Pat Fischer—'Mighty Mouse' Played Like a Giant

By John Turney 

Last week longtime NFL starting cornerback Pat Fisher passed away. The prior week he'd passed the Pro Football Hall of Fame's screening phase to be named on the the sixty players to be presented to the Hall's senior blue ribbon committee.

And that is a good thing because he deserves to have the BRC committee take a look at his career. That didn't happen when he was a modern-era player -- he was never a finalist, always stuck in the preliminary phase of the process.

Now, at least he has a chance.

You know they are considering Fisher, let's talk about why they should. One man who thinks Fischer deserves to be in the Hall is former coach and now author T.J. Troup. Troup's latest book 1961: A Sensational Season is available through contacting him and his previous book The Birth of Football's Modern 4-3 Defense: The Seven Seasons That Changed the NFL is available at Amazon.

Troup has studied films of Fischer as well as seen him play in the 1960s and 1970s and thinks that Fischer's career is worthy of a Bust in Canton noting how long he played and how well he played.

Troup also said that Fisher, "Was always around the ball and had no problem coming up and helping in the run game. And that with the blitzes Chuck Drulis threw at teams it left Fischer on an island and he held up well."

Most football fans of a certain age remember him in NFL Films highlights running stride for stride with his 5-foot-9, 170-pound body with that of 6-foot-8, 225-pound Hall of Fame receiver Harold Carmichael. 

Or they may remember him upending Packers Macarthur Lane, a 225-pound running back in the 1972 Playoffs.

He was the ultimate underdog -- him versus the world and all the critics found therein. 

In 1961 the St. Louis Cardinals drafted him in the 17th round. They signed him and made the team but  didn't know what to do with him at first, playing him on offense but he played mostly on special teams.

As a kick returner he averaged 25.1 per return and on offense he only caught one pass. But it was significant. It was described like this by one  St. Louis scribe

It was in 38-24 win over Washington and it opened some eyes in St. Louis.

But he didn't stay at receiver. In his second year, he got a shot at playing cornerback and represented well and started more than half the games.  He was a starter then got injured and then started later in the year -- splitting time with Bill Stacy.

But perhaps the most telling game and the deciding factor in the future of the left cornerback position was decided in the final game of 1962. Philadelphia Eagles flanker Tommy McDonald caught 4 passes for 162 years and three touchdowns -- in the first half. Guess who was the left cornerback in the first half? It was Bill Stacy.

McDonald caught four passes for 162 yards and three touchdowns in the game --- meaning he was shut out in the second half. Guess who played left cornerback in the second half. Correct, according to Troup's film study, it was Fischer pitching the shutout.

By his third year, he was the starting left cornerback and he was on his way -- he intercepted eight passes and returned them 169 yards while playing in a secondary that ranked fifth in the NFL in defensive passer rating. 

The next season was even better. In 1964 he was one of the top two corners in the league. He was a consensus All-Pro, picked off ten passes, took two the house and also had a scoop and score ... three defensive touchdowns.

The secondary as a whole was fourth the NFL in defensive passer rating and intercepted 25 passes, the second most in the NFL. It may not have been the best secondary in pro football but it wasn't far behind. Jerry Stoval and Larr Ywilson were the safeties and Jimmy Hill played the opposite corner as Fischer but that year -- Fisher probably has the best year, including that of future Hall of farmer larry Wilson.

As would be expected teams avoid Fisher after that. In 1965 he was just as good, just as tight but only had three picks. He was still a Pro Bowl.

And remember he was having these years often facing some mighty tall receivers. Two of note were the Packers' Boyd Dowler (6-foot-5) and Gary Collins (also 6-foot-5) of the Browns. Both were Pro Bowlers and both were on the NFL's 1960s All-Decade team. But Troup explained that Fischer would use good positioning and timing to thwart passes to those flankers. 

Later, in the 1970s when teams would move their receivers to relate to the tight end it meant that Fisher would have to deal with split ends like Bob Hayes (when the Cowboys put their tight end on the left) and that was also a challenge. Fisher admitted that Hayes was the toughest receiver he ever had to cover. 

Then came a couple of rocky seasons. He was hurt in 1966 and according to Troup didn't have a great year and in 1967 the secondary didn't play well. They allowed 26 touchdown passes and they were near the bottom of the league in defensive passer rating.

Fischer still made some big plays, he stole four passes, one went for a touchdown and fell on three loose balls for a total of seven takeaways. He played out his option that year but intended to stay in St. Louis but there was something wrong Troup, "I don't know what happened with him and Charlie Winner but they didn't seem to mesh well."

Fischer ultimately signed with Washington and it was reported that he was not happy with the Cardisnal owners bad-mouthing the secondary, blaming them for the team's poor year after being a winning team in 1966. 

As for Winner after the loss of Fischer, he told the St. Louis media, "We're losing a first-class player ... Pat Fischer is one of the finest defensive backs in the National Football League."

How he ended up in the Nation's Capital is also worth noting. He was one of the first free agents in the NFL. The Cardinals didn't sign him for the 1968 season, so he took Washington coach Otto Graham's offer. However, in those days NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle felt that if a lean lost a player to free agency that team should get compensation -- and he was the one to decide what it would be.

In Fisher's case, it was a second-round pick and a third-round pick -- draft capital well worth it giving his new team a decade of service. 

For Might Mouse he would play for four head coaches the next four years. The first two years he got some all-star notice. He was All-Conference in 1968 and a Pro Bowler in 1969, even though he only had two ints each of those years. It is safe to say teams were trying their luck on the other side.

Fisher had always said for him football was about winning and when George Allen because the head coach in 1971, all Fisher would know for the rest of his career would be winning. Fischer played a pivotal role in Washington’s resurgence when coach George Allen arrived and was part of the "Over-the-Hill Gang"

 

The redskins went to the playoffs in 1971 and the Super Bowl in 1972 and also made the playoffs in the two seasons following the Super Bowl.

They were a great team and a great defense. In 1971 they were 2nd in the NFL in defensive passer rating and the over-the-hill gang (one that featured a pile of older players that had come from other teams or were previously on the squad but also advancing in age, like Fischer).

Fisher would draw tough matchups throughout the year. One example is Otis Taylor in 1971 in a classic matchup between Kansas City and Washington. Another was with Gene Washington in the 1971 NFC Playoff game. They'd make good catches but as Troup said, "He was right there."

In the Super Bowl year, Fischer was second-team All-Pro on the player-voted NEA squad, and in Super Bowl VII they faced the Miami Dolphins in a hard-fought game, but losing 14-7 untimately.

At 35 years of age, Fisher was All-NFC in 1975 and was terrific all year. The following year he didn't get the accolades but he was a solid corner on a great pass defense. They were first in the NFL in defensive passer rating and after a year out of the playoffs, Washington met the Vikings in the NFC Divisional Playoffs game, but fell short, losing 35-20 in Bloomington.

Fisher hurt his lower back in training camp of 1977 but worked his way back into the lineup and played three games until the disc gave way and he missed the rest of the season. Fisher had very intention fo returning in 1978 and new coach jack Pardee said he'd be welcome, but he wasn't able to answer the bell.

In all Fischer’s career spanned 17 seasons, an extraordinary feat for a cornerback, especially during an era when the game was much more physically demanding. Few players in NFL history have demonstrated the same level of durability and longevity, especially considering Fischer's small size.

Fischer was a three-time Pro Bowl selection (1964, 1965, 1969) and received All-Pro honors in 1964. But there were other seasons in which he was recognized as one of the best. Additionally, in three other years -- 1968, 1972 and 1975 he was there second-team All-Pro or All-Conference.

When you look at what people said about him there is a running theme: And even though he was small -- he would snack you. 

"I've never been hit so hard as when Pat Fischer tackled me," said Hall-of-Famer Frank Gifford, who'd moved from halfback to flanker by the time Fischer entered the league.

And it continued, "Pat Fischer intimidated me," said Hall-of-Fame wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff. 

"Pat was tough as nails," added Hall-of-Fame safety Ken Houston, one of Fischer's teammates in Washington. "He was a special breed."

Coaches knew his worth, Hall-of-Fame coach Weeb Ewbank, "Pound for pound as tough as ANY defender ... an intimidator, working over receivers who enter his domain. At St. Louis, little Pat hit the great Jim Brown on one and stopped Brown cold."

"One of the most amazing athletes I've never seen is Pat Fischer, expounded George Allen, "He was short by could really leap and was somehow able to cover the tallest receivers and the highest passes.  He tore into the biggest guy on tackles. Pat was a tough cookie a real bump-and-run ... he'd bump them so they couldn't run. I don't care how big they were he'd put the ax to them ... and he'd fight them for the ball."

Fischer brought more than just toughness to the field—he had remarkable results as well. He was a takeaway machine. 

He intercepted a total of 56 passes during his career, including an impressive 10 in 1964. His 56 interceptions are tied for ninth pure cornerbacks and five of the corners ahead of him are in the Hall as is the one (Lem Barney) tied with him.

 Additionally, his 16 fumble recoveries are tied with Aeneas Williams, a Gold Jacket owner,  for third all-time among cornerbacks -- trailing only James Hasty (24) and Hall-of-Famer Ken Riley (18).

His 72 takeaways trail only Ken Riley among our cornerbacks. Think about that and ask why he's never been a topic of discussion among voters.

Per Troup's research five times in his career the intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble in the same game, the old two-fer. There is just no denying he had a nose for the football. Call it smarts, call it altertness or instinct -- the man found the football and took it from opponents as well as any cornerback, ever.

There really isn't a real explanation for his career. He was a college quarterback and halfback, moved to the secondary in the NFL and he just lasted forever and ever. And did it as an elite corner facing bigger men in almost every game. It's one of the best examples of how a giant heart can make up for a small size. Or that toughness and attitude can make a small player as good a tackle as a bigger man.

Fischer once said, "To be able to play cornerback properly is basically being able to run and react backward ... it's a duel." It was a duel Fischer won more often than not.

Pat Fischer certainly should have been discussed for the Hall of Fame. And if  T.J.Troup had his way, he'd be in. By Troup's account, the former Nebraska star did all he was asked, and more, "He played bump and run, played zone, was excellent in run support, tackled well and took the ball away. He IS a Hall of Famer."