Digging deep uncovers a gem

Don Pierson, Tribune staff reporter

Sports University of Notre Dame Football Education Chicago Bears Mike Flanagan Brett Favre

Tony Fisher?

While the Bears struggled again to find one reliable running back, the Packers reached to the bottom of their depth chart Sunday and came up with 91 yards in the second half from an undrafted rookie from Notre Dame.

Forced into the game at the Green Bay 2-yard line after the Packers recovered the Bears' fatal fumble, Fisher said injured starter Ahman Green told him, "It's your time."

In the huddle, Brett Favre and the offensive line acted happy to see him.

"Brett kept telling me, 'Keep on running hard,'" Fisher said. "When I hit the linebackers and defensive backs, the offensive linemen were saying, 'Hey, Fish, that hurt them more than it hurt you.'"

Fisher isn't even a second-stringer. He was playing because second-stringer Najeh Davenport is out for the season. But Fisher's training camp and preseason performances had encouraged teammates.

"I don't want to say I knew he could do it, but I told him on the sideline, 'You grew up today,'" Favre said. "As far as being a big-time player, he showed he can be one. Unbelievable job. No reps [in practice]. Bears. Division title. Physical game."

At Notre Dame, the 6-foot-1-inch, 222-pound Fisher struggled through his senior season year with injuries to both hamstrings.

"When I knew I was going to be a free agent, I saw how Green Bay used their running backs," Fisher said. "Ahman rushed for over 1,000 yards and was also a top receiver. The decision to come here was not hard. I wanted to just go out and have fun with Brett."

Fisher said he had "a couple conversations" with Bears running backs coach Earle Mosley, a former assistant at Notre Dame, before he signed.

"They [Bears] didn't try because I guess their running back situation was already solid," Fisher said.

A former "Mr. Football" in Ohio, Fisher played several positions in Notre Dame's option attack under Bob Davie.

"When I had my opportunities at Notre Dame, I believe I made the best out of all of them," he said.

Packers coach Mike Sherman noted that Fisher, receiver Karsten Bailey and offensive lineman Kevin Barry all are undrafted rookies.

"I'm glad we were able to get [Fisher] to come to us," Sherman said. "We recognized his talents at the beginning of the season to keep him on our roster. It is not a perfect science."

Inasmuch as Green already had gained 78 yards against a Bears defensive that can't stop the run, the Packers weren't going to change their game plan.

"We saw things. We thought we could do some things against them," Packers center-turned-left tackle Mike Flanagan said. "Fish just played his butt off."

Fisher's day ended with his first Lambeau leap into the happy grandstands.

"I didn't know I'd get kind of hot like I did," Fisher said. "When I scored, the linemen told me to go ahead and take that leap. It was a great experience."