Seattle Seahawks fullback and West Virginia cult hero Owen Schmitt wrapped up his inaugural football camp in Charleston, West Virginia today, and tells Jacob Messer of The Charleston Daily Mail that he hopes this is the year he cracks the starting lineup.

"I feel like I'm in the best shape that I have been in in a while," Schmitt said. "I'm just looking to get over that hump a little bit as far as breaking into the starting lineup.

"I'm fired up."

Chosen by the Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft, the 6-2, 247-pound Schmitt has five rushing attempts for 21 yards, 12 receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown, and 10 special teams tackles during his 30-game NFL career.

Of course, true fullbacks aren't there to tote the rock, they're there to block, something Schmitt has done quite well during his limited playing time.

Schmitt has appeared in around 13% of the Seahawks' official offensive snaps the last two seasons, serving as the back-up to Leonard Weaver in 2008, and last season was behind Justin Griffith, a veteran who has spent his entire career starting for former Seahawks offensive coordinator Greg Knapp. (Griffith signed last month with the Texans, where Knapp now coaches the quarterbacks)

Schmitt will be playing for his third head coach (Pete Carroll) and third offensive coordinator (Jeremy Bates) in as many seasons.

"That has been a big shock," Schmitt said of the coaching changes. "I struggled the first two years just because I was kind of finding out who I was and what I had to do."

Heading into training camp, Schmitt's primary competition for a spot on the 53-man roster is Ryan Powdrell, who played for Carroll at USC and whose lone experience in an NFL regular season was two weeks on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad. Running back Quinton Ganther, arrested on suspicion of DUI last weekend in Sacramento, is another competitor for what may be one fullback spot on this year's roster.

Under Bates, the Seahawks' offense is expected to utilize more 2-tight end, single-back formations. This could mean a franchise that has traditionally kept three tight ends, may be take a fourth into the 2010 season, with the fullback position being a position the 'Hawks go thin at.