Vol Report
Tennessee Stat Book
UCLA Bruins
Perhaps it's only natural that it took senior defensive tackle Walter Fisher until his third season at Tennessee to be counted on as a big-time contributor.
The former Hillsboro High School/Coffeyville Community College star came to UT in 2006 with bad shoulders and slated to play a new position, defensive tackle, after playing linebacker in high school and defensive end in junior college.
Since then, Fisher hasn't recorded a sack at UT, has only three tackles for a loss and has recorded just 35 total tackles.
"You have to learn how to play in there and he had to overcome an injury situation," defensive tackles coach Dan Brooks said.
By all accounts, Fisher has done that. He's universally considered one of UT's top three defensive tackles and has started two scrimmages during preseason camp.
Fisher's emergence sets up an interesting debate for Brooks as he doles out playing time. Junior Dan Williams was the most productive tackle in practice this preseason, Brooks said, yet Fisher is still being counted on as a starter.
Fisher has practically tripled his upper body strength since being released from his latest shoulder surgery following the 2006 season. Fisher has gone from bench-pressing 225 pounds eight times to at least 23 repetitions.
"I've never been healthy and I'm 100 percent healthy," Fisher said following Wednesday's practice. "It's all coming together and it couldn't come at a better time, my senior year."
After struggling to gain weight while dealing with his long list of injuries, Fisher enters his senior season weighing 290 pounds after playing much of last season at 270.
"Last year I said to myself 'I should still be playing linebacker.' " Fisher joked.
Fisher is so happy just to be working out without pain that he even has a dumbbell at home and performs 200 curls a day - on each arm.
Yet, despite being bigger, Fisher is faster. Just ask junior Rico McCoy, who has better than a bird's eye view of Fisher from his linebacker position.
"Walter Fisher is getting off the ball faster," McCoy said in a low whisper to emphasis the point.
McCoy said he's not surprised. He saw UT's defensive tackles show significant improvement toward the end of last season.
"Last stretch of the season, those guys were playing big-time ball," McCoy said. "Playing behind them right now, I love it. I don't know which linebacker wouldn't."
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Tennessee defeats Georgia 3-2 in…
Memorable moments in Pat Summitt's…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 9
scvolalum writes:
Our dt's should fare better this year because opposing qb's will have to look to second and third options due to better coverage in the secondary. I could be wrong, but still hoping. Let's all hope that the Vols are sharp in LA.
Go Vols
FWBVol writes:
I like hearing Fisher is up to 290. I believe he can be a good DT at 270, but it's going to be a lot easier for him to hold his own at 290.
With Fisher, Williams and Bolden all in the 290-300 pound range we should be in good shape with our top three guys. Now if we can just develop a little depth we should be OK on the inside of the D-line.
It could be shaping up to be a magical year.
GO BIG ORANGE!!!
SmokeDog72 writes:
Bolden needs to get nasty. With his skills he could be ripping people's heads off.
txvolsfan writes:
I really like our first 3 DT's, let's just hope that is all we need. I agree SmokeDog, Bolden needs to really rise to the occasion this year.
TXVOLSFAN
GreerVol22 writes:
"He's universally considered one of UT's top three defensive tackles"
Considering there are only three....
ccVOLS615 writes:
Ok so i think i have an idea for the spread offence,and i know im getting a little ahead of myself, but i might not be able to post much longer. So if anyone thinks this is a good idea please spread the word. Or if anyone knows of a rule that would prohibit this idea maybe they could shead some light on it for me. Here goes first i watched some of the florida game and a few others where the teams were running the spread. And while this idea doesnt include stoping the whole offence. I think it could stop one particular play that hurts everyone. The play where the QB hands the ball off to the RB or fakes the handoff and keeps the ball himself. Every time the QB does hand the ball off they run almost half heartedly to one side or the other always away from the RB but they dont run all out as they would if they had the ball, And eventually they all stop and look at the RB to see what happens to the guy with the ball. Once every one figures out that the QB didnt keep the ball they don't worry about him they all go after the RB. I suggest that just like with the option when the QB tosses the ball right before he gets hit and the deffense goes on and tackles him that we do the same thing to tebow every time he runs that play. Have a LB (G williams preferably) go and declete him take his head off and piledrive him to the ground..... Ball or not even if the LB knows he doesnt have the ball have one person (G.W) or any LB assigned to that play every time tebow hands off and then runs like he has the ball that one person doesnt worry about the man with the ball his job is to CRUSH the QB(Tebow) let the killer secondary tackle the RB. The QB's faking like he has the ball so if anyone thinks he has it and floors him there shouldn t be a problem with that. Since I notteiced that most of the time they dont run full speed and really stop looking in front of them but turn to watch the play. I'd say they would be perfact targets for decleting piledriving smashing bashing crushing or any other ing for that matter, And after a few of those smashings I think old urban meyer my think twice about running that play vary often. Or at least it would limit one of the hardest plays to stop. so let me know what everyone think's about that and if there's any rule that would prohibit doing such a thing.............18 hours till kickoff GO VOLS crush the bruins
orangebloodgmc writes:
cc, you may have something there. I always said that if I played an option team I would try to knock the soup out of the qb EVERY play, whether he pitched it or not.
ThaiVolFan writes:
Good idea cc
VolunteerMan writes:
I would rather have all 11 running to the ball. The reason you can afford to do that on option is that you are making the qb make the decision. He's not pitching it and then you're making your move to take his head off, he's pitching it because you're making the move to take his head off.
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.