Sports

Soul Fullback Dishes on Life in Collingswood

Philadelphia Soul Fullback Dan Ross talks about playing pro football, and living in Collingswood.

Dan Ross is just your average 26-year-old guy. He lives in a Heights of Collingswood apartment, eats at The Pop Shop, and you've probably run into him at the Haddon Avenue Wawa. 

But on game nights—despite his modest dismissals—Ross is not your average guy.

Because Ross is playing professional Arena Football League (AFL), as a fullback for the Philadelphia Soul.

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Ross signed with the Soul this past February, and has been living with the team in Heights of Collingswood since March. 

"I'd never been to Collingswood before (signing with the team)," said Ross. "I like the downtown area here; it has a cozy atmosphere to it."

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Ross was born in Rome, NY, on Grifface Air Force Base—where his father was stationed. He moved to London, England with his family for two years, then to Tonawanda, NY, where he's lived ever since. 

Before coming to Collingswood, of course. 

"What I like most about Collingswood is probably the restaurants," said Ross. "The Pop Shop is my favorite in town. Actually, the guys on the team started calling me the King of Pop because of it."

Ross' favorite items at The Pop Shop? The turkey club, meatloaf, gravy with mashed potatoes, and the cowboy burger. 

"I still have to look at the menu every time I go in there, though," he said of The Pop Shop. "Because there's so much stuff to choose from."

But when he's not eating at The Pop Shop, Ross can be found on the football field, playing for the indoor AFL league.

"Since signing with the Soul, I started three games in the beginning of the season, but then I was released in May due to a foot injury," said Ross, who returned in June. "I've only gotten to play one game since, against Cleveland."

Ross played fullback in college, at Ithaca College in New York, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in exercise science. 

But pursuing the field of his degree always came second to football. 

"I've been playing football for 20 years. Since I was an exercise science major, I know how to take care of injury, but the athlete in me always comes through—and even with an injury, I get tunnel vision, all I care about is football."

And Ross has had a few injuries. 

"I've had at least one major concussion, and who knows how many minor concussions," he said. "A lot of fullbacks don't have long careers. NFL careers aren't long to begin with, but it's even shorter for fullbacks."

Ross said in the past 30 years, football has changed. And change has especially shown itself since he began playing indoor football for the AFL.

"In the NFL, and in outdoor football, a fullback is a run-blocker and a receiver. But a lot of teams have started to use a spread offense—basically meaning they don't use a fullback at all (in the NFL)," he said. "In the AFL, I'm a pass-blocker and I run the ball. I've had to adjust to the indoor game. I'm better at outdoor. AFL is out of my comfort league."

Ross still hopes to play NFL football one day. 

"The NFL is essentially where we're all trying to get," said Ross of AFL players. "In college, I had bad injuries and it's probably one of the main reasons I didn't make it to the NFL right away. I sill have hope for an NFL career, but it's not as strong as it was before. 

"(Age) 26 is an old rookie in the NFL. If you haven't played NFL football by 26, 27, or 28, you're probably never going to," he said. "But being a rookie in the AFL is much better than not playing football at all, because I'm playing against NFL talent (with former NFL players), and it's professional football."

Ross said playing fullback sometimes means playing a necessary position while remaining an unsung hero. 

"A lot of times, (fullbacks) are the players who make touchdowns possible. We do a lot of things that go unnoticed. We make the plays that get the runningback into the end zone. And we do a lot of the dirty work. We're like linemen; in the trenches all the time," he said. "I sum up my position like this—we, as fullbacks—get paid to run into a brick wall."

But the stress and worry that comes with playing professional football has been eased since Ross' move into Collingswood. 

"Everyone's really excited that (the team) is here, they know who we are," he said. "It's kind of strange; I don't see myself as being a big-time star athlete, but people still recognize us from the Soul. At the end of the season, I can say I've really enjoyed my time here."


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