Todd doing his “touchdown ritual” to honor his younger brother.
It was February 1991 and my trusty ‘87 Mercury Lynx was at one of the local repair shops in St. Joe. I was in desperate need of a lift to the University of Minnesota on the upcoming Friday as I had weekend plans with my future bride. I got word that Todd Fultz was driving down to “the Cities” and maybe I could get a lift from him. He obliged and gave me a lift to the Alpha Phi sorority house on the campus of the U of M. Todd was actually on his way to Forest Lake to go ice fishing with a bunch of fellow Johnnies for the weekend. (I now realize that when one travels from Collegeville, Minneapolis isn’t exactly on the way to Forest Lake.) He didn’t need to drive an extra half hour out of his way but he did because that’s Todd Fultz.
For most of the ride I bellyached and complained about my broken down car and worried about how much the repairs would cost. As we neared the end of trip Todd said: “The way I look at it you’re always going to need a car and you’re always going to have car problems and you just got to learn to live with it.”
After graduating from St. John’s in 1992 I would occasionally run into Fultz. I recall one time my soon to be wife and I were eating at a restaurant at the Mall of America. We ran into Todd and spent about half an hour or more talking to him. Always the promoter Todd shared with us that he was coaching a semi-pro football team in Minneapolis and graciously offered us tickets whenever we wanted to check out his team.
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Todd was seriously injured in a car crash on June 5th, 2008, when his car was hit head-on by another. He broke his pelvis, shattered his hip and had multiple broken bones in both legs. The injuries required 3 surgeries totaling over 25 hours. I can’t help to think about the advice he gave me on that cold winter day some 17 years ago, however this was a bit more severe than someone’s broken down Mercury Lynx.
After spending the better part of a month in the hospital he returned home to begin the rehabilitation process. This month he will begin the arduous task of learning to walk again. The competitive drive and positive attitude that helped him to be successful on both the football field and basketball court at St. John’s will undoubtedly propel him through his recovery. Please show your support this Saturday September 20th by making a donation to Todd’s family. Attended either the pre-game Stiftungsfestivties Tailgate Party or visit the La Playette in St. Joseph for a post-game cook-out to make a contribution.
Todd (center) surrounded by many of his SJU friends during at the auction fundraiser for him this past August.
Eden Prairie coach Mike Grant and Todd Fultz at a benefit in Todd’s honor this past Sunday.
Todd relearning how to walk in rehab.
