved out its niche in the valley of futility.