Heidelberg Athletics Hall of Fame
Coming to Heidelberg College from Hialeah Miami Lakes High School in Florida, Michael "Shane" Fulton placed his name in the record books before graduating in 1988.
Regarded as one of the finest quarterbacks to ever play in the Ohio Athletic Conference, Fulton still holds conference marks in most plays in total offense (485) and most passing attempts in a season (393).
Fulton also holds several Heidelberg marks including passing attempts in a single game (49), in a season (393) and career (1,024), as well as game (30), single season (222) and career completions (587).
He also holds records in season (2,876) and career yards passing (7,373), as well as most plays in a game (58), season (485) and career (1,324). The records for net yards for a game (362), season (2,858) and career (7,168) also belong to Fulton. The list continues with the most touchdowns in a single season passing with 19 and touchdown passes during a career with 50.
Fulton was a third team Pizza Hut All-American and was a first team preseason All-American by Football News. He was honorable mention All-OAC in 1984, third team in 1985 and second team in 1986 when he was the third-leading passer in NCAA Division III history.
All of this with a rebuilt arm. The 6-0, 190-pound signal caller proved doctors wrong while he was in junior high. While practicing, the 11-year-old Fulton took a hard hit on his right elbow. Doctors said the elbow was dislocated and the arm was broken in two places. To the shock of everyone involved, he was back taking snaps and hitting passes to his buddies in six months.
His future was questioned time and time again, but his junior season in high school he served notice of his value and dedication when he replaced the injured starting quarterback and led his team to four wins in five games and finished 10th in the county in passing.
It was then some of the Division I schools took notice, but his senior year found his team going 6-4, despite Fulton being tops in the county in passing. The big schools stopped talking.
Fulton had planned to go to Southern Arkansas on a full scholarship, but because he felt it was too far away, he changed and went to Elan College in North Carolina, an NAIA Division 1 school.
Just two weeks later, homesick, Fulton returned home, but he continued to throw the football in his spare time. It was then that his high school math teacher, Bill O'Hara, asked him to join him at Heidelberg where O'Hara had taken an assistant coaching position.
Fulton came to Heidelberg and the rest is history. A history of greatness. He is currently the health and physical education teacher, as well as the football and fast-pitch softball coach at Dade County Public Schools.
(This profile appeared in the 1996 Hall of Fame Banquet program.)
