IW QA with Phillip Fullers Coach

IW: Coming off Phillip’s injury, what type of outlook do you have for him at Wisconsin?

Farda: I think he’s going to be (great). Of course, the guy that did the surgery on him, I think is the best orthopedic guy in the Southwest. He tells me that he should have full recovery. Hopefully Phillip can be redshirted next year and give him a full two years before he has to start playing. He’s an outstanding back. He had 1,000 yards rushing in the first four games this year before he went down, so he was on track for about a 2,500 yard season. Had he been able to do that, he would have broken the career rushing record in Irving, TX. He had been over 5,055 yards for a career, which is pretty good at the 5A level down here. He has outstanding speed, probably his strongest point is his leg strength. I think from the waist down, he probably has as strong a leg drive as any back we’ve ever had. And of course outstanding speed. He’s a 10.3 100-meter guy. So you combine the leg strength with the speed, and I think he’s a pretty good prospect.

IW: Were you a little bit disappointed with some of the state schools, that they seemed to drop off the face of the earth after he got hurt?

Farda: Well I don’t know if they dropped off the face of the earth. I know that there was not as much interest at that time. People that made commitments to him pretty much stuck by them. They didn’t call him every day like they did in the past, but I think that’s one of the reasons he was really high on Wisconsin, is because the coaches there stayed in weekly contact with him and still expressed how much they were interested in him, and I think that made a big difference. Loyalty is very important to Phillip Fuller.

IW: At 5-10, 180, do you think his speed will be the biggest factor in his impact at the Big Ten level?

Farda: I don’t that they’ve seen people as fast as that boy. I know Ron Dayne was a pretty good back for y’all for a long time, but (Fuller) is a different kind. He’s not the…just drop your shoulder pads and make you five or seven yards. When this kid gets in the secondary now, those people in the Big Ten are going to have a hard time running him down. I think the speed is going to be the difference. The leg strength plus the speed, once he gets in the secondary, there’s going to be a lot of difference.

IW: Wisconsin has made a concentrated effort to make recruiting inroads in the state of Texas. It’s obviously a tough fight, battling against schools like Texas and Texas A&M. With the way they handled Phillip’s recruiting, do you see them having future success in the state?

Farda: Absolutely. I think one, their recruiter that comes down here now, he’s an Arlington boy. He was born and raised and played in Arlington. He has developed a lot of ties with coaches. I think the biggest selling point, the people that are successful in the state of Texas are usually the coaches or the staffs that build relationships with Texas high school coaches. Because really and truly, they have a lot of influence on their players as to where they go. And I think Wisconsin has done a good job of that, and they have a great opportunity to have continued success in Texas.

IW: Talking about coaches’ influence on players, were you initially supportive of Wisconsin’s efforts to land Fuller, or were you hoping he would stay in-state, prior to his injury?

Farda: Well, you know, you always want to see your kids hang around close, so you can see them play. But one thing I tell all our players is I want them to go to a place where they’re going to be cared for, where they feel comfortable, where they’re going to be somewhat taken care of and what’s a good mix for them. I know Wisconsin has a history…the coaching philosophy there, they want to hand that dad gum ball off, and Phillip needs to go someplace in my opinion where they are going to hand the ball off. He had an opportunity to go to Colorado. They’re going to hand the ball off there. I think that would have been a good pick for him too. But I’m really interested in what I feel is the best opportunity for our kids to be successful at that next level. I think Wisconsin, the things that they do, their philosophy and what they believe in is right what Phillip Fuller needs.

IW: Fuller played free safety for you as well. Do you see him possibly getting a look at that position, or will he stay at running back?

Farda: I don’t think so. I think they are strictly recruiting him as a running back.