COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - Growing up, two things loomed large in Tim Fultz's life.
 
Golf and Saint John's.
 
Golf because his family lived across the road from Stillwater Country Club, where his grandfather was a member. 
 
And Saint John's because his father Todd, a 1990 graduate, was a standout wide receiver for the Johnnies and still ranks among the program's all-time leaders in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
 
Todd has remained connected to the school over the years and shared that passion with his son.
 
"We'd always go up there for a football game or two every fall," Tim recalled. "And most of my dad's friends are Johnnies. He'd always introduce me to guys he went to school with … saying 'He's a good guy. You should get to know him.'
 
"I think that shaped my perception of Saint John's even more than being around the campus. The people I met who went there were all great guys and very friendly. They were there to help you with something if they could. I was always impressed by that."
 
Fultz's first memory of being on campus is getting a root beer float at the Reef with his father and legendary head football coach John Gagliardi. When he was eight, he jokingly accepted an invitation to play football for the Johnnies extended by Gagliardi's son Jim '89, then SJU's offensive coordinator and a good friend of his dad.
 
As he got older though, and began to excel on the golf course, he started exploring other options.
 
But it was a quiet summer Sunday-night stop on campus, on the way home from a golf tournament in which he'd competed in Alexandria, that made him realize Collegeville was the place he wanted to be.
 
"There was hardly anyone on campus and we drove around," he recalled. "We stopped at the football field. We went to the golf building. We walked in the Quad, and a classroom door was open so we were able to go in. I saw a different side of campus and got a feel for what it would be like to go here."
 
His father couldn't have been happier with his decision as Tim was the only one of his three children to enroll at CSB or SJU. Oldest daughter Mary was a standout basketball player at Missouri Western State before graduating earlier this year. Youngest daughter Madeline, 20, attended esthetician school.
 
"I was thinking I might have to adopt some kids to send them up here," Todd said with a laugh.
 
"Really, that Sunday night visit to campus (with Tim) was kind of my Hail Mary. I didn't want to push too hard, but I was hoping it would have an impact."
 
But while Fultz developed his father's devotion to the school, his first two years at SJU were not easy from a golf standpoint.
 
"I struggled a lot," he said. "I didn't have a good tournament until I was a junior. It got really frustrating at times, but my teammates were so encouraging. They told me about the struggles they went through. That helped a lot.
 
"I relied on my parents for support quite a bit, too. They made sure I didn't give up, even if there were times I wanted to."
 
His father knows plenty about resilience. Todd was seriously injured in a head-on car crash in July of 2008, requiring five major surgeries. He had to learn to walk again and still feels the effects today.
 
But he persevered, writing a book about his experience entitled "The Year of Little Victories."
 
"As bad as the accident was, we still wrestled a bunch," Tim said. "He still threw the football and played basketball with me. There's a drive and a motor to him that doesn't shut off. We live on a hobby farm now and there's always work to be done. I can tell when he's had a long day because he'll be hobbling around. But he won't quit. He's not someone who gives up easily."
 
Tim didn't either, and things came together a year ago. He earned All-MIAC honors with a fourth-place finish at the conference meet last October, then earned medalist honors two times and was twice named MIAC player of the week during the spring.

"That happens here," SJU coach Chris Howe '99 said. "Guys trust the system and put in the work. They get in the golf facility and use the resources we have there. Then one day, things start to click. He's a great poster boy for that."

Now Fultz is hoping to continue that success as he enters his final season. The Johnnies compete for the second time this fall at the Minnesota Golf Classic this Saturday (Sept. 6) and Sunday (Sept. 7).

"My goal is to play in the national championship," Fultz said. "That means we need to win the conference meet and get the automatic bid, so we don't have to hope for an at-large berth.

"The conference meet (Sept. 27-29 at Edinburgh Golf Course in Brooklyn Park) is what we're focused on."

Individually, Fultz is proud to be following in his father's footsteps by achieving athletic success at SJU.

"I've heard for so long about what a great career he had here, and when I wasn't playing well, I felt bad because I wanted to have a similar story," he said.

"Now that things are going better, it's a nice feeling. I'm carving out my own spot."