FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1..966
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
PAGE NINE
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1966 THE MICHIGAN DAILY PAGE NINE
w0
ishei
By HOWARD KOHN
Whoever heard of an athmatic
fullback .. .who looks like a fire-
pug ... sprints like a torpedo .:.
leads the Big Ten in rushing
but who never made it as a sports-
writer?
Bump Elliott's answer is Dave
Y Fisher.
But he cannot understand why
Fisher didn't cut it as a sports-
writer.
"Well," says Fisher, "I thought
about being a writer, but I had
trouble getting even B's in Engin'
English so I dropped the idea."
You can't have everything.
Fisher agrees. "Besides," adds'
he, "I'm really quite lazy. I don't
think I'd have the initiative.
"I'm a complacent kind of guy.
You know, I like to take things
as they come."
Who's Kidding Who?
Is he putting you on? Well, he
likes to do his share of double-
talk. His fraternity room is an
incessant forum of joking and kid-
ding-back and forth.
"They only put one 'star' in a
room here," says Fisher.
"That's why I'm here," says
roommate Jon Kramer, second-
string defensive end.
Another enterprising 'fraternity
brother joins the conversation. "I
remember the time Fish ran the
fastest lap for the 880-relay qual-
ifying runs in high school .... and
then got leg cramps and we fin-
ished sixth in the finals."
Fisher ran the 100-yard dash
in 9.9 during his prep career as
a three-sport letterman. "I used
to pride myself on being the fast-
est Caucasian in Ohio . . but I
could never beat Carl Ward," he
puts in parenthetically.
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
Fisher has the quick infectious
laugh of someone who's ration-
alized that the world isn't all
"true to life" TV serials or all
"'Lost Generation" ppth-seeking
novels or all of anything and
who really doesn't give a damn.
He prefers to play it cool,
' That, of course, doesn't mean
to say that he considers playing
football or going to college friv-
olous.
A
barrel ful
of
T~nawxh.iO
GRID SELECTIONS
-AL-.,N %-/W
-Daily-Chuck Soberman
WOLVERINE FULLBACK DAVE FISHER appears to be relying on the art of karate to destroy
any Minnesota defenders he encounters while blocking for a teammate last Saturday. Fisher is aver-
aging 5.7 yards per carry to lead the Big Ten in that department. He also leads in total rushing.
respects the Wolverine coaching;
staff and the opportunity to play'
at Michigan.
"I'll have to admit that Mich-
igan was my second choice. I
wanted to go to a Big Ten school,
but I wanted to go to Ohio State,"
he says.
"But my parents were against,
going to OSU ..,. and Jack Fouts
(f o r m e r assistant Wolverine
coach) convinced me to go here.
"It was probably the greatest
thing I ever did. I have really
enpoyed it here.
"As I look at them now, my
reasons for going to Ohio State;
weren't that significant-a lot of
my high school friends were go-
ing there ...and, of course, Woody
Hayes was a great recruiter. He'da
make you feel like you were worth
a million dollars . . . until you got
these.
Three Yards and a ...
"Besides, I'm playing as much.
at Michigan as I probably would
have at OSU."
Fisher is a cloud-raising work-
horse in the old Ohio State tra-
dition-with a misleading balance
of speed and power on his low-
slung frame. His almost roly-poly
shape on the gridiron have inspir-
ed "wits" to call him "cannon-
ball," the "barrel on rollerskates,"
adinfinitum.
But his charged-up running has
also inspired Bump Elliott to call
him "the most consistent runner
on the team."
"He's been really playing well
this year," adds Elliott. "Even his,
blocking has improved."
Fisher the Roadblock
Blocking had been Fisher's ma-
jor weak point during his previ-
ous years at Michigan. "I was
probably the worst blocker that
ever came to Michigan," he ad-
mits.
"But blocking was what Dave
was expected to do in high school
(where he was named the MVP
in the Ohio All-Star game)," once
explained his father.
And so he has spent much of
his spare time working on throw-
ing good solid blocks. "He's come
a long way since he was a sopho-
more," claims Elliott.
Fisher silimarly has mutual ad-
miration for Elliott and his assist-
ants. "I owe a lot to them," he
says.
He has little regard for post-
NBA
Eastern Division
W L Pet. GB
Philadelphia 4 .0 1.000 -
Boston 4 0 1.000 -
New York 4 2 .667 1
Cincinnati 2 3 .400 3
Baltimore 1 5 .167 4
Western Division
Chicago 4 3 .571 -
Detroit 2 3 .400 1
St. Louis 2 3 .400 1
San Francisco 2 3 .400 1
Los Angeles 1 4 .200 2
LAST NIGHT'S RESULTS
Cincinnati 121, St. Louis 118
Boston 123, Chicago 100
Fisher's opinion of Michigan's'
season to date is summed up in
one sentence. "We've just made too
many mistakes, and in this game
one bad play can erase 10 good
plays.,
He is just as realistic about his
plans for the future. "If I am
offered any kind of fair deal
from the pros, I'll probably give it
a try. I enjoy the game so much
that I feel I owe it to myself."
While envisioning a possible pro
career, Fisher is also contemplat-
ing on doing graduate work in!
either engineering or business
during the winterlayoff from foot-
ball.
"I also thought about going> in-
to law school for awhile. But I'm
not that interested in law-. -
and when you start going to school
for economic instead of academic
reasons, you're in trouble.
"Actually, I wouldn't mind stay-
ing here for the rest of my life.
But I suppose I'd eventually grow
tired of it. You've got to avoid
getting into a rut."
Unless it leads through a gaping
hole between guard and tackle.
THIS WEEK'S GAMES
(Consensus in Caps)
MICHIGAN at Wisconsin
Illinois at PURDUE
INDIANA at Iowa
OHIO STATE at Minnesota
MICHIGAN STATE at
Northwestern
Bowling Green at MIAMI (O)
Wake Forest at CLEMSON
OKLAHOMA at Colorado
BAYLOR at TCU
Yale at DARTMOUTH
Washington at STANFORD
MISSISSIPPI at LSU
Missouri at NEBRASKA
South Carolina at MARYLAND
Texas at SMU
TULANE at Vanderbilt
KENTUCKY at West Virginia
GEORGIA TECH at Duke
ST. JOHN'S at Gustavus
Adolphus
JIM LaSOVAGE (Associate Sports Editor, 82-38--.683)-Michigan, Purdue,
Indiana, Ohio State, Michigan State, Miami (0), Clemson, Oklahoma, Baylor,
Dartmouth, Washington, Mississippi, Nebraska, Maryland, SMU, Tulane, Ken-
tucky, Georgia Tech, St. John's.
GIL SAMBERG (Assistant Sports Editor, 79-41--.658)-Michigan, Illinois,
Indiana, Ohio State, Michigan State, Miami (0), Clemson, Oklahoma, TCU,
Dartmouth, Stanford, Mississippi, Nebraska, Maryland, Vanderbilt, Kentucky,
Georgia Tech, Gustavus Adolphus.
JIM TINDALL (Associate Sports Editor, 74-46-.617)--Michigan, Illinois,
Indiana, Ohio State, Michigan State, MIami (O), Clemson, Oklahoma, Baylor,
Dartmouth, Stanford, LSU, Nebraska, Maryland, Texas, Tulane, West Virginia,
Georgia Tech, Gustavus Adolphus.
CHUCK VETZNER (sports Editor, 73-46-.60)-Michigan, Purdue, Indiana,
Ohio State, Michigan State, Miami,(0), Wake Forest, Oklahoma, Baylor, Dart-
mouth, Washington, Mississippi, Nebraska, Maryland, SMU, Tulane, West Vir-
ginia, Georgia Tech, St. John's.
STEVE VETZNER (Guest Selector, Sports Editor, NIlihilite)-Wisconsin,
Purdue, Indiana, Ohio State, Michigan State, Miami (O), Clemson, Oklahoma,
Baylor, Dartmouth, Stanford, Mississippi, Nebraska, South Carolina, SMU, Tu-
lane, Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Gustavus Adolphus.
Fisher is averaging 5.7 yards in
49 carries in conference play this
season and has accounted for
nearly half of Michigan's total
rushing yardage.
What Price Glory?
He is also probably one of the
most under-publicized backs in the
country. But then he isn't out
for glory.
He'd rather win football games.
"I can't wait to get onto the
field. I love to play the game, and
I believe in the philosophy that
if you want to really do some-
thing, you'll want to do it well.
Steve Vetzner, erstwhile brother of da Boss, and sports editor at
Niles East High School in Skokie: Ill., has begun his grid picking
game criticism of their strategy. career on a very sour note. He picked Wisconsin over Michigan just
"Second-guessing destroys all the because he wants to go there. Such irrational bias is, as we all know,
'cools' of football. It's like doing completely unforgiveable.
a problem after you know the an- All Grid Picks entries must be brought in to 420 Maynard St.
swer." by midnight tonight, in order to be eligible to win two tickets to the
A Losing Equation Michigan Theatre.
'M' Statistically Victorious
By DOUG HELLER
Big Ten statistics are fast ap-
proaching the phenomenal as far
as Michigan is concerned. In ad-
dition to leading the conference in
total offense (the Wolverines are
eighth in the country), they are
,closing in on the leaders in de-
fense as well, and all this with a
1-2 league record.
Michigan is tied for the Big Ten
lead in points per game with Pur-
due at 25.7. They are far out in
front in first downs with 21.3 per
game. Net yards gained per game
is no contest, with the Wolverines
almost 60 yards ahead of their
nearest rival, Northwestern. The
Wolverines have gained 202.7
yards per game passing, 36 better
than their closest competitor, and
167.6 yards per game rushing, good
for second and only .6 of a yard
behind Michigan State.
Most Plays
Just for a change of pace, Mich-
igan leads with 75.0 plays per
game, a full three plays ahead of
second place Indiana. The Wol-
verines also lead in net yards per
play with 4.9 and average yards
gained on the ground, 3.6.
Michigan also has 15.7 com
pleted passes per game out of 29.0
attempts per game, both leading
the league.
And just where does Michigan
not lead in offensive statistics? In
addition to yards per game rush-
ing, Michigan doesn't lead in yards
per play passing and completion
average. That is all.
On defense, they are fourth in
points per game allowed, and only
one behind the leader in oppo-
nents' first downs, each totaling
14.0. The Blue is second behind
Illinois in opponents' net yards,
with 212.3 per game, on 152.3
rushing and a league leading 60.0
per game passing.
Only Second
Michigan is second in yards per
play allowed, with 3.3 (3.2 by
rushing and a league leading 3.4
per play passing). The Wolverines
have also allowed the opposition
the smallest completion percent-
age, .302. They have had no passes
intercepted themselves, the best
mark in the conference.
Of the 23 statistical categories
mentioned, Michigan leads in 13,
an awesome performance. Yet
there is one statistic that has at
least helped negate all of these-
Michigan has been the most pen-
alized team in the conference,
with 69.3 yards per game.
"I get psyched out and really
go."
That's all very good . . . and
what player doesn't want to win
and play on a championship team.
But -to Fisher, it's a lot more
than that. "It's going out there
and going like hell for 60 minutes
and really liking it.
"It comes down to the point
where enjoying the game is incen-
tive enough to go out there and
play. I've been sad and disap-
pointed after games, but I've nev-
er been really disillusioned.
"That's important to me. It
means that I still haven't given
"n on the hope that Michigan
Sure, it's a dim hope. But if me
will go to the Rose Bowl this year.
quit now, we'll never go."
You've got to admire his atti-
tude. And you've got to also point
out that he has a 3.3 grade in
Structural Engineering. (Yes, his
number is also 33.)
Slide-Rule Jockey... Sometimes
In the early mornings and on
weekday nights, he treks over to
the Law Library or other ignom-
inous places to study. "Whether
I get anything accomplished de-
pends what kind of mood I'm in,
I guess," he explains. "Sometimes
I can sit for hours pushing the
slide rule back and forth. Other
times . .."
He's happy with his record,
which has earned him a berth
on the All-Big Ten academic team,
but he isn't looking for an invi-
tation to design a launch pad at
Cape Kennedy just yet.
"There's one thing about this
university that you notice right
away. It deflates any ideas of be-
ing a super being."
He's happy about that, too.
"I like real people. That's why
I'm not so sure I want to be an
engineer. I don't want to live in
a room. I'd like to be a consultant
or something and get out and
meet people."
Fisher's trademark around cam-
pus used to be a techni-colored,
multi-dented Mercury which could
have qualified for one of the sev-
en unnatural wonders of the world.
It originally belonged to his par-
ents back in his junior year in
high school. But he'd banged it
up "a little" one night and had
to trade his sports car to his
parents for the Merc.
"It would have cost too much
to have it fixed up, so when I
came to Michigan I started hav-
ing fun with it . . . just about
every day it'd come home with a
new bump in it."
Metamorphosis
In addition, the car went
through molting periods of, color
changes--from red to blue to blue
and maize.
"But last spring, the car died.
"We dumped cement blocks on
it from on top of the house and
then had it hauled off to a junk-
yard.
"I guess I'm just getting too
old for fun and frolics anymore,"
Fisher explains jokingly.
Then, in a more serious tone,
he adds, "I think that owning a
car like that makes you really re-
spect having a good car." (Fish-
er now has a new Oldsmobile con-
vertible.)
In much the same manner, he
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Meet The Governor
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Monday 10:15 A.M.
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THIS CAN BE YOU
Planning on
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as your profession?
Then you should join The Michigan Daily
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fun while you're at it
Stop by The Daily any weekday between 1
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Personnel Director.
Come see us-this one move
could affect your entire college life.
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