Q&A: Zuriah Fisher Opens Up About Playing Linebacker, Losing Weight & More

Penn State hasn't pulled many players from Aliquippa, Pa., in recent years, but linebacker Zuriah Fisher bucked that trend last September when he verbally committed to the Nittany Lions following an official visit.

A four-year letterman and team captain, Fisher finished with 75 tackles and four interceptions in 2019, leading Aliquippa to an 11-2 record. As a junior, the Quips went 17-1, winning the PIAA Class AAA state championship.

A three-star prospect, he earned more than 20 scholarship offers. Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, Pitt, Texas A&M, Virginia and West Virginia were among the schools that pursued him, but his recruitment ultimately came down to Penn State and another Big Ten rival.

Learn more about the future Nittany Lion linebacker in our latest Q&A!

Ryan Snyder: You started visiting Penn State in March 2019. What were your first impressions? Were it instantly one of your favorites, or did that take time?

Zuriah Fisher: I loved it. I remember leaving after that first visit and thinking that Penn State was where I was going to play. It was all love and I really liked the place. All of their coaches greeted me right when I walked in for the first time. It was just all love. I remember meeting guys on the team that day. You could tell that they have a lot of fun. I remember that, but they also get their work done. That left a big impression on me. I definitely knew that it was going to be one of my top schools and honestly, they probably were my top school when I left there. Penn State was always right up there for me.

Snyder: You came back twice that summer. I know you also were looking at Pitt, but it felt like Michigan State was the main competitor You were close to committing to Michigan State, right? Talk to me about that situation.

Fisher: Yeah, I was close to committing. I’m not going to lie. My uncle played at Michigan State back in the day and he knows one of the coaches up there, so that was hard. I became close with their coaches and I had a really good visit there. I was planning to commit to Michigan State after my official visit there. I’m not going to lie.

Snyder: Did Penn State ask you to hold off on committing? What were those talks like when you were getting close to committing?

Fisher: Man, that was so hard. I felt love from both of those schools. I liked the coaches at Michigan State a lot, too, so that was tough for me. Penn State stayed on me so hard then. They kept texting, kept checking up on me. They kept telling me that I had to take an official visit first. They wanted me to get the real feel for Penn State. They just kept saying that I can’t commit until I take an official visit there.

Snyder: You came back for the official visit the same weekend Penn State played Pitt. Was Michigan State still the favorite going into that visit, or were you leaning Penn State by then?

Fisher: I was definitely still 50/50. I showed up for my official visit the same weekend as the Pitt game and I think that’s when I fell back in love with Penn State. When I went up there before, to watch spring practice and stuff like that, those visits were more about football. We really talked a lot of football on those visits. When I came for my official visit then, it was kind of the opposite. We still talked a lot of football, but most of that visit was about everything else. It was more about Penn State as a school. They showed me around the campus a lot and I spent a lot of time with Jesse Luketa and his friends. There was a lot more school stuff. I think that really showed me what Penn State is all about. I learned about all that stuff.

Snyder: Who were your main recruiters? Was it Terry Smith or Brent Pry? Did you talk to Sean Spencer much?

Fisher: I talked to all of those coaches. Coach Smith recruits my area, so I got to know him well early on and always stayed in touch with him. Coach Pry was also in touch pretty early on. Coach Franklin talked to me a lot. They had me talking to all of their coaches. One thing I really like about Coach Pry is that he’s never going to give up on you. I talked to a lot of the [current linebackers] about Coach Pry and I noticed during practices and in the film room that he really wants to teach you. You have to teach yourself, too, but he really explains things and wants you to understand why that’s important. That’s why he’s a good coach. Coach Smith and Coach Franklin are just genuine people. They always were honest with me. They’re just great coaches. Coach Franklin told me, when there was talk about him leaving Penn State, that he’s going to get a six-year deal and that there’s no reason to worry about him leaving. That’s exactly what happened, so I know he’s always honest with his guys. He doesn’t hide anything.

Snyder: Everyone always asks: linebacker or defensive end? What position do you prefer? I know you mentioned before that you plan to play similar to Micah Parsons.

Fisher: I coming in as a linebacker. At first, I was at 255 pounds. I’ve lost a lot of weight since then. I dropped down to 242 pounds and the coaches said during hoops season that they really liked the way I was moving. They said I was moving well on the court. Now, after hoops season, I’m at like 233, so I’ve lost a good amount since the season.

Snyder: Have you been trying to lose weight? Was this a goal, or did it just naturally happen playing basketball?

Fisher: Honestly man, I just stopped eating so much. (Laughs) I didn’t really have a goal to lose 20 pounds or anything like that, but I did get a little too big and stopped eating so much. I think I’m at the right weight right now and I know the coaches liked what they saw during hoops season. I feel good.

Snyder: What do you do when it comes to training? Do you have any personal trainers? Do you just lift at school?

Fisher: We have a trainer for football, so I just work with him at my school. Penn State gave me a workout plan to focus on in the off-season. It has everything on there. It’s a real good workout, so now that basketball is done, I’m doing that. Just the other day, I was out there running 100-yard sprints. I'm a little bit limited at the moment with school closed, but I'm finding ways to get it done.

Snyder: I like to ask guys about their strengths and weaknesses. What do you excel at as a linebacker? Is there anything that’s just come naturally to you over the years? Also, what are you trying to improve on before enrolling?

Fisher: For my strength, I think I’m pretty good at reading guards. You can tell a lot by just looking at their finger tips, especially when they’re tired. If their stance is real light and he’s not putting much pressure on his hand, he’s probably about to pull. If his stance is heavy, he’s probably coming right at me. Just stuff like that. For my weakness, I would say that I still need to work on my coverage skills. In college, linebackers are covering running backs and tight ends all the time. I want to make sure I can cover those guys.

Snyder: You mentioned basketball a few times. How did the season go? Do you play any other sports?

Fisher: I was thinking about running track this year, but I’m not sure now. My basketball season was great. I played big man for us. It was a good season. It was better than my junior season. During my junior year, we had some guys that weren’t used to playing together, but my senior season felt like we were a family. I think we came together and played some real good ball. It felt like a brotherhood and it showed. We made it to the state playoffs and advanced to the second round.

Snyder: What are a few of your hobbies? Tell me something that people probably don’t know about you.

Fisher: I’m a laid-back guy. I don’t have anything on the side that I really do. If I’m not playing football or basketball, I’m working out. If I’m not doing that, I just hang out with friends, go out to eat, that kind of stuff. There really isn’t anything I do on the side. My hobbies are sports. That’s what I care about.

Snyder: What do you want to study at Penn State? Also, if you don’t end up playing in the NFL someday, what would be your dream job?

Fisher: I’m still thinking about all that. Right now, I’m thinking about criminology or maybe sports management. I would love to do something in sports. Honestly, I would love to be a recruiter. I would love to work on Coach Franklin’s staff one day and work my way up. Start as a recruiting assistant or something, then help coach one day. Going through the process and seeing everything they do got me interested in that.

Snyder: OK, last question: what do you want to accomplish as a player at Penn State? Is there anything individually that comes to mind?

Fisher: I haven’t really thought about that. I guess I would just say that I want to go up there and work hard. I want to be a great player and do everything I can to help Penn State win a national championship, but I haven’t really thought about personal goals or nothing like that. I just want to win.

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