BOONE, N.C. — When Appalachian State recognizes 19 of its football players on Senior Day, fans in Kidd Brewer Stadium will be familiar with most of the names.
Seven of the seniors, after all, started games during the program's FBS debut in 2014. For casual observers, there's a chance you haven't noticed
Curtis Fitch.
A quarterback who joined the program as a walk-on, Fitch is most recognizable for wearing a red, see-through vest over his No. 17 jersey and being part of a three-man crew signaling plays in to starter
Taylor Lamb. With a share of a Sun Belt Conference title at stake for the Mountaineers (7-4, 6-1) on Saturday, Fitch has made one career game appearance heading into the home finale against Louisiana, but his contributions don't go unappreciated within the program.
"Fitch is just a special person, No. 1, and he's got tremendous respect from all the coaches and all the players," App State head coach
Scott Satterfield said. "He hasn't missed a workout or hasn't missed a run, even knowing he's probably not going to play a whole lot.
"He had a goal. He wanted to come in here and learn as much football as he could learn. He knows he wants to coach one day, and he'll be an excellent coach."
Fitch received small-college offers following a productive career at Steinbrenner High School near Tampa, Fla., where his father, Todd, worked as South Florida's offensive coordinator. After three seasons at Boston College, he is now in his second year as Skip Holtz's offensive coordinator at Louisiana Tech.
Todd's son wanted to be part of an FBS program so he could learn the ins and outs of coaching college football at the highest level. With family connections in the coaching business, Fitch communicated initially with former App State offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford about joining the Mountaineers as a walk-on quarterback.
After meeting with Ledford and Satterfield, Fitch decided to attend college in Boone. He is a member of a quarterback club that includes two more aspiring coaches in Lamb, whose father is Mercer's head coach, and
Zeb Speir, whose father worked as an App State assistant before becoming Western Carolina's head coach.
"I'm so grateful to Coach Ledford and Coach Satterfield because they allowed me to come here and have the experience to do what I've always wanted to do," Fitch said. "Being around football for four years, every day learning so much, especially with guys like Taylor and Zeb, we just kind of push ourselves every day in the meetings. We're always drawing up plays, and being around that kind of culture has been awesome."
Fitch made his first and only game appearance in the final three minutes of a 49-0 road victory against Old Dominion in 2015. He handed off three times to then-freshman
Jalin Moore before taking a knee, prompting Fitch to note half-jokingly that, "People say I should have pulled the ball and run with it. I did hand it off, and I made my right reads, just to let them know."
He's had a bigger gameday role as one of three individuals equipped with a headset, bright wristbands and a baseball cap — Fitch turns his backward. Much like third-base coaches and catchers who don't want their signs stolen in baseball, there are real and fake signals being delivered as Lamb looks over at Fitch, Speir and graduate assistant
Pete Thomas, who played quarterback at N.C. State, ULM and Colorado State.
The precision and speed of the operation are crucial.
"It's chaotic to some people, but it's a language for us," Lamb said. "Me, Fitch, Zeb and Coach Thomas, we can talk in that language. When they're on their game, I can get the play quick and look at the defense."
From the other side, Fitch said his job is both hectic and enjoyable, with added degrees of difficulty on the road.
"You play a Georgia, a Tennessee and it's loud and you have to get the plays in fast," Fitch said, "but it's been really fun."
As far as Fitch's actual quarterbacking skills, Lamb critiqued them with a touch of humor by calling his good friend's passing an "off and on" talent.
Fitch transitions from long periods of signal-calling at practice to drills in which he joins the primary quarterbacks and throws to receivers with no real opportunity to warm up first. Lamb chuckled in discussing both the off-target passes and the incredibly accurate ones thrown with maximum effort.
After officially redshirting in 2014, Fitch has used only three years of eligibility, but he's an honor roll student who is set to graduate in December with a degree in business management.
When App State's seniors are recognized Saturday, there will be a strong mix of all-conference selections, multi-year starters and scholarship reserves who have household names. As the player who breaks down every post-practice huddle with assistant coach
Frank Ponce and his quarterbacks, Fitch has made a noteworthy impact.
"I will miss it," Fitch said. "It's been the best four years of my life. I've loved every bit of App Football and am so thankful to Coach Satterfield, Coach Ponce and everybody who has been around me. It's been a blast."
