Fisher finds a happy home at Auburn

AUBURN - Despite championship football bloodlines, Trent Fisher didn't get a lot of recruiting as a senior at Christ Presbyterian Academy in Nashville. College recruiters didn't think he was quite big enough or quite fast enough.

Auburn safety Trent Fisher/Todd Van Emst photo

But Fisher, the son of the-Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher, believed he could play at a high level. Auburn offered him the opportunity to prove it as an invited walk-on.

"I had a couple of I-AA offers from small schools and was invited to walk on a couple of other places," Fisher said. "My older sister just graduated from Auburn. With her being here, I’d been around it the last few years. I kind of felt like God was putting it on my heart this is where I needed to be. He ended up opening up the door for me."

Two years later, much has changed. Jeff Fisher is now the St. Louis Rams head coach. Trent Fisher is bigger and faster. And is in the heat of competition at free safety as Auburn heads into its first scrimmage of preseason camp tonight at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

"I'm having fun," Fisher said. "At the end of the day, for me, that's what it's all about, just going out there and when I get a chance giving it 100 percent."

Fisher was redshirted in 2010 and played mostly special teams before a foot injury sidelined him for the second half of last season. He studied and worked. By the end of spring practice he'd made it clear he intended to compete for the starting job at free safety.

"He's very intelligent and loves football," Auburn coach Gene Chizik said. "He's been around the game all his life. He's going to help our football team."

Fisher knows what NFL teams look like. He spent most of his life with inside view of Titans. He

"One thing I definitely learned about was hard work," Fisher said, "hanging around my dad for so long and watching him coach and the other players, getting to see how much time you have to put in to be successful."

That knowledge has served Fisher well since the arrival of defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder and his NFL defensive scheme.

"It's tough," Fisher said. "There is definitely a lot of pressure on all of us. The DB's, the linebackers, everybody has to make calls. It's definitely an NFL system. It's what we need. The coaches are putting us in position to make plays with this defense."

There is ample competition at safety. Junior Demetruce McNeal, sophomore Erique Florence, sophomore Jermaine Whitehead, junior Ryan Smith and senior Ikeem Means will get chances today to make their cases.

"I'm not too worried about that right now," Fisher said. "I'm just trying to have fun and compete. That will all sort itself out."

For a video of Trent Fisher's latest interview, follow the link below.

TRENT FISHER VIDEO