Lucas Gibson said he is the biggest kid he’s coached, but there is more to Jackson Fischer.

The Van-Far senior lineman signed to play football for Missouri Valley College on March 4 during a ceremony at Van-Far High School. Fischer was a second team all-state offensive lineman, a first team all-Eastern Missouri Conference offensive and defensive lineman, and a Class 1 District 2 offensive lineman on Van-Far’s first district championship team since 2000.

Fischer plans to study agronomy to become a soil scientist.

Jackson Fischer College Signing Photo Gallery

“It will help me in the long run in life,” Fischer said about his signing. “Football has been a sport where I’ve been able to find my emotions in it, and it’s been something that has shaped me into who I am today.”

Fischer had 41.5 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks on defense and blocked on an offense that ran for 3,170 yards for 6.9 yards per carry. 

He said playing football has further crafted him into a person who has a drive to be better and maintain a good work ethic. This is reflected in his daily life as Fischer works jobs at Ennis Implement and Dollar General Market along with being a high school student. On top of all that, Fischer said he has improved his technique on the football field at Elite Football Academy in Chesterfield on the weekends.

“They help you with your hand placement and footwork,” Fischer said. “My biggest development sports-wise was footwork and hands. I’ve always been told I’ve been pretty big, but I can’t just rely on that. I want to be the best that I can in the smaller things that don’t seem like they matter.”

Gibson said it is “bittersweet” because he joked that he doesn’t want to lose Fischer on offense or defense. Fischer was a staple for Van-Far on both lines all four years during the time the program went from 1-7 and forfeiting districts to winning records and district wins in each of his final three years. 

When it comes to Fischer’s value, Gibson can’t say enough about his 6-foot-4 and around 260-pound lineman. The work ethic should translate to college and his other intangibles should be on display through how he plays.

“His drive, when he really turns it on, he’s almost unstoppable,” Gibson said. “Defensively, he would get in the backfield and make several tackles in the backfield. Offensively, if we needed a big play, we would usually go behind him.”

Fischer said he started playing football in elementary school and college football has always been on his mind. After breaking his ankle freshman year, he said he recovered physically and mentally and his aspirations to play in college started to become more serious. 

On Jan. 5, Fischer received national recognition when he played in the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Participants were chosen out of a pool of 1,946 recruits or by a committee composed of NFL veterans. Fischer’s Blue (East) team won 22-14. 

Fischer’s origin will always be at Van-Far where his teammates, or “brotherhood,” he has been with since the beginning turned around the football program. 

“It’s really emotional,” Fischer said. “I don’t want to say we built it all by ourselves, but we were thrown right into it in our freshman year. It was the expression, ‘sink or swim.’ Either you will do good or you won’t, playing against kids that are way bigger in a pretty decent conference.”

Gibson said this is a large senior class Van-Far will be doing without next year and it was a pleasure to have kids like Fischer leading the team.

“That whole senior class is really special having 10-11 kids that stuck together and stuck it out through the rough times,” Gibson said. “You see the end product. Hopefully, some of the other kids in school saw that and can continue that on.”

Fischer said these four years at Van-Far shaped his work ethic and drive and likes what he’s leaving behind.

“I’ve tried to prepare some of the underclassmen to try and have that same grit and fight,” Fischer said.