Packers 2017 Recap: FB Joe Kerridge
Since Ron Wolf came to Green Bay in the early 1990’s, the Packers have built a strong tradition of leveraging quality fullbacks in their west coast offensive scheme.
Whether it was William Henderson paired with Ahman Green, John Kuhn blocking for Ryan Grant and Eddie Lacy, or Aaron Ripkowski blocking for Jamaal Williams, the fullback is a key member of the Packers roster.
Backup fullback Joe Kerridge was added to the roster near midseason after spending training camp with the Packers, and wound up appearing in four games.
2017 Stats
- Appeared in 4 games
- 1 reception, 4 yards
Expectations going into the season: Low
Expectations were: Met
What we said in 2016
Packers 2016 Recap: FB Joe Kerridge – He played 20 snaps over 8 games and carried the ball once for zero yards. He’s reportedly a solid blocker, but his sample size is miniscule. Is he actually any good? He could be, I suppose, but it’s so hard to say.
Analysis: Kerridge hangs around for another season
The fullback is one of the least glamorous statistical positions in football, and it’s proven by Joe Kerridge’s stat line. In parts of two seasons with the Packers, he’s touched the ball just twice. A run in 2016 and a short reception in 2017.
Over his two years with the team, he’s played a total of 24 offensive snaps.
It’s hardly out of the ordinary for Kerridge to stay off the stat sheet. In high school, he appeared all over the field. Kerridge was an All-State punter as a sophomore and an All-State fullback as a junior. The Traverse City, Michigan native was on his way to a full-ride Division I scholarship until he tore his ACL before his senior year of high school.
Electing to walk-on at the University of Michigan, then-head coach Rich Rodriguez was fired before his freshman season. Kerridge would redshirt as a freshman, and finished his career as the starting fullback for Jim Harbaugh’s first Michigan squad. In his college career, he appeared in 46 games over four years and rushed for an average of 2.6 yards per game.
Starting fullback Aaron Ripkowski had a disappointing 2017 campaign, opening the door for Kerridge in 2018. On paper, the pair are roughly the same size and weight. Kerridge is slower than Ripkowski, but has shown signs of being a more powerful blocker between the tackles.
