ALAMEDA -- He catches, he blocks, but he doesn't run. With the ball, that is.

That makes Raiders starting fullback Jon Ritchie a rarity, not only in the NFL but on his own team, as Oakland uses so many backs in its rushing attack.

It's not that Ritchie isn't capable. He's a 6-foot-1, 250-pounder with good hands and enough quickness to catch 104 passes and score two touchdowns in his nearly 3 1/2 seasons in the league. Not bad for a 1998 third-round draft pick out of Stanford.

But he hasn't carried the ball since 1999, when he did it five times for a total of 12 yards. He gained more as a rookie, when he ran for 23 yards in nine carries, including a career-long gain of 14 yards.

What makes all of this even more interesting is that Oakland led the league in rushing last year, a season in which Ritchie never ran the ball.

"That's not my gig here," said Ritchie. "It's much less an issue to me than it may be to my roommate, or my mom, or (reporters). Ö I'm glad to be out there blocking. It's just an honor to be a player."

It's been so long between carries that Ritchie and his teammates can scarcely remember the last one.

"Ritchie run the football? Man, if he's done it, I haven't seen it," said defensive end Tony Bryant.

Not even in practice?

"Nope," Bryant replied.

Is it possible the Raiders, in their secret workouts behind locked gates, are plotting a surprise carry for Ritchie in Monday night's game against the Denver Broncos?

"This could be the game," said coach Jon Gruden, smiling.

Perhaps. But don't expect Broncos coach Mike Shanahan or his defensive coordinator, Ray Rhodes, to lose any sleep over it.

The Raiders' backfield depth allows Gruden too many options.

"If I were the coach or quarterback, I'd rather give it to Tyrone (Wheatley), Charlie (Garner) or one of those other guys, too," Ritchie said.

Which is exactly what Gruden does. He seemingly has specialists to cover every occasion.

Zack Crockett, for example, is basically a designated fullback for short-yardage situations when the Raiders need a first down or touchdown near the goal line. Ironically, on the same play, Ritchie could even be on the field to block for him.

Terry Kirby, another versatile reserve, has the size and speed to fill Crockett's role, or to take over when Wheatley, the Raiders' best power runner, isn't available.

It so happens that Wheatley may be idle or limited Monday because of a severe knee sprain that he suffered Oct. 14 at Indianapolis. He did not play against Philadelphia last week, and Friday was his first practice for Denver.

With the Raiders down one healthy back, there's a possibility Gruden will be tempted to let quarterback Rich Gannon hand off to Ritchie instead of throw to him.

A native of Mechanicsburg, Pa., Ritchie led Cumberland Valley High School to a state title his senior year by rushing for 1,925 yards and 29 touchdowns. He was the nation's top-rated high school fullback.

He played two years at Michigan, gaining 120 yards in 33 carries, and two seasons at Stanford, where he finished with 95 yards in 17 carries.

Given that college rushing history, Ritchie's Oakland experience hasn't been all that shocking.

"It's been a long time since I carried the ball. I don't think I would know what to do with it," Ritchie said. "I mean, I like helping the chains move, but I can accomplish that through imparting a solid block on a linebacker, the same as catching the ball. I don't know if I've been brainwashed by the system or what, but I really do enjoy doing what they ask me to do."

If Ritchie, a scholastic All-American in high school, sounds offbeat, it's because he is. He uses an expansive vocabulary, plays the guitar and saxophone, sings and composes songs. He also does a weekly television show from various locations, including a rodeo and a Halloween specialty store, called "Mental Blocks."

The show is less about football and more about other worldly interests. This appeals to Ritchie but not his coach.

"I am not a fan of that show," said Gruden.

But Ritchie is all business on the field.

"He's been a big part of our offense since he's been here," said Gruden, who made Ritchie a starter as a rookie. "But his main role is as a blocker and then as a receiver. Not as a runner."