CINCINNATI -- For the last three years, Jake Fisher has been a starter at right offensive tackle, helping block for one of the nation's best quarterbacks.
But that was then.
His reality now is much different. Taken 53rd overall in last weekend's draft, the former Oregon standout arrives in the Queen City on Thursday for the start of the Cincinnati Bengals' rookie minicamp, and a brand new beginning to his football-playing career. Though some might expect his approach to change since he's a rookie, the second-round pick said it won't.
His plan, just like it was at Oregon, is to play.
"I'm going to show up on Day 1 and take it as it is," Fisher said during his post-draft news conference Saturday.
His goal, he added, was to compete for legitimate playing time, even if reality, for now, might tell a different story.
Listed ahead of Fisher on the Bengals' depth chart are Pro Bowl left tackle Andrew Whitworth, veteran right tackle Andre Smith and swing backup Eric Winston. Rookie first-round pick Cedric Ogbuehi also factors into the rotation, although he likely won't be fully recovered from an ACL injury until after the season begins. It's possible Fisher could play some guard for the Bengals, too.
Regardless of who's ahead of him, Fisher still doesn't plan to spend too many of his early years in stripes on the bench. If he does, his hope is that from there he will be pushing his veteran teammates to be better. That even goes for Whitworth, the Bengals captain who has been in Cincinnati long enough to remember what consecutive non-winning seasons felt like.
On Monday, Whitworth expressed frustration that the Bengals hadn't discussed their plans regarding re-signing him before his contract ends next spring. The 33-year-old also was upset the organization didn't give him a heads up that drafting two offensive tackles in the first two rounds was a possibility.
"[When the team says] we'd like you to prepare two young guys to be really good football players, we'd like you to be the leader of our football team, but we'd also like the best situation possible for us to talk to you when we want to, that's a one-way street, and not really top of the line in customer service," Whitworth said.
Still, frustrations aside, Whitworth invited both rookies to his home Saturday night to watch the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight in an effort to get to know both. Travel schedules only permitted Fisher to meet with Whitworth.
How valuable was Fisher to Oregon and Heisman winner Marcus Mariota last season?
According to ESPN Stats & Information, in the two games Fisher missed with a leg injury, the Ducks' quarterback was sacked six times and was pressured an average of 8.5 times in both games. In the 13 games in which Fisher played, Mariota was sacked just 1.5 times per game and received pressure only 6.1 times per game.
Fisher didn't only have an impact for the Ducks on the field. His presence was felt in the huddle and the locker room, too. After choosing his moments to be a leader the last three years, he'll have to be even more judicious now.
"As a rookie just earn the respect of teammates by staying quiet and learning this game," Fisher said. "Just learn a lot and take everything in. Take everything with a grain of salt; from different opinions. And just continue to be yourself and make the people around you better."
He'll do all of that by continuing to compete.