If you were like me, it was always right there in the back of my mind. As time drug on and it looked more and more bleak for the Big Ten to revisit the decision to postpone the fall football season, would Justin Fields decide to shelve everything and just focus on preparing for the NFL Draft?
Sure, he said the right things, made all the right moves — including starting an online petition that got gobs and gobs of signature — and more or less showed he was all in, but you still had to wonder.
Then game what we thought might be the first domino. Starting right guard and fellow projected first-round draft pick Wyatt Davis had enough and pulled the string, announcing his intentions to opt-out of the season and prepare for the draft. The talented Shaun Wade followed just a few days later.
But then, miraculously, the conference announced its decision to reverse course and have a fall football season.
Through it all, we never heard any whispers of Fields’ looking to pull the ripcord and just head off to dreams of NFL grandeur.
Last year’s only remaining Heisman finalist met with reporters along with defensive end Jonathon Cooper on Friday and he was asked about his mindset through it all and if he ever contemplated opting out.
“I really wasn’t trying to rush anything, in case this situation did pop up,” Fields said to reporters. “And, another reason is I wanted to give myself an opportunity to come back and show the world what I can do and what I’ve improved on, because I feel like I’ve improved a lot on my game and I’ve learned a lot this offseason, and I know the talent we have on offense and defense. And we’re just all excited to be able to get on the field and show how hard we’ve been working — show our talents really — and play the game we love.”
Fields 2.0 is a scary proposition for opponents. He already showed he had a laser arm, mobility when things broke down, and a toughness not found in too many. That was with just a few months under the Ryan Day system.
With a year of seasoning and an even better grasp on the offense, along with some dynamic playmakers on the outside, oh — and an offensive line that should be one of the best in the country? Lookout.
Let’s goooooo!!! https://t.co/9OVkhXXkWg
— Justin Fields (@justnfields) September 16, 2020
Still, sitting on the sidelines and watching other teams practice and prepare for the season, then watching other teams play wasn’t easy. In fact, it was downright painful.
“We were just all hurting,” said Fields. “We literally kept saying like, ‘Wow, we’re really not playing this year. This is all we’re going to be doing this year. This sucks. This is different.’”
For Fields, sitting by, waiting, and fighting for the chance to take the field again has made him even more determined as well.
“I don’t think there are words to describe how determined I am,” Fields said. “Really, I think it just shows with the stuff I do, how I carry myself in the facility, how I work on and off the field,” Fields said. “I think it’s just gonna have to show itself.”
And show itself it will. Late October can’t get here soon enough.