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When Travis Fisher was the defensive backs coach for Nebraska, defensive coordinator Erik Chinander called him from a recruiting trip in Montgomery, Ala.

Chinander was interested in Cam Taylor-Britt, a dual-threat quarterback who had no Division I offers given his 5-foot-11 frame. Chinander still considered taking Taylor-Britt on as a project athlete, and asked Fisher to watch his tape.

“I just saw it differently,” Fisher said of Taylor-Britt to Mo Egger on ESPN radio. “He’s got good feet, so if they don’t want him at quarterback, I’ll take him at DB.”

Fisher flew out to pitch Taylor-Britt on playing defensive back, and he bought in. He built Taylor-Britt’s technical skill set “from the ground up,” Chinander said, starting with basic alignment, stance and technique in different coverages. Last year, Taylor-Britt was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft.

As Syracuse’s cornerbacks coach, Fisher commands the room with a heavy emphasis on technique and a youthful energy. After a nine-year NFL career that ended in 2008, Fisher teaches the game in a relatable way that all his players can understand, said former UCF and Nebraska defensive back Tre Neal. SU Athletics did not make Fisher available to comment for The Daily Orange.

Fisher started his coaching career in 2013 at his alma mater, UCF, as the defensive quality control assistant. Then, after a one-year stint at Southeast Missouri State, he returned to UCF in 2015 as the defensive backs coach.

When Scott Frost took over as head coach in 2016, he interviewed all the current staff and was so impressed with Fisher that he retained him without consulting Chinander. He said he didn’t meet Fisher until his first day of work.

Cindy Zhang | Design Editor

Together, they helped turn the 0-12 team they inherited in 2015 into a 13-0 team in 2017. That UCF squad had the No. 1 offense in the country by the end of the season, but Neal said the defense felt overlooked because of it. Fisher used that as fuel.

“He has grown a lot of NFL guys and because he teaches it, and when you’re able to teach like that and relate, it makes it so much fun,” Neal said. “That’s what it was for the 2017 team…We would destroy teams.”

In his playing days, Fisher ran a 4.37 40-yard dash, putting him among the fastest players in the league. Fisher spent time with the Rams, Lions and Seahawks as an outside corner, nickel back and safety. He told Eggers that footwork and intelligence allowed him to stay in the NFL for nearly a decade, and he preaches that to all his players.

Fisher constantly puts himself in his players’ shoes, Neal said. Any situation that could arise is likely one that Fisher has seen. Knowing that he’s helped multiple players reach the next level gives him reverence in any locker room.

Apart from Taylor-Britt, Fisher has coached NFL defensive backs Shaquill Griffin, Mike Hughes, Dicaprio Bootle and Lamar Jackson. Griffin, a Pro Bowler, signed a three-year, $40.0 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars in March 2021.

When Griffin arrived at UCF, he already had the physical talent to succeed at the next level. Neal said that Fisher was “the perfect thing” for Griffin. Because Fisher was a natural athlete himself, he knew exactly how to help Griffin improve enough to garner NFL interest.

“He was so heavy with his technique and so stern with his technique, I think that’s what put Shaquill specifically over the top,” Neal said. “When he left UCF, he was a technician.”

After Chinander and Fisher both left for Nebraska in 2018, it was Neal’s senior season at UCF. He knew the defense well, loved his coaching staff and didn’t want to learn a new scheme. So, he called up Fisher and asked if they needed a safety at Nebraska. Fisher told him to “come on over.”

In their first season, Fisher and Chinander increased Nebraska’s interception total by two and lowered opposing passing touchdowns by four. Neal said that Fisher didn’t want pass breakups – he wanted interceptions. Part of his technical emphasis is on finishing plays when defensive backs get their hands on the ball.

Cindy Zhang | Design Editor

Before games, Neal said Fisher was hyped, screaming pep-talks at the top of his lungs, and he wants that kind of energy from his players in return. That’s what makes him so relatable. When a defensive back makes a big play, Fisher is always the first coach to go out and celebrate.

“On Saturday, oh, he’s turnt up just like we are,” Neal said. “He is just as hype, just as excited, pissed off, ready to play, ready to prove himself, because that’s what you’re doing every week, at least from the DB end, we prove ourselves.”

Neal said Fisher danced before practice sometimes to loosen the team up. Unsurprisingly, Fisher keeps up with current music trends in an effort to relate to his players.

“He’s very much a player in his heart,” Johnson said.

Training with Fisher usually revolved around footwork and ball skills, with some film mixed in. He watched so much tape on opposing receivers that he could yell out some of their routes before they ran them, Neal said.

“Playing nine years in the league, the kind of experience and expertise that you have in just the position alone, plus the game of football, is really something that you can’t find in most coaches,” Johnson said.

Published on September 11, 2023 at 9:32 pm

Contact Wyatt: wbmiller@syr.edu