Chicago Bears fans everywhere are grateful that Justin Fields unexpectedly fell to them in the 2021 NFL Draft. The reasons were varied but Fields being at #11 was still a surprise not many draft experts were predicting. Ohio State alum and current ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit jumped on the Colin Cowherd show recently to discuss why Fields tenure in Georgia never got off the ground, why he was so successful at Ohio State, and rumors prior to the draft that may have led to his fall down draft boards.
Herbstreit defended Kirby Smart’s decision to stick with Jake Fromm over the five-star recruit Fields when he got to campus, based in part, on Georgia’s success under Fromm the year prior. Herbstreit labeled the arm-chair decision to go from Fromm to Fields as “not as easy as everyone makes it sound.” This decision led to Fields’ transfer to Ohio State the next season.
Fields immediately impressed when he set foot on campus on Columbus. Herbstreit said that then offensive coordinator Ryan Day labeled Fields as “just different”. Herbstreit also said that Ohio State coaches were more impressed with Fields’ “willingness to work and his willingness to learn the system” than his physical traits.
Herbstreit also commented about how leading up to the draft he became defensive of Fields due to the unfair rumors that were coming out about how Fields wasn’t a good leader or his lack of work ethic. Herbstreit called those rumors the “complete opposite” of reality.
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