The Daily Iowan: So, I work for The Daily Iowan and we do a fun segment every week where we talk to a guy one-on-one and ask some fun, non-football questions. So, my first question for you has to do with your position on the team. It’s sort of unique to Iowa to have a backup fullback or two fullbacks on the roster. Is that sort of a badge of honor for you to be like, “hey, I’m one of two fullbacks on the team.”

Turner Pallissard: Of course, it’s a huge badge of honor. I came in as a fullback. Most guys come in and switch positions. But I came in as a fullback and have loved it ever since. Brady [Ross] and [Monte Pottebaum] and I learned through Brady. It was a great time, Brady’s an awesome guy. Now, having just Pot and I around is awesome. Learning from each other, especially me learning from him, it’s really a great time.

DI: Do you think it’s unique that you came here as a fullback? I feel like that’s sort of a dying breed — a guy that starts as a fullback, stays a fullback, and is always going to be a fullback.

Pallissard: It is a little unique, actually. I mean, most guys, like I said earlier, they come in as a linebacker. Like, Pot was a linebacker coming in from high school. He played running back, as well. I was a straight offensive guy. I came from a high school that was just huge, so we only played one position. I was always on offense. I’d play a little tight end, receiver, but obviously, I came in a little too short or a little too heavy to be either. So, I mean, I love it. I’m embracing it now. I’ve been going for five years. It’s great. It’s great.

DI: Did you walk on here or were you recruited?

Pallissard: Well, like both. I was a walk-on, for sure. I came to a camp here in the summer of 2017. I came in as a tight end. I stood out, for sure, because I was the shortest guy there. After the camp, coaches came up to me and said, “hey, if you would like to walk on, we’d love to offer you a spot.” Then, I said, “there we go. That’s where I’m going to college.” So, that’s how I got here.

DI: What is the dream as a fullback? Is it to get the ball and score or is it to lay out a great block? What is your ultimate dream as a fullback?

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Pallissard: Of course, as kids, everybody is looking for the touchdown. We kinda grow into this mode as fullbacks where our dream is just laying that huge block for our offense to score. Being able to go out there in Kinnick and hit that huge block for our offense to score, no matter where it is in the game, that would be the best thing. That would be the awesome dream fulfilled, right there.

DI: Is there a guy you model your game off of? Is there a fullback out there? Like is it Anthony Sherman in the NFL?

Pallissard: I do watch a little Sherman. When I came up through high school, actually, was always Dan Vitale. Do you know who that is?

DI: Yeah, he played fullback for the Green Bay Packers.

Pallissard: That was my role model guy. He was the undersized guy from Northwestern. And I was like “Oh man, undersized tight end. There we go.” So, that was always my dream. He’s retired now. But coming up for sure, he was my role model. Now, its kinda grown into just looking up to Pot. You know, seeing how he plays, I’m like, “that’s the perfect guy to watch film and try to learn from.”

DI: Do you think you’re a good pass-catcher? I know you said you used to be a tight end. Are you a multi-faceted guy?

Pallissard: I mean, I sure hope so, at this point, you know? I mean, yes, we’re fullbacks and we block. But we’re always practicing both sides. You know, we’re pass blocking, we’re run blocking. Obviously, we’re with the tight ends as a position group.  So, we’re always catching the ball as well. I would say we all can catch the ball very well.

DI: Where did you get your start in football? Obviously in youth football, seven-on-seven, flag football, the fullback position doesn’t exist.

Pallissard: I started off playing youth football, but I was a lineman and defensive end. That’s kinda how I grew up playing. Everybody grows up, eventually. So, I just chose tight end because I liked offense. Then, I moved to fullback, and that’s how I got here. Really just kind of a random, random story.

DI: Sweet, thanks so much for chatting with me.

Pallissard: Of course, thank you.