Century graduate Fisher all about team at Augustana University

Jack Fisher, a former standout football, basketball and track-and-field athlete at Century, is in his second year at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, S.D., where he is a wide receiver on the football team.

After experiencing a freshman year in which there was no football season due to COVID-19, Fisher played in all 12 games for an Augustana team that finished 9-3 this past fall and won the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference title. Fisher finished with 17 catches for 233 yards and one touchdown. The 6-foot-2 speedster had a season-high four catches for 80 yards and a touchdown in a crucial win against Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Fisher is one of four Rochester high school graduates on the team, including freshman Isaiah Huber (receiver, Century), junior Ben Limburg (kicker, Lourdes) and sophomore Zach Nickels (long snapper, Lourdes). Limburg is the starting kicker and was 44-for-47 on PAT attempts and 10-for-16 on field goals this past season.

POST BULLETIN: Your first year at Augustana there was no season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. What was that like for you and the team?

FISHER: It was bad not to have a season. But for me and the younger guys, it was good to have a year of practicing and getting to know the system. In that way, it worked well for us.

PB: What other schools were you considering and what made Augustana your choice?

FISHER: It was between Augustana and Minnesota. Minnesota was offering me to play as a walk-on. But Augustana is a great place. It was a great decision to be here. When you talk about family (atmosphere) and opportunity, this has been a great place to be. The guys on the team welcomed me right away and coach (Jerry Olszewski) is an amazing man. He gave me the opportunity to play. The coaching staff is amazing here.

What led you to pick football over basketball?

FISHER: I didn’t have that many opportunities to play basketball (in college). I have no idea why, to be honest. But by my senior year, I’d fallen in love with football. The difference with football is you need every person to play at their best level, every single play. In basketball, you can have one or two guys running the show. In football, you have to have everyone.

PB: What has been the biggest adjustment, going from high school football to Division II college football?

FISHER: The biggest adjustment has been the speed of the game; the game just moves so much faster in college. You have to think a lot faster. When the defense is shifting, you have to quickly figure out who to block and what route to run. There is just a lot of adjusting.

PB: What area do you think you need to improve in most?

FISHER: The physicality of football in college is a big thing. Jumping from high school to college, it is a big change. But I can always improve everything. My speed is pretty good, but we have some speedy wideouts here.

PB: One of your Augustana teammates is freshman Isaiah Huber, who was a standout running back at Century and is one year younger than you. He was redshirted this season and has moved to receiver, like you. How is he faring?

FISHER: He can be a big contributor with us, with his speed and physicality. He’s adjusting well to wide receiver and is doing an amazing job. He got the route running down in a short amount of time.

PB: Is there a chance he’s going to dig into your playing time this fall?

FISHER: That is not a concern of mine at all. If he gets playing time and it’s in front of me, I’m not going to worry about it. We all play as one here.

PB: What were your biggest highlights this past season?

FISHER: We had an amazing season (winning the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular-season title). It was just fun to see the older guys push this team to the limit. We didn’t go deep into the playoffs, but it was still a great season, winning the NSIC championship. My best game likely came against (Minnesota State) Mankato. Getting your first touchdown is always good. Our quarterback launched it 40 yards in the air to me and it came in a big win for us.

PB: What’s your No. 1 strength as a college receiver?

FISHER: I’d say my speed mostly and my ability to catch the ball.

PB: What do you think of when you consider this present Augustana football team?

FISHER: I think of family. We are all really close and always have been, whether that is on the field or off of it. Everyone is there for you, whether that is the players or the coaches.

PB: Do you have any personal football goals for yourself as you look ahead to the 2022 season?

FISHER: Just to help the team in any way that I can. We want to pick up where we left off last year, as NSIC champions.

PB: One of your best high school friends was Mark Leonard. He is now at the University of Sioux Falls, where he plays tight end for their football team. Living in the same city, how often do you see him?

FISHER: I see him some. It’s difficult because we both have such busy schedules. But I occasionally catch up with him on weekends. (Former Century teammate) Donaven Johnson is also at (the University of Sioux Falls, where he plays football). The four of us (Fisher, Huber, Leonard, Johnson) got out sometimes and catch up.

PB: Augustana played Sioux Falls last season and lost, 28-26. What was that like?

FISHER: That game was tough; there was bragging rights on the line. But it was the same as every game. Those losses always hurt. And that it was against a rival school in our conference, that hurt even more.