2017 Introduction: Tucker Fisk

A Bay Area receiver by the name of David Shaw was joined by another local product who would go on to achieve significant success in the sport of football in Stanford's 1991 recruiting class. Like Shaw, Davis High School graduate Jason Fisk played on The Farm in the early-1990's. Fisk, who was coached by Shaw's father, Willie, for one season in college, went on to play a decade in the NFL after concluding his career with the Cardinal.

Shaw, of course, is now the head coach at his alma mater. Among the tight ends Stanford is recruiting in the 2017 class is a Davis High School standout by the name of Tucker Fisk, the son of Shaw's former classmate.

"He says good things about Coach Shaw," Fisk said of his father.

Tucker didn't necessarily grow up as a die-hard fan of the Cardinal despite his significant ties to the university. The lows of the Buddy Teevens and Walt Harris era diminished the excitement of even a prominent and successful football alum like Jason Fisk.

"Until recently, (my father) really wasn't a huge fan himself," Tucker Fisk said. "Stanford had some subpar years so he wasn't really super into it. We never went to the games - we didn't really live all that close. And so, I mean, growing up it wasn't a lot. I think maybe eighth or ninth grade for me he started getting back into it. So since then I've been rooting for them but before that, not really."

Tucker Fisk's lasting memory from the early days of his Stanford fandom wasn't the result of any single game or play. Rather, he enjoyed watching the Stanford resurgence with his father, who rediscovered his passion for Cardinal pigskin along the way.

"I just remember they weren't great for a while and then the first year that they got good with Coach Harbaugh, I remember my dad was really, really excited for a while," Fisk said. "It was just cool to see him excited and watch it with him."

Now, the Fisk family might start to ponder the possibility of Tucker following in his father's footsteps - or perhaps playing his college football at a Pac-12 rival. Fisk is a three-star tight end (and the No. 31 player in California) in the early 2017 Rivals rankings. He holds offers from UCLA, Washington, Cal and UC Davis.

Stanford's recruitment of Tucker Fisk is still in the early stages.

"I've talked a little bit to Coach Turner and Coach Hart," Fisk said. "Not a lot until recently. They've started talking to me."

"Coach Hart just told me to be patient, that they're slow recruiters and they'd be in close contact soon."

Fisk camped with the Cardinal over summer and was among a talented group of recruits to take in the Stanford/Notre Dame game over the weekend.

"It was good," Fisk said. "It was a good game to be at. It was a really close game, really cool atmosphere. We got to storm the field at the end of the game, which was fun."

As one might expect, Fisk does hold interest in the Cardinal. But the three-star tight end's father's success on The Farm won't influence his own decision.

"I'm interested," Fisk said. "Everyone's got to be interested in Stanford. It's a good school with good football. But it's not like my interest in them is any higher because of my dad. Anyone who's anyone would be interested, right, but it's not like it's necessarily more because of my dad."

Academics, coaching staff and fit with players and institution are among the factors Fisk will consider in his recruitment.