Fitte’s opportunity at Tech is 5 years in the making

RUSTON – Beau Fitte has waited and waited and waited and waited for his opportunity at Louisiana Tech.

Four times, to be exact.

Fitte, a redshirt senior linebacker in his final year of college football, finally gets his crack as a full-time players Saturday when Tech opens the season against Southern.

It’s a long time coming for Fitte, who redshirted in 2011 and spent the past three years as a special teams player and reserve linebacker.

“It was hard wondering when it’s going to be my chance to actually help the team out and when would I be that guy to start,” Fitte told The News-Star at media day. “At the same time it was ‘What can I do to help the team out.’ It’s been a while, but at the same time it’s not something I’ve been reflecting on like I’m waiting, I’m waiting. Whenever the opportunity showed itself I just took that chance and just go with it.”

By default, Fitte enters the year as Tech’s most experienced linebacker, although that isn’t saying much. Tech lost a majority of its production from 2014 with the departure of three starters.

From his weak-side linebacker spot, Fitte will join senior Nick Thomason at middle linebacker and senior C.J. Cleveland at strong-side linebacker. Thomason is a junior college transfer and Cleveland is a former walk-on who has been with the program for three years after transferring from Arkansas Tech.

All three played in a reserve role last year with Fitte registering 38 tackles and two fumble recoveries, one of which he returned 19 yards for a touchdown against Rice.

But it has been Fitte who has earned praise from Tech’s coaching staff during fall camp.

“Beau’s been awesome. He’s waited his turn,” Tech coach Skip Holtz said. “You have really just watched him grow and flourish as not only a player but as one of the leaders. He understands the defense, he knows what he’s doing and he’s vocal. He’s worked extremely hard. He works like crazy.

“There’s nobody more excited to see the success he’s having on the field than I am. He certainly deserves it.”

Fitte separated himself from the rest of Tech’s linebackers during the spring with Thomason and Cleveland recovering from offseason surgery.

The Port Sulfur native said he’s worked on his technique and studying game film to help him with the upcoming season.

Tech defensive coordinator Blake Baker, who also coaches the linebackers, even went as far to say Fitte’s effort in the film room is comparable to film junkie Xavier Woods.

“He’s always in there watching film,” Baker said. “But the most impressive thing to me is how he’s leading. He wants to be a pro and he’s acting like one.”

Fitte is regularly seen at the Jugs machine catching balls after practice.

“I try to give it my all when no one’s watching to better myself and help the team out,” he said.

The truth is the coaches have noticed.

During a recent practice, Holtz heard the machine running in the background and joked how Fitte was probably out there catching balls.

“He knows what the standard is around here,” Baker said. “Being here for five years and the success we had last year on defense, he’s done a real great job just expressing that vocally.”

Fitte has never started more than two games in a season and has yet to surpass 45 total tackles leaving him without much on-field experience at linebacker.

He views it in a different way, though. He’s been in the system for five years and has logged countless snaps “under the lights” on special teams.

Now, it’s just a matter of having a noticeable impact.

“(In the past) I was just trying to find ways to help the team out,” he said. “Now I really have a chance to have a big impact on the team and us winning games.”