Husky Legend: Rick Fenney
October 28, 2017 | Football
By Kimberlie Haner
Being a fullback is sometimes a thankless job in football, but former Washington fullback Richard "Rick" Fenney made his mark on the Husky football program during his four years in Seattle to become a Husky Legend.
Fenney was the middle child, sandwiched between an older brother and a younger sister. Born in Everett, Washington, he spent most of his life in Snohomish and attended Snohomish High School. Growing up, he didn't just play football. He also wrestled and played baseball. However, he eventually chose just one.
"It really wasn't until my junior year in high school when football became my primary sport," Fenney said. "I started to see that I had the most potential in football and would be able to get a college scholarship. I was scouted by some pro teams in baseball, but football was a more natural fit for me."
When the time came to pick a school, Fenney had a lot of choices. He considered other colleges, but when it came down to it, Washington was his school. The success the Huskies had on the field was a huge factor along with the proximity to his hometown.
"Washington was my hometown team and my favorite team," Fenney said. "When I went on my recruiting trip to Washington, I had two other trips planned. But while I was on my trip, I decided to commit on the spot. I cancelled the other trips."
From 1983-86 Fenney was a fullback at Washington. In his first couple of years, he was primarily a blocker and receiver out of the backfield. In his career, he totaled over 1,700 total yards on offense, including almost 1,500 rushing yards.
The 1984 season was an important one in Fenney's career. The Huskies earned a trip to the Orange Bowl after a strong regular season. Fenney helped block for Jacque Robinson, who had over 1,000 yards on offense that year.
"Jacque was the easier guy to block for because he did such a great job of setting the blocks up," Fenney said. "He made it so easy to do your job. He is a very talented guy."
Washington beat Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl that season with Robinson being named the MVP. The Huskies ended the year with an 11-1 record, capping off one of the best seasons in school history. They finished ranked No. 2 in the country behind national champions BYU. It was also a breakout game for Feeney. He scored a touchdown and carried the ball nine times for 70 yards.
"We felt like we should've been national champions," Fenney said. "There was no doubt that if we played BYU that year, we would have destroyed them."
The next two seasons of Fenney's time at Washington resulted in winning records, but none matched the pinnacle of the '84 season. The 1985 season was memorable for another reason as well. Not long before the game against Stanford that year, his nephew Joshua had just passed away from a heart defect at 3-years old. That game was the best of his career.
"I dedicated that game to him," Fenney said. "My whole family was there. That was probably my most complete game that I played."
In his senior year, Fenney was a team captain and posed to be the featured back on the team. Unfortunately, he was plagued by injuries and forced to miss half of the season.
"That ended up being a disappointing year for us," Fenney said. "We had a lot of talent on that team and we expected to go to the Rose Bowl. It was disappointing that we didn't make it."
After college, Fenney was drafted in the eighth round of the 1987 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He played there from 1987-91. Though he was a bit disappointed that he wasn't drafted higher, he loved his time in Minnesota. There were good seasons, including a trip to the NFC Championship one year.
"It was a life-long dream to play in the NFL," Fenney said. "I had six great years at Minnesota. I really enjoyed my time there."
Today, Fenney is living in Snohomish. He is currently volunteering at his former high school to help current football players with strength and conditioning. Inspired by his mentor when he was in high school, he wants to help make a difference in the athletes' lives.
"I owe it to these younger kids to share my knowledge and pay it forward," Fenney said.
His time at Washington was a life-changing experience. Along with former teammates, he makes it out to Husky Stadium every so often to cheer on his Dawgs. With Chris Peterson at the helm, he is proud of what UW is doing today.
"I think Chris Peterson is an unbelievable coach," Fenney said. "I absolutely love what he's doing with this program. It's amazing to watch not just the performance on the field, but the integrity off the field."
Fenney believes that Washington is an incredible program at a strong academics school. There are many aspects of UW that appeal to students and potential student-athletes.
"They have an incredible program, but you're also going to get a great education," Fenney said. "And with Peterson's 'Built for Life' philosophy, you're going to become a real man with integrity and discipline."
Looking back on his time at UW, he learned a lot of lessons from his time playing football. His biggest lesson was to never quit.
"Never give up," Fenney said. "You get knocked down and you pick yourself up and keep moving on. It's amazing what you can accomplish with your teammates."
Being a fullback is sometimes a thankless job in football, but former Washington fullback Richard "Rick" Fenney made his mark on the Husky football program during his four years in Seattle to become a Husky Legend.
Fenney was the middle child, sandwiched between an older brother and a younger sister. Born in Everett, Washington, he spent most of his life in Snohomish and attended Snohomish High School. Growing up, he didn't just play football. He also wrestled and played baseball. However, he eventually chose just one.
"It really wasn't until my junior year in high school when football became my primary sport," Fenney said. "I started to see that I had the most potential in football and would be able to get a college scholarship. I was scouted by some pro teams in baseball, but football was a more natural fit for me."
When the time came to pick a school, Fenney had a lot of choices. He considered other colleges, but when it came down to it, Washington was his school. The success the Huskies had on the field was a huge factor along with the proximity to his hometown.
"Washington was my hometown team and my favorite team," Fenney said. "When I went on my recruiting trip to Washington, I had two other trips planned. But while I was on my trip, I decided to commit on the spot. I cancelled the other trips."
From 1983-86 Fenney was a fullback at Washington. In his first couple of years, he was primarily a blocker and receiver out of the backfield. In his career, he totaled over 1,700 total yards on offense, including almost 1,500 rushing yards.
The 1984 season was an important one in Fenney's career. The Huskies earned a trip to the Orange Bowl after a strong regular season. Fenney helped block for Jacque Robinson, who had over 1,000 yards on offense that year.
"Jacque was the easier guy to block for because he did such a great job of setting the blocks up," Fenney said. "He made it so easy to do your job. He is a very talented guy."
Washington beat Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl that season with Robinson being named the MVP. The Huskies ended the year with an 11-1 record, capping off one of the best seasons in school history. They finished ranked No. 2 in the country behind national champions BYU. It was also a breakout game for Feeney. He scored a touchdown and carried the ball nine times for 70 yards.
"We felt like we should've been national champions," Fenney said. "There was no doubt that if we played BYU that year, we would have destroyed them."
The next two seasons of Fenney's time at Washington resulted in winning records, but none matched the pinnacle of the '84 season. The 1985 season was memorable for another reason as well. Not long before the game against Stanford that year, his nephew Joshua had just passed away from a heart defect at 3-years old. That game was the best of his career.
"I dedicated that game to him," Fenney said. "My whole family was there. That was probably my most complete game that I played."
In his senior year, Fenney was a team captain and posed to be the featured back on the team. Unfortunately, he was plagued by injuries and forced to miss half of the season.
"That ended up being a disappointing year for us," Fenney said. "We had a lot of talent on that team and we expected to go to the Rose Bowl. It was disappointing that we didn't make it."
After college, Fenney was drafted in the eighth round of the 1987 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He played there from 1987-91. Though he was a bit disappointed that he wasn't drafted higher, he loved his time in Minnesota. There were good seasons, including a trip to the NFC Championship one year.
"It was a life-long dream to play in the NFL," Fenney said. "I had six great years at Minnesota. I really enjoyed my time there."
Today, Fenney is living in Snohomish. He is currently volunteering at his former high school to help current football players with strength and conditioning. Inspired by his mentor when he was in high school, he wants to help make a difference in the athletes' lives.
"I owe it to these younger kids to share my knowledge and pay it forward," Fenney said.
His time at Washington was a life-changing experience. Along with former teammates, he makes it out to Husky Stadium every so often to cheer on his Dawgs. With Chris Peterson at the helm, he is proud of what UW is doing today.
"I think Chris Peterson is an unbelievable coach," Fenney said. "I absolutely love what he's doing with this program. It's amazing to watch not just the performance on the field, but the integrity off the field."
Fenney believes that Washington is an incredible program at a strong academics school. There are many aspects of UW that appeal to students and potential student-athletes.
"They have an incredible program, but you're also going to get a great education," Fenney said. "And with Peterson's 'Built for Life' philosophy, you're going to become a real man with integrity and discipline."
Looking back on his time at UW, he learned a lot of lessons from his time playing football. His biggest lesson was to never quit.
"Never give up," Fenney said. "You get knocked down and you pick yourself up and keep moving on. It's amazing what you can accomplish with your teammates."
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