(Update: Paddy Fisher named B1G Defensive Player of the Week)
Northwestern middle linebacker Paddy Fisher said last night that he set a goal in training camp to lead the team in tackles. Fisher currently has 73, and that’s 18 more than any of his teammates. If you watch Northwestern football regularly, you’ll hear the name Paddy Fisher over and over again, because he’s quite often in on the stop.
He’s a defensive play-maker and a tackling machine.
Said Northwestern football coach and program patriarch Pat Fitzgerald of Paddy Fisher:
“His confidence is going up and up, every play, every rep. He’s got a great work ethic. The sky’s the limit.”
The 6-4, 245 redshirt freshman had two forced fumbles, 17 tackles (14 solo) last night in the 39-31 triple overtime upset win over #16 Michigan State. The total was one shy of his career high set at Duke. That total was good enough for the most single game tackles by a first year player, and 10th best overall nationally.
He came into the State contest leading all rookies in total tackles with 56, and tackles per game (8). His 14 solo tackles are the most in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) this season, as well as the second-most in school history and most since 2005, when Tim McGarigle had 15 solo tackles for the Wildcats against Wisconsin.
He left as someone having experienced his very first fans-storming-the-field celebration.
#Northwestern fans storm the field, after 39-36 upset in triple OT over #16 #michiganstate #MSUvsNW #MSUvsNU #B1GCats pic.twitter.com/HsSCf98qCQ
— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) October 28, 2017
“You don’t see that every day,” Fisher said in regards to the field-storming. “To be a part of that, that was awesome, just shows how much the school cares and the fans care.”
Fitzgerald who himself won two time AP Defensive Player of the Year at the Mike position during his playing days, described the entertainment value of the game:
“The modern fan will probably be more excited about this game because everybody just wants to see 98-97…I just want to win. I don’t care what it takes. I thought it was a heck of a college football game.”
It’s fitting that in a season in which NU has made its way primarily by defense, the man who quarterbacks that D has emerged as one of the brightest stars.
It’s also quite apt that this star player resides at the same exact position as the man who serves as face of the program.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now and Minute Media. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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