Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields is known for his toughness.
The former Ohio State signal-caller cemented his status as a man who can take a hit in the 2021 College Football Playoff semifinal against Clemson. On a 3rd and 13 play in the second quarter, Fields took off to run for the first down, and about two yards shy of the marker, he took a nasty hit in the ribs that left him rolling in pain on the turf.
In a performance Sports Illustrated called “straight out of some of the iconic football movies of the 70’s,” Fields left the game briefly before returning to lead the Buckeyes to a 49-28 victory. He went 22-of-28 for 385 yards, six touchdowns and one interception in the win.
Here’s a look at the hit that, as it turned out, changed the way the quarterback plays the game:
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Fields: Clemson Hit Made Me Hyper-Aware as a Runner
Speaking to the media on August 2, Fields talked about the way he altered his running style and how his mentality changed after that hit to the ribs.
“I’m still scarred from that Clemson hit,” Fields said. “Literally every time I tuck the ball down and run, I’m thinking about getting out of bounds or getting down. There’s going to be times when you have to, or course, try to fight for extra yardage. I’m definitely smarter and trying to protect myself more.”
When asked if the hit still bothers him, he said this: “Nah, it doesn’t bother me, but the hit hurt so much, every time I run now, I just think of that hit and I’m not trying to take a hit like that again so I definitely get out of bounds or getting down.”
Sounds smart — and this kind of awareness is already good sign in what the Bears are getting in Fields.
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Baseball Background Has Also Helped Fields With His Sliding
Fields has been growing more comfortable in the Bears offense, and he has been incorporating more runs in recent practices, which is something the media noticed, particularly when he utilized popup slides.
“I was just thinking about baseball, actually, when I was sliding,” Fields said. “Stealing first base and going to second. You do that a lot in baseball. It’s definitely easy for me.”
The 22-year-old QB also noted his comfort level is growing every day. “I’ve just gotten more comfortable. Just spending more time in the playbook, spending more time with the coaches. I think just kind of going back to studying the first installs we did at rookie mini-camp and stuff like that. I’ve just gotten more comfortable with the plays and with the offense. And instead of trying to remember the play call in the huddle, I actually picture it in my head so I actually can like see the play call when I’m saying it to the other guys.”
It sounds like the Bears have a young quarterback who not only learns from his mistakes but is also establishing a firm understanding of head coach Matt Nagy’s offense — and that’s something this team has not had for a very long time.
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