IU’s Aiden Fisher calls his journey to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis 'a blessing'

Aiden Fisher, originally from Spotsylvania, Virginia, became an Indiana Hoosier practically overnight. He’s just one of the 13 athletes Curt Cignetti brought to Indiana University from James Madison University in 2024, and it’s a good thing he did.

Since Fisher’s transfer, he has made an impact both on the field and on the sidelines, aiding IU's national championship win. With 95 total tackles and 4.5 sacks for the winning season, Fisher helped make sure the trophy was coming back to Indiana.

At the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Wednesday, TheStatehouseFile.com asked Fisher how it felt to be one of Cignetti’s “chosen ones.”

“It was a blessing to me. Coach Cig, to have that belief in me to go from JMU to come up to the Big Ten and play at Indiana, was a huge boost to my confidence,” Fisher said. “The belief that he had in me as a player and a leader was unbelievable to me, and I’m forever indebted to him.”

Fisher’s journey to this week's Combine wasn’t easy. Whether it was transitioning from high school to college or battling a knee injury, Fisher faced adversity early, his greatest hardship coming from growing up without his father and stepfather.

In 2014, Fisher’s father died on his 11th birthday, and only five years later, his stepfather passed from terminal brain cancer. These tragedies helped form the resilient bond among Fisher, his mother, Leslie Amore, and his two sisters, Addison and Kyleigh -- the meaning behind the 4 on his jersey.

“It’s been a blessing to wear the number 4 the past two years, and I think my family knows at this point that what I’m doing is for them,” Fisher said. “If I’m blessed to wear it again, it will be just that, but if not, we’ll have to move on.”

With an important performing week for Fisher, he could bring his high football IQ and playmaking instincts to the table of a big professional team. Although he's been ranked at one of the lowest grades for a draft pick, his end goal is winning from whatever position he can.

“They're gonna get a guy that is gonna come in and be the hardest worker in the room from day 1,” Fisher said. “I just want to be the best at what I do, and if that’s playing me on special teams, playing me on defense, I’ll do anything for a team that wants to win.”

The week after the IU championship win will be one that Fisher said he’ll remember for the rest of his life. He can only hope his luck continues with a future NFL career.