Fantasy footballers may recall the name as some mythic figure -- a player who burst onto the scene for one month before fading away and back to the waiver wire.
Beginning in Week 5 in 2020, wide receiver Travis Fulgham began a torrid four-game stretch for the Philadelphia Eagles where he collected 27 catches for 378 yards and three touchdowns. The production seemingly came out of nowhere. Fulgham entered the NFL in 2019 as a sixth-round pick out of Old Dominion University, a school with a decade-old football program at the time, and failed to stick with the Detroit Lions or Green Bay Packers before joining Philadelphia in the August that preceded his apparent breakout season.
"It was amazing, a dream come true," Fulgham said, per Nick Kosmider of The Athletic. "I've probably never been happier in my life, just going out there and balling and doing what I love and being able to help a city like Philly win some games. Unfortunately, it didn't last long, but people saw what I can do."
The view from the mountaintop was indeed short-lived. Fulgham managed just nine receptions for 104 yards in his final eight games played that season. Philadelphia released its unexpected contributor at the end of training camp the following year, and Fulgham spent much of 2021 on practice squads for the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos, suiting up only once as a Bronco and playing nine total snaps.
Now aligned with offensive-driven head coach Nathaniel Hackett following Vic Fangio's dismissal, Fulgham is hoping to exhibit better consistency on the field and make a push for the active roster.
Making the original 53-man roster is a far cry from a sure thing, however, given the current composition of the WR room. Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick and K.J. Hamler are all virtual locks, and Montrell Washington has the inside track for the spot right after them as a fifth-round pick.
That leaves Fulgham to compete against a handful of pass-catchers -- several of whom appeared in more games with Denver last season -- for what is likely only one remaining WR slot.
For what it's worth, one of the aforementioned locks recently sang Fulgham's praises.
"He's just cool, calm and collected," Patrick said. "He's always under control and he plays very smooth. He makes everything look effortless."
And of course, no one believes in Fulgham's ability to show that the fleeting Philly magic was no illusion more than the receiver himself.
"All I can do is stick to my game and do what I do," Fulgham said. "I didn't go anywhere. It's just kind of how the situation ended up. But I haven't gone anywhere. My game is still here. I can take over a game if I want to."
