Kirk Herbstreit addresses 'bogus information' about Justin Fields ahead of NFL Draft
ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit on Wednesday appeared on The Colin Cowherd Podcast on The Volume Network to discuss Chicago Bears first-round pick Justin Fields, and why many pre-draft rumors about Fields made him “a little bit fiesty.”
Herbstreit said that when he first spoke to Ohio State head coach Ryan Day about Fields, their early conversations raved about Fields’ leadership, excitement and hard-working mentality.
“I talked more with Ryan Day,” Herbstreit said of Fields’ early days at Ohio State. “[Fields had] big eyes. They had just come off of Dwayne Haskins, who was a first rounder, and they were like, ‘This guy [Fields] is just different.'”
A native of Kennesaw, Georgia, Fields was a consensus five-star recruit coming out of high school, and was largely considered one of the best — if not the best — quarterbacks in the Class of 2018. He decided to stay in state, committing to the University of Georgia, but did not stay for long.
Fields was forced into a backup role his freshman season, as Jake Fromm took over quarterback duties for Georgia. He decided to enter the transfer portal and later announced via Twitter that he was committing to Ohio State.
Herbstreit, an Ohio State alumnus, continued to note that early conversations with Coach Day suggested Fields had immediately won over the respect of his team after arriving in Columbus.
“It immediately became obvious that he was the guy,” Herbstreit said.
Stellar career with Buckeyes
Fields proceeded to have a stellar career with the Buckeyes, leading them to a 20-2 record and back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances. Last season, he completed 70.2 percent of his passes for 2,100 yards — an average of 262.5 per game due to the shortened season — along with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Yet, in the weeks leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft, Fields was criticized by many draft analysts that said he was lacking intangibles, prompting Herbstreit to get defensive.
“Leading into the draft, I was getting a little bit fiesty, and I normally don’t do that,” Herbstreit said, noting that it’s not just an Ohio State quarterback trend, as he didn’t defend every rumor against Dwayne Haskins. “With Justin Fields, I was kind of getting frustrated because things that were being said about him weren’t true. And you know how that is with the draft, there’s always bogus information out there.”
Many of the rumors that Herbstreit addressed claimed Fields was typically the “last one” at practice and team facilities and “the first one to leave,” suggesting a subpar work ethic.
“I was like, ‘I’ve known this kid for three years, and it’s the complete opposite.’ This kid is off the charts when it comes to intangibles. This kid is off the charts when it comes to commitment. And I don’t know where people were getting this, but it wasn’t fair and it wasn’t right. I think he slid a little bit because of that noise, and the Bears were lucky enough to pick him later than I thought he would have gone. “