The online petition Justin Fields created to gather signatures towards reinstating the fall Big Ten season has taken a life of its own. As of Monday morning, it has now collected over 230,000 signatures from all walks of life, even Michigan players.
But why did Fields feel the need to take action on his own? The former Heisman finalist and Big Ten Player of the Year appeared on ESPN radio Monday morning to discuss just that. He said it was more than just about him, it was for the fifth-year seniors and others that came back to give it one more go in Columbus.
“The guys that have come back for their fifth year — coming back off of injury — I think we owe it to those guys the most,” Fields told ESPN. “I’ve just seen behind the scenes all the work that they’ve put in and how much they really care about it, and I also believe all the coaches and all the players’ parents want us to play, and they’re also safe with the guidelines Ohio State has set.”
What is @justnfields’s message to Big 10 Commissioner Kevin Warren & OSU Athletic Director Gene Smith?#WeWantToPlay pic.twitter.com/wxrdAOIHEk
— ESPN Radio (@ESPNRadio) August 17, 2020
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For him personally, a guy that’s projected to be a top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, there’s more at stake too than just making money. Rather than sit things out and rest on his lot in life, Fields is fighting for his teammates, and for the ability to compete. But why?
“My love for college football, and my love for my teammates at Ohio State,” Fields said. “I’ve seen the guys battle back from injuries, and I’ve seen how hard our coaches have fought for us to play, so really just for them, and just my love for the game,”
Fields also had a message for Kevin Warren and the Big Ten on the divide between what the conference is doing vs. three of the other Power Five conferences.
“If the SEC, ACC, and Big 12 all think that we can have a season safely, then I don’t see any reason why the Big Ten can’t do the same,” Fields said. “If we’re sitting at home watching the other conferences play, I think that’s gonna hit somewhere down deep. Sometimes it doesn’t hurt that much until you realize that you’re not playing, but I think the players don’t realize how much it’s gonna affect them once they see other conferences and other schools playing — and we’re just sitting at home not doing anything.”
It’s refreshing that Fields believes he and the players have a voice and that he’s using his leadership to fight for a cause he believes in. However, so far, the Big Ten has had no comment on any of this, and there’s really no reason to believe anyone’s going to walk this whole thing back at this point.
But that clearly isn’t going to stop Fields, parents, players, and coaches from going down swinging.
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