Madison Hedgecock Madison Smith Hedgecock ( born August 27 , 1981 ) is a former American football fullback . He was drafted by the St . Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft . He played college football at North Carolina . He has also played for the New York Giants . A Second - team All - Pro and a Pro Bowl alternate in 2008 , Hedgecock earned a Super Bowl ring with the Giants in Super Bowl XLII . Early years . Hedgecock attended Ledford Senior High School in Wallburg , North Carolina and was a student and a letterman in football and track & field . On the grid iron Hedgecock played fullback , tight end , and linebacker . He rushed for 1 , 799 yards and 17 touchdowns in 10 games as senior and rushed for 3 , 673 yards and 44 touchdowns in High school career . he also was a three - time All - County and All - Conference selection ( tight end as sophomore and fullback as junior and senior ) . Was named county offensive player of year in 1998 and 1999 . Hedgecock was a Super Prep All - America and also earned honorable mention All - America from USA Today and Prep Star All - Region . In track he competed in the 200 and 400 meters , hurdles , relays , and shot put and earned All - County and All - Conference honors in the shot put . He also played basketball at Ledford . College career . A versatile athlete , Hedgecock played running back , fullback and defensive end while at the University of North Carolina , rushing for 130 yards ( 118 as a senior ) and 2 touchdowns while also recording 83 tackles ( 8 . 5 for losses ) and 1 . 5 sacks , three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles in his college career . His best performances running the ball were a 10 - carry , 69 - yard performance in a 30 - 24 victory over archrival North Carolina State and a 10 - carry , 36 - yard game in a 31 - 28 upset of fourth - ranked Miami , both during his senior year . He played fullback during redshirt freshman year for Tar Heels . He returned to fullback position for his senior season ( 2004 ) after playing defensive end as sophomore and junior . In 2003 , as a junior , he played in all 12 games and started 11 at defensive end and made 55 tackles , 40 ( solo ) and 15 assists , six tackles for losses , 1 . 5 sacks , two fumble recoveries . In his sophomore season ( 2002 ) he played in all 12 games — he was the starting fullback in the first six games of the year , but moved to defensive end for the final six contests after injuries depleted the Carolina defensive line and played both positions against Wake Forest . He had three rushes for 11 yards , caught two passes for 7 yards and made 21 total tackles ( 11 solo , 10 assists ) with 2 . 5 for lossses . Hedgecock was nicknamed " Mad Dog . " " Probably because I used to pace a lot before a game " and " I like seeing people run over people , " said Hedgecock , who in college once bent the facemask on his helmet while delivering a ferocious blow . John Bunting , a former Rams assistant who was Hedgecock ' s head coach at North Carolina , said the nickname was " Suitable . He practices hard all the time , he runs around the field , he ' s the first to every drill . He ' s very energetic , very enthusiastic . " Bunting moved Hedgecock to defensive end after his freshman season , then moved him back to fullback for his final season , as he had promised . Fullback was Hedgeock ' s preferred position and Bunting felt that his pro potential was there . Hedgecock graduated with a communications degree . Professional career . Pre - draft . His 440 - pound bench press , 630 - pound back squat , 385 - pound power clean are UNC records for a fullback . He was called the " best blocking back " in the ACC by The Sporting News . St . Louis Rams . Hedgecock spent his first two professional seasons with the St . Louis Rams after being drafted in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft . Hedgecock ' s skills impressed his Rams coaches early . “ He is a big hammer , a big lead blocker , ” Martz said . “ He fits into what we do in terms of running the football . He has nice soft hands and is a good receiver . These guys are so hard to find . ” On July 15 , 2005 , Hedgecock signed a reported three - year $ 1 . 1 million contract . In what the " St . Louis Post - Dispatch " called " rapid improvement " he beat out veteran Joey Goodspeed for the fullback position for the Rams . Goodspeed , who had held the job for two seasons , was released . About the competition Mike Martz said , " It ' s a very healthy competition . The fullback position is kind of a lost art . It ' s just a brutal position . You ' ve got to throw your body in there and just try to slam people . And those two guys , that ' s what they ' re about . " Madison has really stepped up and done a nice job " Martz added . " In what we do ( at ) that fullback position is really a tight end or be on the line of scrimmage or we flex him . We do so many things over there that for a rookie to come in and absorb that is pretty difficult to do . He struggled a bit for awhile . I think he really has a better understanding of what we are trying to do right now . " Hedgecock said he had a slight advantage coming in because of the system he was in at North Carolina . " My college offense the fullback was similar to here . They do a lot of moving and shifting and changing assignments . I guess other offenses might be different . There are a lot of similarities to here . " The Rams reportedly liked Hedgecock ' s size and were enamored with his devotion to lead blocking . " It can be a fun thing , " said Hedgecock . " You see that tailback run for 100 yards , that ' s where I get my glory . " Hedgecock filled that role according to interim head coach Joe Vitt . " He ' s getting better every single game , " Vitt said . " He kind of reminds me of " Moose " Johnston . He ' s a force when he hits you . " Rams running back coach Wilbert Montgomery added , " I like his attitude , he ' s a nasty kid . Coming out of school , he was an animal , he won ' t back down from you . " Hedgecock added , " Lead blocking never changes . You just go in there and murder somebody . " Hedgecock was the lead blocker of Steven Jackson ' s stellar 2006 season despite being slowed by injuries . He sustain a high - ankle sprain in early August , 2006 , and was " gimpy " for 3½ weeks of training camp . " It feels a lot better , " Hedgecock reported . " It ' s loosened up some , and it ' s starting to get back toward 100 percent . I was running last week , and I think that really broke up a lot of the scar tissue and got the blood flowing through it . It really helped . " Later in the season Hedgecock broke his thumb but continued to play in a Rams 30 - 28 loss to Seattle . He did not miss any games with that injury or another subsequent ankle sprain even though the broken thumb required in - season surgery . Through those injuries Hedgecock played well . One veteran NFC scout told the " St . Louis Post - Dispatch " " Steven Jackson ' s one of the two , three best guys in the whole league . He ' s got everything it takes . . . But when they need to put a guy in there to lead - block , Madison Hedgecock ' s as good as anybody . " In addition to his lead blocking role , Hedgecock was among the Rams leaders in tackles on special teams in 2005 and 2006 and was voted the Rams Outstanding Special Teams player in 2005 . Hedgecock was released following the first game of the regular season in 2007 and was replaced on the roster by Richard Owens , a fullback - tight end hybrid who had ties to Rams ' then - head coach Scott Linehan from their time together with the Minnesota Vikings , as well a brief crossover as the University of Louisville . While Hedgecock was already regarded as one of the league ' s best pure blocking fullbacks . , Owens never played another down in the NFL following his brief 14 - game stint with St . Louis . Many saw the move as one of the most glaring examples of the ineptitude of Scott Linehan , particularly after Hedgecock signed with the Giants , played a key role in the running game during their Super Bowl winning season and signed a long - term contract extension . New York Giants . Hedgecock was then claimed off waivers by the Giants on September 13 , 2007 . The Giants cut fullback Robert Douglas to make room for Hedgecock . At the time , the Giants were seeking a replacement for seven - year veteran Jim Finn , who had been placed on injured reserve with a torn labrum in his right shoulder . He signed a five - year , $ 5 . 5 million contract extension with the Giants on November 10 , 2007 . According to press accounts he was a major factor in the Giants ' Super Bowl run . He was called by ESPN " a key component for their sixth - rated rushing attack " and that he " stepped into the lineup and provided the Giants with the kind of lead - blocking fullback they needed . " The New York Daily News called Hedgecock an " unsung hero " on the Giants championship team . He was noted for his play against Tampa Bay , Dallas , and Green Bay . Against Tampa Bay , " Hedgecock manhandled linebacker Barrett Ruud and running back Brandon Jacobs followed him through a huge hole for an 8 - yard touchdown that helped give the Giants a 14 - 7 lead . " FOX announcer Joe Buck said on - air , " What were the Rams thinking letting this guy go ? " during one of theTampa Bay playoff game . Against Dallas , Hedgecock blocked two players on an Amani Toomer touchdown in the first quarter and later delived a key lead block on Bradie James on a Jacobs touchdown which drew raves from ESPN ' s Ron Jaworski among others . " " This kid ' s been phenomenal , " Jaworski said as Hedgecock planted linebacker Bradie James . " Former Eagles assistant coach Mike Kelly said " For straight - ahead power football , this is clinic tape . " " Madison ' s arrival was very important and he has given us a physical presence at that position , " offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said . " He ' s not overwhelmed by being one - on - one with those linebackers . We ' re not a West Coast fullback . When you ' re at fullback , you ' re in there to block . Maybe we ' ll throw you the ball once in a while . He fits the definition of the position for us . " “ Excellent fit , ” coach Tom Coughlin added . “ A physical , lead - blocking fullback that has good hands and can be a factor in the play - action game . And he ’ s done an outstanding job on special teams on the wedge on kickoff returns and has brought physical toughness to our team . ” Hedgecock started at fullback for the Giants in Super Bowl XLII . Hedgecock had one reception for 3 yards as the Giants defeated the New England Patriots 17 - 14 . He is also credited with giving head coach Tom Coughlin the traditional ' Gatorade bath ' . During the Super Bowl media blitz Hedgecock was critical of Rams head coach Scott Linehan who was responsible for releasing him after Week one of the 2007 season . Hedgecock told a St . Louis radio station that Linehan was not well respected by many of the Rams players and was boring enough to put some players asleep . “ The head coach brought in a player that he ’ d had in college , ” Hedgecock told St . Louis radio station KSLG . Hedgecock also said about his release , “ When you get fired , it ’ s a tough deal , ” Hedgecock , the Giants ’ fullback , said Wednesday after practice . “ I didn ’ t think I did anything as a player to deserve it . ” . . . “ They could have at least brought in somebody that was good . He was the coach ’ s buddy . I don ’ t want to play for a buddy . ” On November 23 , 2008 , Hedgecock scored his first career touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals in the form of a 2 - yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning . He was the lead blocker for two 1 , 000 - yard rushers ( Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward ) for the 2008 New York Giants . With Hedgecock as the fullback the Giants rushed for over 2 , 500 yards and had a team rushing average of 5 . 0 yards a carry , both among the league leaders as the Giants ended with a 12 - 4 record . Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun wrote , " Ravens inside linebacker Bart Scott says one of the major keys to stopping the Giants ' running game is to stop fullback Madison Hedgecock in the hole . That sounds like an easy task , but it isn ' t especially since Hedgecock weighs 266 pounds . " Hedgecock states that he is more concerned with the team doing well that personal honors and after the Giants had run for over 200 yards against the Eagles , Cowboys and Ravens in 2008 he reveled , " How many yards have we run the last three weeks ? " Hedgecock said near his locker , a wad of tobacco caressing his gums , blue towel around his waist . Several hundred , someone answered . " None of those defenses playing us were pushovers . " After the 2008 season for the Giants , Hedgecock was voted as a First Alternate to the Pro Bowl and was a Second - team All - Pro by the Associated Press . He also drew praise from Hall of Fame tackle Dan Dierdorf , " Hedgecock won ' t ever lead the NFL in rushing but he ' ll lead block for a lot a yards and he ' s a gifted recevier with soft hands who runs good routes . " Hedgeock also was named to the " Sports Illustrated " All - Pro team by Peter King who quipped , " Not sure , but I think he ' s got an anvil in his pads . " Giant teammate , All - Pro Justin Tuck told Pro Football Weekly , " Madison plays with reckless abandon , his tolerance for pain is just phenomenal " . One of the backs who rushed for 1 , 000 yards in 2008 , Brandon Jacobs added , " He makes good blocks all the time and that ' s what we need from him , to come out and do his job and he does it really well . " Jacobs added , " When he flattens a guy , that makes us jump . That gets me excited when I see something like that , when he gets going with a full head of steam and then knocking somebody out . That ' s what he does , he puts people on their backs . " Said Hedgecock , " I just block . I just square my guys . " Hedgecock ' s impressive run blocking led to 1 , 000 rushing yards for both Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward during the 2008 NFL season . In 2009 Hedgecock played the season with a torn labrum for which he had off - season surgery . The following season , 2010 , he had a hamstring injury that landed him on injured reserve after only four games that season . He was released by the Giants on July 28 , 2011 due to failing his physical . Hedgecock stated his degenerative disc disease in his back would likely end his career , " I ' m old and beat up , " Hedgecock said . " If I keep playing , it ' s going to get worse and worse . My hamstring ( 2010 injury ) , was because of the back being out of whack . " He also wished his replacement well , " Hopefully , they can get somebody else to do what I used to do . Maybe one of the younger guys will step up and do a good job there . " Hedgecock said he was contacted by one of his former head coaches ( who coaches a team in the midwest ) to see if he was physically able to play a role in blocking for a " consistent 1 , 500 rusher " but had to decline the invitation due to the severity of his back . He also heard from the head coach who once let him go , and " we buried the hatchet " . " ' He told me releasing me was as big a mistake as he made there and my replacement let him down ' . " That made up for it and I never wish a man ill for things in that are in the past " , said Hedgecock . Personal . In his free time , Hedgecock enjoys farming and researching American history . He is particularly interested in the American Civil War . He is also a NASCAR fan and was seen in Richmond in early May . In addition , Madison hosts an annual summer football camp for children ages 7 – 18 at William Paterson University in Wayne , New Jersey .