(670 The Score) There was plenty of discussion about quarterback prospect Justin Fields leading up to the start of the NFL Draft on Thursday evening, when the Bears selected him at No. 11 overall.
Critics wondered about Fields' health, as he had disclosed his epilepsy diagnosis, and some questioned his work ethic. What could've been calculated leaks to hurt his draft stock also came across as criticism. Fields blocked most of it out, but he was also irked by those who questioned his passion for football, which ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky did on one occasion.
"Out of all the criticisms that I've gotten over the years, that was the one that I took most personally," Fields said on the Parkins & Spiegel Show on 670 The Score on Friday. "Because that's one thing that I do love, is football. I'd rather somebody say that I have trouble throwing the ball 60 or 70 yards just because that's something I can control with my effort and my work.
"That was definitely a mind-boggling one, for sure."
Fields' background should answer any questions surrounding his passion for the game. Not only did he fight through a sprained MCL and fractured rib to play games during his Ohio State career, but he also spearheaded a movement for the Big Ten to play its 2020 season after conference commissioner Kevin Warren initially canceled the campaign during the pandemic.
Fields created an online petition that drew support in the form of nearly 250,000 signatures, and the Big Ten reversed course and later held its season. Fields and Ohio State won the Big Ten championship and reached the national championship game.