Former Ohio State Quarterback Justin Fields Discusses Being Drafted By The Chicago Bears
Although he waited a little bit longer than most expected, former Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields was selected by the Chicago Bears with the No. 11 overall pick in Thursday night’s NFL Draft.
The Bears, who originally had the No. 20 overall pick, traded their first- and fifth-round picks this year’s draft and their first- and fourth-round picks in next year’s draft to the New York Giants in order to select Fields, who will now compete with veterans Andy Dalton and Nick Foles for the starting spot as a rookie.
“I’m the kind of guy who thinks that everything happens for a reason,” Fields said during his introductory press conference on Thursday evening. “I’ve been in so many different situations in my life where I think I want something, but God has a different plan for me. I put my full trust in God and He’s put me in the perfect place for me. Whatever His will is is what’s going to happen. I’m excited to be a part of this great organization and just get to work.”
One hour and 23 minutes into the draft, Fields got the call from Chicago head coach Matt Nagy. It was somewhat unexpected, as the Bears signed Dalton during free agency and Fields was rarely, if ever, linked to the Bears during the pre-draft process.
“I think the kind of player the Bears are getting is a versatile player, a player that can make plays with both my arms and legs and, of course, a smart player who is going to make smart decisions and a player that wants to win and is willing to do whatever to win,” Fields said. “As for my No. 1 strength, just showing up in big moments. When big moments present themselves, there’s just another thing that kicks inside of me. Just capitalizing in big moments and playing well on big stages, I think that’s definitely one of my strengths.”
“I think I fit perfectly. If (Nagy) didn’t think I fit well, he wouldn’t have traded up. I think, just talking to him and getting to know how he communicates with his quarterbacks and his learning style, that’s going to make me a better quarterback and a better player. He’s going to teach me a lot, so I’m just excited to get up there and learn.
Fields threw for 5,373 yards and 63 touchdowns and rushed for 867 yards and 15 more scores in 22 career games at Ohio State and the program to back-to-back Big Ten titles and two appearances in the College Football Playoff. He believes playing for the Buckeyes has prepared him for the NFL and the scrutiny that comes from playing in a big media market like Chicago.
“I definitely think it’ll translate well, especially with the fanbase,” Fields said. “Bears fans are very passionate about their football and (it’s the same) with Ohio State. It’s really the same kind of thing in terms of seriousness and in terms of a passionate fanbase.”
Fields is used to being under the microscope, though, as he’s dealt with critics questioning his work ethic and love for the game of football. He’s done his best to tune that out, though, and is excited to have the process behind him.
“There’s definitely been a lot of criticism, but at the end of the day, I know myself, I know how much work I put into the game, I know how much I love the game and I know how much I want to be great, so there just comes a point in time when you have to cut that criticism out,” Fields said. “It’s good to listen to criticism from people who are actually there to help you, so if it was from a coach or anything like that, then of course I’m going to take that criticism. But there was a lot of criticism coming from outside voices that didn’t really matter, so I just did by best to kind of cut all of that out and really just get to work.”
As for whether or not there’s a chip on his shoulder after having 10 teams pass on him in this year’s draft, Fields is simply worried about being the best quarterback he can be for his new team.
“I’ve gone through situations where I haven’t been chosen and I think the world has seen the outcome of that,” Fields said, referencing when he lost the quarterback battle with Jake Fromm when he was a freshman at Georgia. “My goal now is not to worry about those teams. Those teams have nothing to do with me. My goals is, if we play those teams, is to beat them. I’m not worried about the draft. The draft is over for me. For me personally, I’m ready to get to work.”
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