Former Philadelphia Eagles receiver Travis Fulgham signed with the B.C. Lions this winter. He’s the son of American foreign aid workers and he grew up abroad until high school
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Travis Fulgham’s life story could double as a geography class.
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The new B.C. Lions receiver is the son of longtime American foreign aid workers and he spent the better part of his first 15 years living abroad.
Born in Alexandria, Va., Fulgham moved with his family to Amman, Jordan, when he was just six months old. That was followed by stays in Cairo, Egypt and then Pretoria, South Africa. A return to Jordan came next, and then finally a stint in New Delhi, India, before Fulgham came back to Virginia to finish high school.
He played on his first football team in Grade 11, then moved on to university ball at Old Dominion before being picked by the Detroit Lions in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He was a starter with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020, then bounced between a series of NFL teams before signing on with B.C. as a free agent in January.
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“It’s made me appreciate everything that I have,” Fulgham, 28, says of his upbringing. “My mom worked in developing countries. You saw some of the opposite ends of the spectrum. I don’t take any day for granted. It’s a blessing to be where I’m at, and especially being here and playing in Canada.
“It was amazing. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. Living in different countries, experiencing how people live, was amazing.”
Fulgham’s parents Alonzo and Celeste met in the Peace Corps, and both would join the United States Agency for International Development. They split up when Fulgham was a youngster, and he followed his mom on her assignments. He has two sisters.
He doesn’t wonder about his football career had he started the game earlier. He was a fan growing up; he watched NFL games on the American Forces Network.He took part in every other sport offered to him, including basketball, swimming, rugby and cricket.
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“If there was a cricket league somewhere close now and I could find the time to make it work, I could certainly still play,” he said.
The Egyptian pyramids are considered among the world’s great wonders and when he lived in Cairo, the site was just a drive away.
“It was maybe an hour or so,” he said.
He’s met people from all over the globe and experienced different cultures. He’s tasted a variety of cuisines, lists Thai, Indian and Italian as his favourite three — and he has now found a Vietnamese restaurant that he likes.
It’s given Fulgham the travelling bug. He says he’s been to 50 countries and is planning a trip to South America in the off-season.
“When I’m done football where am I living? That’s the million dollar question,” Fulgham said. “Right now my top is either Central America or Southeast Asia. I’ve taken some trips and I’ve fallen in love with the food, the people and the way of living.”
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The Lions are hoping that Fulgham is a frequent traveller to opposing end zones over the next few months. The team is hosting the Grey Cup Nov. 17 at B.C. Place. Fulgham says bluntly that “we’re here to win it all.”
They’re aiming to do it with a new-look receiving corps. Starting last year the names to know among the pass catchers were Dominique Rhymes, Lucky Whitehead and Keon Hatcher. The team cut ties with Rhymes and Whitehead in the off-season. Hatcher (torn Achilles) is starting the season on the six-game injured list and is expected to be out until Labour Day.
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Fulgham will be among those getting a chance to fill those voids.
The Washington Post and ESPN were penning feature stories about Fulgham in 2020, not long after he had come off of the Philadelphia practice roster and went for 10 catches and 152 yards with one touchdown in 38-29 Week 5 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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Philadelphia’s doctors and trainers were working putting in long hours that season. The Eagles lost 126 man games to injury, which was the second highest total in the league.Fulgham got into 13 games and made eight starts, and led the team with 539 receiving yards. He had 38 catches, including four touchdowns.
The team wound up 4-11-1. They changed coaches in the off-season, they got healthy and they waived Fulgham. He was picked up on waivers by the Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos and then the Green Bay Packers after that, but could never garner anything more than practice roster time.
Fulgham wants to get back to the NFL again. That’s clear. To do it, he says he needs to “play my best and win the Grey Cup…it starts there.”
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“I’ve been better since then,” he said when asked about his 2020 run. “I just need an opportunity.”
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