Cardinal Coach's Corner: Tucker Fisk
One of the staples of the Stanford program over the past 10 years has been a consistent group of great tight ends.
For that reason, it was no surprise to see the Cardinal coaching staff hone in on two priority recruits for the 2017 class.
Shortly after receiving a commitment from Colby Parkinson, the coaching staff added a second commit in the 2017 class, when Tucker Fisk made his decision.
We caught up with his head coach at Davis High School, John Wiley, to get a breakdown on the Stanford legacy in this edition of Cardinal Coach’s Corner.
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CSR: With Tucker being a Stanford legacy, was there the sense that if Stanford did offer, that would ultimately be his destination?
John Wiley: Yeah, I think he has talked about having this dream as far back as he can remember about wanting to play at Stanford. He wanted to experience the same joys his father did and wanted to have his own chance to make a legacy at Stanford.
CSR: What do you think makes Stanford such a good fit for Tucker at the next level?
Wiley: You think of the academics and the integrity and character of the kids. Tucker fits that mold to a T. They do a great job of developing tight ends and that is the position that Tucker plays now, and I can see him going there and excelling. At one point, Miami was known for their tight ends, but in the last decade or so Stanford has really become the school known for developing athletic tight ends.
CSR: Was there anything unique about the way the Stanford coaches handled recruiting Tucker?
Wiley: The only thing that was unique was the time frame. I think they just do a diligent job of evaluating and assessing the athlete before even making it known that they have an interest. Sometimes, people say they come late to the party, but in a lot of ways they come at just the right time.
CSR: Having coached Tucker, what do you think are his biggest strengths that will prepare him for the next level?
Wiley: The biggest strength that Tucker has is determination. He is always looking at ways to improve. When you are obviously the best athlete on the field pretty much every night, he knows that he still needs to bring it. He just doesn’t go out there and live off his family name or talent level. He is determined to make his own name known and he is always looking to get better.
CSR: Like any recruit preparing for the next level, there will be areas that Tucker needs to improve on. What are some of the key things he needs to focus on?
Wiley: The biggest thing for him, and I think he knows this, he needs to get better at route recognition. The game is going to be so fast at the next level, and there are going to be guys that are just strong and just as fast as him, if not faster and stronger. He needs to be detailed in his craft, and you can see that each and everyday, that he is trying to get better at his craft.