Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields revealed his NFL role model, and it’s someone he may have to play against eventually.
In a recent interview with Brian Mazique for Forbes, Fields discussed everything from his vegan diet to his thoughts on playing and now being in one of his favorite video games, Madden. The 22-year-old quarterback also discussed who has influenced his young career so far, and as it turns out, few have shaped Fields more than New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton.
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Fields Says Newton Has Had ‘Huge Impact’ on Career
In his three collegiate years (one at Georgia and two at Ohio State), Fields threw for 5,701 yards and 67 touchdowns while also running for another 1,133 yards and 19 scores. Fields’ smooth blend of strong arm and rushing savvy has led to some referring to him as “the young Cam Newton” in the past, which is a label he’d surely welcome.
“Cam has had a huge impact on me as a person and player. I’m lucky to have had a role model like him from such a young age to be able to look up to,” Fields told Mazique.
Fields also told Mazique a bit about the influence current Bears veteran quarterbacks Andy Dalton and Nick Foles have had on him thus far: “These guys have been great so far,” the 22-year-old signal-caller stated. “Anytime you can be around other veteran quarterbacks that have established themselves in the league you are going to try to learn as much as you can.”
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Newton Called Fields ‘Best Recruit in the Country’ in 2017
Fields also said several years ago that he models his game after Newton’s, which makes perfect sense considering what a dual threat he is.
“Growing up when he was at Auburn, he’s kind of who I modeled my game after,” Fields said back in 2017, via USA TODAY. “So it’s definitely great learning from him. Cam tells me just do what’s best for me. All these colleges, they want you to come help them. But really, just find the best fit for you.”
Fields did just that, transferring from Georgia to Ohio State in early 2019, where he became the starter for the Buckeyes shortly after his arrival. The rest is history.
Apparently, Newton has also been a fan of the rookie quarterback’s for several years now. “Justin Fields is the best recruit in the country. Write that down,” Newton said back in 2017, via Audacy.com.
Fields and Newton are also both vegans, which is something the Bears quarterback says has helped him feel a bit lighter on his feet. “A little over a year ago in March I went back to Georgia with my family and we tried a 28 day plant-based detox together as a challenge,” Fields said. “After the 28 day period, I felt much stronger and much lighter on my feet. I was weighing in at 230 prior to the challenge and around 218 after I decided to go plant-based. I just ultimately felt better and wanted to continue with this diet after the challenge was over.”
Fields has yet to play an NFL snap, so it’s impossible to dissect what his pro career will look like. The Bears don’t play the Patriots this coming season, but it will be interesting to see if the two quarterbacks will ever see find their paths cross in the pro game.
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