People think that leadership from a quarterback centers only on what they say in the huddle and how they handle themselves in the locker room. For some, that is true. Quarterbacks are expected to get the most from teammates on the field. However, there is far more to being a leader than the Xs and Os. Football is still a game played by human beings. Getting so many different personalities to follow you is not easy. It takes a special kind of person to do that. Justin Fields aims to be that kind of person.
Sure, he does the usual things expected of a quarterback. He is firm with guys in the huddle. He sets a high standard for execution on every play. Nobody works harder than him in the weight room or the film room. When teammates are frustrated, he takes them aside and calmly explains why their anger is counterproductive to what the Chicago Bears are trying to achieve. However, Fields’ greatest strength is in the little things he does. Things like going out of his way to attend multiple charities held by teammates, as both Jaylon Johnson and Eddie Jackson can attest.
Justin Fields goes the extra mile and that matters.
Several quarterbacks in this league wouldn’t find the time to fly across the country to attend charity events. They’re too focused on football or taking advantage of a down period of the off-season to rest before training camp. Fields isn’t that guy. The only thing he knows is hard work. That means at everything, from molding his body into a weapon, sharpening his mind for playing quarterback, and also being the leader this organization needs to be great.
That is what it’s like to be a driven person. Johnson and Jackson don’t even play offense. They have no direct ties to Justin Fields when it comes to actual performance. Yet he’s there for them anyway. How can that not endear him to somebody? If it gets the two defensive backs to play even 1% harder on Sundays, then Fields will consider it mission accomplished. No sacrifice is too great when it comes to winning football games. It’s the little things that separate true leaders from everybody else.
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This is why you can’t find anybody with a bad word to say about Fields.
