It’s a shame that Joey Fisher and Ronnie Brown can’t be involved in some type of a package deal.
As the NFL draft approaches, the two former Shepherd University players and Maryland natives are inseparable. Fisher, an offensive tackle, still leads the way for his running back, telling NFL teams that Brown is a player they can’t afford to pass on.
A lot of them are listening.
“He comes to me one morning and says, ‘I just got off the phone with the [Pittsburgh] Steelers,’” Brown said. “He says, ‘I was on their podcast and I brought you up.’ A little later my phone rings, and it’s the Steelers.”
“That’s my man,” said Brown, looking at Fisher. “He really looks out and I’m forever grateful for that.”
It’s not as if Brown can’t stand on his own merits, but everything helps when you come from a tiny Division II school like Shepherd in West Virginia. It’s conceivable that both players might be drafted next week or sign as free agents.
Either way, it’s about the opportunity to live out a childhood dream.
“It’s definitely surreal,” Fisher said. “It’s a 50-50 feeling where you’re excited, but also anxious. Everyone wants to hear their name called and you did your best to put it out there. Now, it’s in [the NFL’s] hands to where you go.”
The 6-foot-6, 322-pound Fisher could go anywhere after the second round, which is a little surprising. The Hagerstown native and Clear Spring High graduate originally committed to Maryland in 2016 but decommitted when former coach Randy Edsall left after the 2015 season.
He later went to Towson for his freshman season but left after the Tigers’ coaching staff, according to Fisher, planned to move him from his original position as a defensive end to nose guard.
Fisher spent the next couple of years working with his father, Jim, learning the trade of becoming a locksmith. But he continued to lift weights, work out and send recruiting videos.
None of the colleges were interested, except Shepherd.
“That spring came around, no phone calls. The fall of 2017 came around, no phone calls,” Fisher said. “My old high school coach played linebacker at Shepherd, so he actually knew the head coach [Ernie McCook], and told them I was still putting in the work and going to the gym. So, I ended up coming in and playing here.”
Fisher has started for three years with the Rams. He is a mauler who was selected to play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl and later the Senior Bowl, but he missed the game — considered the premier all-star showcase for NFL prospects — because of a broken bone at the base of his pinkie finger.
He still had a pro day at Shepherd, which was attended by representatives from all but one of the 32 NFL teams. He bench-pressed 225 pounds 40 times, beating every player at the NFL scouting combine. Southern California offensive lineman Andrew Vorhees finished with the top mark in Indianapolis with 38.
Fisher also ran the 40-yard dash in 4.97 seconds with a 10-yard split of 1.72 seconds. That’s smoking.
Several scouting reports say Fisher is powerful at the point of attack and has strong hands. He has standout athleticism, but the criticism about him is the same as it is for all players who didn’t play major college football.
Domination in Division II doesn’t always translate to the NFL. Regardless, the Washington Commanders, Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers and Ravens have all reached out to Fisher for more extensive interviews or visits. He could play guard or center in the NFL. That versatility improves his chances of making the team.
“Everybody I’ve heard from, at least the early grades, has me going on the second day or up until the sixth round,” Fisher said. “But like I said, any opportunity I get would be a good one.”
Brown, a Baltimore native, has more confidence than Fisher. It’s been that way ever since he transferred from Sparrows Point to Dundalk High in his senior year. Ask him about making an NFL team and he will give you several options.
He could be a gunner on special teams. He could play in the slot as a receiver or start at running back.
“I could play in the defensive backfield if needed,” Brown said.
He could. He is athletic and tough, but always has to prove himself. As a 5-9, 175-pound high school senior, he was named to the All-State team with more than 1,500 rushing yards, but no college seriously recruited him.
According to Brown, Towson, Morgan State and Bowie State offered him opportunities as a walk-on.
“I went to this little camp, the last one, and Shepherd was there,” said Brown, who’s now 5-11 and 180 pounds. “I was going crazy, running routes out of the backfield, diving for catches. So I go in for my visit and the coach says, ‘We like your film, we like everything about you, and I’m not going to sugarcoat anything with you. Here, this is what we can offer you.’ He was honest and truthful, and I’m all about keeping it real.”
Brown started out as a returner before splitting time in the backfield as a junior. But in 2022, he powered the Rams’ offense, rushing 219 times for 1,863 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also caught 56 passes for 589 yards and five touchdowns.
Brown, though, isn’t a stats guy.
“My father always told me, ‘Don’t look at the stats,’” Brown said. “‘Just go out there and play. Because if you start chasing numbers, you start doing stuff that you don’t want to do and you start performing badly.’”
That’s vintage Brown. On the field, his 40 time is 4.45 seconds. He has good patience, vision and body lean, and can become a weapon out of the backfield in passing situations.
Like Fisher, he could go anywhere in the draft after Day 2. He has been in extensive talks with the Ravens, Commanders, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks.
“I was born for this,” Brown said.
And so was Fisher.
“It’s about opportunity. That’s all we want,” Fisher said.
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