No one is happier than Sean Fisher to be binding on the Nebraska practice field this spring.
It sure beats riding round the sidelines on a motor scooter like he did last year later he broke his left leg in preseason camp.
"It was tough," Fisher said after Wednesday's practice. "Early in the flavor we started off so strong, and to see the guys having such a big time, it was hard being off to the side.
I was at my house sitting around with my leg up. It wasn't really what I envisioned. I pushed past it and got better as shortly as I could."
The 6-foot-6, 235-pound Fisher is the sort of versatile linebacker the Cornhuskers are reckoning on as they go into the more physical Big Ten.
The Huskers mostly used two linebackers and a nickelback against the Big 12's spread offenses but might be apt to go with three linebackers against the run-heavy teams they'll face in the fall.
Fisher was on course to be a starter before he got hurt. He said he isn't taking a job for granted now.
"Nothing here is guaranteed," he said. "It doesn't matter what you did last season. It's all based on present performance. So I was not anticipating coming backwards and only being handed anything. I was leaving to get second and deliver to work, which will be the subject through summer and strike camp."
Fisher played a lot as a redshirt freshman in 2009. He started six games at strongside linebacker and played in all 14 games, finishing with 35 tackles and earning a point on the freshman All-Big 12 team.
The junior from Omaha's 2010 season ended before it started when a defensive teammate banged into his left leg during a mid-August drill.
Fisher's fibula was broken, and he tore a ligament in his ankle. The ankle injury actually took longer to cure than the leg, he said.
Defensive coordinator Carl Pelini said Fisher's speed is back, and he's able to alter management as if nothing ever happened.
"He came off rehab very, very quick," Pelini said. "He worked his butt off in rehab. Usually with that injury there would be some lingering aftereffects. He came through a reasonably tough winter workout session. He probably gained some confidence through that."
For lots of the fall Fisher was capable to sympathize with fellow linebacker Will Compton, who broke his foundation in the preseason. Both rode around on motor scooters when they hung out at practice and on the pursuit at games.
"We wanted to be out there playing," said Compton, who returned for the back half of the season. "When I got back, you could say he was depressed because he wants to be out there doing what he loves to do and I was playing football. But he's happy as always to be back right now."
Fisher still battles soreness in his leg and ankle but otherwise is fine physically.
Mentally, he's regaining faith in his leg. Every day he goes to practice, the doubts fade a little more.
"I'm still running on it," he said. "A guy falls down in presence of you, and it catches your attention. It didn't look really near the start time it happened. As you go out there more, that diminishes, and probably this summer it will be pretty much gone."
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