Kyle Juszczyk was named to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl this past season. Of course, he didn't play in the game because his San Francisco 49ers were preparing for Super Bowl LIV.
But that's where the accolades typically stop for fullbacks. There was no All-Pro selection. Juszczyk wasn't mentioned when it came time to announce the NFL's latest All-Decade Team. That's because there are no fullbacks on those honorary teams, and Juszczyk in April voiced his displeasure of the latter omission.
"I guess no fullbacks played this decade," Juszczyk tweeted out sarcastically in response to the announcement.
I guess no fullbacks played this decade...
— Kyle Juszczyk (@JuiceCheck44) April 6, 2020
Juszczyk joined 95.7 The Game on Wednesday and shared his thoughts on fullbacks not being a part of the various honorary rosters.
"As a fullback, part of the mentality of the position is you're not looking for the praise," Juszczyk explained on the Joe, Lo & Dibs show. "You don't need all the kudos, and you don't need to be scoring all the touchdowns. It's about setting up your teammates. But at the same time, you want somebody to fight for you. It stinks when you have to fight for yourself, and say it really is ridiculous that the fullback is not on the All-Decade Team, that a fullback is not on the All-Pro list.
"I truly don't understand it. Am I not out there? Are fullbacks not playing? We absolutely are. I think there's so many arguments we can make. We're getting more reps than a specialist, and they're making All-Pro teams; they're making All-Decade Teams.
"The impact that we can have on a game is just as much as anybody else on that list, so I really, truly don't understand why we're getting left off."
Juszczyk isn't wrong about his impact. He has become a crucial part of the 49ers offense, including the team's No. 2 ranked rushing attack. Juszczyk missed four games last season due to an MCL sprain, and San Francisco had to get creative with its run-blocking.
Juszczyk isn't just a blocker who helps in short-yardage situations. He can do so in space too, and may even embarrass a defender by making a surprise catch or two and exploding downfield. That's what makes him so dangerous.
"He's kind of a Swiss Army knife out there," tackle Mike McGlinchey said of Juszczyk last season. "We use him in so many different ways, different motions, different blocking schemes, catching the ball out of the backfield, or evening lining up split wide.
"Juice is so good. He's just a football player. There's no real label to put on him. I know he's listed as a fullback, but he's capable of so many different things, and he's such an asset to our offense and such a weapon for us; he and (tight end George) Kittle being interchangeable parts. He gets the job done every time."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Juszczyk below.
