ARTICLE TOOLS

E-mail story

Comments

Printer friendly version

iPod friendly version

Share This

Text Size: A A A A

Tennessee: Fisher wants strong finish

By: Wes Rucker
(Contact)

Included in this article

KNOXVILLE — The prologue to Walter Fisher’s “homecoming” game hasn’t been close to what he expected.

The Nashville native grew up dreaming of playing football for the University of Tennessee, but the former Hillsboro High School star had to attend Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College before enrolling at UT.

Fisher, All-State high school linebacker, was all-but forced to gain 40 pounds and play defensive end at Coffeyville. He was then asked to gain more weight and play defensive tackle at UT, something he willingly did but never understood.

After finally getting comfortable and playing well at tackle this season, he suffered a bad case of turf toe that included “sprained ligaments and stuff.”

Fisher still won’t be 100 percent Saturday, when the Vols (3-7, 1-5 Southeastern Conference) travel to his hometown and face Vanderbilt (6-4, 4-3) as an underdog.

“I do not want to go home after this season is over knowing that I lost to Vanderbilt,” Fisher said Wednesday afternoon. “I’m not trying to say that in a negative way or nothing. It’s just that I’ve got a lot of family members that love Tennessee, and for me to lose to Vanderbilt and then go home and walk around like nothing’s happening, that’s not going to fly with them.

“We just have to win this game.”

Regardless of Saturday’s outcome, Vanderbilt will play in a bowl game for the first time since 1982. And the Vols will miss a bowl for the second time since 1989.

“I really don’t think about it too much,” Fisher said. “If we win, that would be a great thing. And if it spoils them, hey, that’s football.”

Fisher said he and his teammates have two things to play for at this point — sending lame duck coach Phillip Fulmer out with two wins, and “the ‘T’ on their helmets.

“We’ve got a tradition going on here,” Fisher added. “This season didn’t go too well for everybody. I didn’t expect my senior season to be 3-7 as of right now, at all, especially coming back from last season. It’s definitely a pride thing. Going out on two wins would be lovely at this point. Just to go out on two wins and prove that this team could win in the SEC, because I don’t care what anybody says, we are a good team.

“Just like Coach (Fulmer) said, ‘We’re the best 3-7 team anybody’s probably ever seen.’”

Defensive line coach Dan Brooks said Fisher would probably need “at least a month” to fully recover from his toe injury, but that Fisher has tried to stay in the lineup since the injury occurred Oct. 11 at Georgia.

Brooks said Fisher, junior tackle Dan Williams and junior end Wes Brown will all be “very limited, but they will tough it out and try to help.”

“(Fisher) has tried to help,” Brooks said. “They’ve all played through it tough, some more than others. If something happens early in a game, they might not be as effective, but they’ve certainly tried to be out there every bit that they can.”

HARDESTY HEALTHY (ENOUGH)

Junior tailback Montario Hardesty said he will play Saturday after taking two weeks with a re-aggravated stress fracture in his lower left leg.

“I’m good, man,” Hardesty said after Tuesday’s practice. “It needed a little time off, and I guess it swelled up a little bit. It feels good, though.

“It’s not really sore that much. It was a little bit sorer today than it was Sunday, but it’s nothing that’s going to stop me from doing anything.”

Hardesty said he hasn’t been limited much in practice.

“Instead of maybe getting four reps in a period, I might get two or three,” he said. “(Trainers) are just cutting down on the amount of impact I get.

“But come game time, I’ll be out there doing everything I usually do.”

Hardesty could start if senior Arian Foster misses a second consecutive game with a bruised thigh. Foster was held out again Wednesday.

“I’m going to prepare to get out there and play,” said Hardesty, whose promising career has been plagued with several leg injuries. “So whether it be starting or not, I’ll be ready come Saturday.”

Junior quarterback Jonathan Crompton said Hardesty’s return would be big for a struggling offense.

“That’s a big key,” Crompton said. “Everybody could see how productive our offense was with him in the running game. He helps our offense a lot, and it will be tremendous if we can get him back.”

--30--

Comments