QB Bailey Fisher wins 2019 Robert Hill Johnson Award
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Robert Hill Johnson Award stands as Tennessee Tech football’s highest honor. Each season, it is awarded to the Golden Eagle player who makes the largest contribution to the team and is voted on by the student-athletes. With so many deserving candidates on the 2019 team, the players certainly had a wealth of players to choose from. As all the votes were tallied, sophomore quarterback Bailey Fisher was the overwhelming pick and deservedly so. Before the ball was snapped for the last time in 2019, the Clayton, Ga., native broke six single-season records and made quite a move up the career charts.
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Robert Hill Johnson Award stands as Tennessee Tech football's highest honor. Each season, it is awarded to the Golden Eagle player who makes the largest contribution to the team and is voted on by the student-athletes.
With so many deserving candidates on the 2019 team, the players certainly had a wealth of players to choose from.
As all the votes were tallied, sophomore quarterback Bailey Fisher was the overwhelming pick and deservedly so. Before the ball was snapped for the last time in 2019, the Clayton, Ga., native broke six single-season records and made quite a move up the career charts.
Fisher rewrote the record book this season, breaking the single-season marks in completions (231), pass attempts (375), passing yards (2,643), passing touchdowns (21), combined rushing and passing touchdowns (32) and total offensive yards (3,132). He also set a school-record with six touchdown passes against Eastern Illinois, while rushing for a personal-best three scores against Samford and Western Illinois. He passed for a career-high 415 yards – the third-best total in program history – in the win over the Bulldogs.
Nationally in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision, Fisher ranked 32nd in completion percentage, 33rd in passing touchdowns, 37th in passing yards, 18th in points responsible for, 36th in rushing touchdowns and 30th in total offense.
Fisher was named a Sophomore All-American by HERO Sports, while also garnering a second-team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection. He was the OVC Offensive Player of the Week three times this season, the STATS FCS National Offensive Player of the Week once and honorable mention three times. He was also College Sports Madness' National Player of the Week once and an honorable mention by the College Football Performance Awards. He was named the Tennessee Sports Writers Association's Offensive Player of the Week three times. Fisher was named to the Phil Steele All-OVC third team as well.
The award is named for Robert Hill Johnson, a native of Sparta, Tenn., who was a student and assistant football coach at Tennessee Polytechnic Institute when he was killed in an auto accident in 1952 at the age of 22.
The son of Mr. and Mrs. A.E. Johnson, he attended White County High School and was a standout in football for one season. He then transferred to the Baylor School in Chattanooga, where he earned three letters.
He enrolled at the University of Alabama, but a shoulder injury ended his playing career. In the fall of 1951, Johnson became a student at TPI, where he also coached offensive and defensive ends.
After just one season in Cookeville, Johnson was killed instantly when his car crashed into a concrete bridge railing at Cripple Creek, about seven miles east of Murfreesboro on U.S. Highway 70.
The previous winners of the Robert Hill Johnson Award include:
1951 | Flavious Smith, E
1952 | Tom Fann, T
1953 | Ken Broyles, HB
1954 | James Passions, T
1955 | Johnny Clark, RB
1956 | William Robinson, QB
1957 | Kenneth Wright, FB
1958 | Richard Mann, QB
1959 | W.J. Shumaker, HB
1960 | Tommy Hackler, E
1961 | Lowell Smith, C
1962 | Jackie Corbin, HB
1963 | Jim Ragland, QB
1964 | Bob Borkowski, OG
1965 | Ron Reeves, FB
1966 | Sherold Walker, T
1967 | Larry Schreiber, RB
1968 | Larry Schreiber, RB
1969 | Larry Schreiber, RB
1970 | John Tanner, LB
1971 | Jim Waddell, QB
1972 | Jim Youngblood, LB
1973 | Dana Winningham, LB
1974 | Elois Grooms, DE
1975 | Ronnie Fain, DE
1976 | Joe Jachimowicz, DT
1977 | Lamar Mike, RB, and Mark Shrum, LB
1978 | Craig Rolle, WR
1979 | Steve Davis, P
1980 | Wayne Anderson, K
1981 | Brad Millice, TE
1982 | Billy Blaylock, DB
1983 | Danny Templin, OT
1984 | Jeff Daughtry, LB
1985 | Barry Wilmore, LB
1986 | Nate Hooks, WR
1987 | Lorenza Rivers, RB
1988 | Mike Thornton, ROV
1989 | Fred Edgington, LB
1990 | John Webb, FB
1991 | Ricky Sanders, DL
1992 | Marrio Thomas, LB
1993 | Maurice Draine, LB
1994 | Brian Pankey, DT
1995 | Michael Penix, TB
1996 | Robert Taylor, CB
1997 | Sammy Sanders, LB
1998 | Josh Harris, DL
1999 | Branon Vaughn, DL
2000 | Chad Evitts, LB
2001 | Grant Swallows, QB
2002 | Daniel Wentzel, LB
2003 | Jason Ballard, RB
2004 | Tommy Harrison, LB
2005 | Larry Shipp, WR
2006 | Anthony Ash, RB, and Larry Shipp, WR
2007 | Larry Shipp, WR, and Derek White, RB
2008 | Tim Benford, WR
2009 | Lee Sweeney, QB
2010 | Tim Benford, WR
2011 | Tim Benford, WR
2012 | Tre Lamb, QB
2013 | Jordan Johnson, DT
2014 | Darian Stone, QB
2015 | Brock McCoin, WR
2016 | Michael Birdsong, QB
2017 | Dontez Byrd, WR
2018 | Nick Madonia, K
2019 | Bailey Fisher, QB
The team also selected Fisher and senior linebacker Aderick Moore as its team captains for 2019.
Four other awards were selected as Moore won the Sonny Allen Leadership Award, senior wide receiver/returner Seth Huner won the Bill Dupes Inspiration Award, senior defensive back Shannon Fayne won the Tony Stone "Bumble Bee" Award and junior defensive back Adam Swayze won the team Academic Award.
Moore was a second-team all-OVC pick by both the conference and the Phil Steele organization as he finished the year with 104 tackles with six for-loss, a sack, an interception, two quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles. Huner ended 2019 with 16 catches for 223 yards, while also returning nine punts for 44 yards and seven kicks for 103 yards. Fayne finished the season with 64 total tackles, including 2.5 for-loss, with 10 pass breakups and a forced fumble. Swayze, who earned his bachelor's degree in agriculture during the Fall 2019 Commencement ceremony in December, recorded 35 tackles and intercepted two passes.
Photo | Kristie Phillips, TTU Athletics
