Working Fields
After being the lone prospect to receive an offer at Oklahoma’s barbecue recruiting event last weekend, 2018 Tulsa (Okla.) Union safety Patrick Fields celebrated not by relaxing, laying out by the pool, or going out with friends like most teenagers during summer vacation.
Instead, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound prospect was back at work mowing lawns.
“I've been cutting yards for the last couple spring/summers and I work the younger kids football games at my school in the fall, so I save up so much money from doing that that I'm able to have money in the bank and in my pocket until the next year.”
The idea of balancing school, football, and work is exhausting for most of us to even think about, but Fields is fueled by his own self-reliance.
“It definitely gets tiring sometimes, but I take pride in how hard I work. I refuse to let myself ask my mom for money because I'm highly capable of making money my own.”
It’s a trait that the Tulsa Union standout transfers successfully into football. As a safety, Fields is the last line of defense and applies the same expectations to himself, because there is no help behind him. Keeping the offense out of the end zone is ultimately his responsibility.
That mentality, combined with hard work and gifted physical traits has forced college programs to take notice.
Last June, Fields was extended an invite to attend Oklahoma’s summer camp for a limited number of regional prospects that had caught the Sooner coaching staff’s attention.
And just as he does with his work off the field, Fields was going to take pride in showing the coaching staff what he was capable of on the field.
SoonerScoop was on hand as Fields consistently proved he was one of the top cover guys in attendance and belonged next to Josh Proctor, a fellow 2018 Tulsa-area safety, who had already garnered an Oklahoma offer.
After that performance, there was a perception that the Sooners were going to pick up their interest in the Tulsa Union defensive back.
“Definitely, because before then they only saw me in practice and it’s like ‘OK, this kid shows potential’ and after the camp I really opened their eyes and displayed how high of a caliber player I am,” assessed Fields.
Oklahoma tasked their defensive back duo of secondary coach Kerry Cooks and graduate assistant Chip Viney to recruit the local talent. Their increased communication, especially Viney’s, was the first signal to the safety that an OU offer could be a possibility
The uptick in attention from the Sooner coaching staff continued when Fields was on the OU campus for the first ever “ChampU BBQ” last Friday, which brought together commitments and top targets from across the country for a more casual recruiting event in Norman.
“As the day progressed I felt the feeling more and more that I would receive (an offer),” Fields remembered.
Then, the moment he had been anxiously wondering if it would ever happen, happened.
“Me and grandpa were taking the tour of the facilities and then Coach Cooks called me aside and asked to speak to me real quick then Bob Stoops came out of nowhere and invited us into his office. He named off to me the numerous players who attended high school here in Oklahoma that went on to play at OU and left an amazing legacy. Then he told me he wanted to be one of those guys and he offered me a scholarship. Me and my grandpa were blown away!”
The three-star safety was swept away by the experience and found himself speechless during that surreal moment.
“(I was) lost for words, the environment (at OU) is indescribable and the family environment is crazy. The 2017 class brings so much swagger to the program you just want to hop on board.”
Fields enthusiasm for Oklahoma is also stemmed in some family roots.
“My grandpa was ecstatic about it, He was speechless himself and said they had me pumped up like I wanted to commit. He's been a die hard OU fan for as long as I can remember so he's definitely leaning towards OU,” Fields chuckled.
“Also, he was just very happy/proud to see me doing successful in life and making the most of every opportunity. I say it all the time I'm really blessed with great people around me.”
With 18 months still left until the 2018 signing day and a junior year in Oklahoma 6A football imminent, Fields, despite his enthusiasm for the offer, is understandably not ready to put an end to things yet.
“Man, I’m going to ride it out, see everywhere to know I’m making the right decision.”
After visiting OU on last weekend, Fields plans to visit Oklahoma State on Tuesday before returning to Norman again for a second consecutive Saturday.
“And I think that will be the last visit of the summer,” Fields proclaimed, “I’m going to focus on this season, bring a gold ball back to my school, and we’ll see after that.”
Fields now holds offers from Oklahoma, TCU, Tulsa, and Arkansas State and joins Proctor, Brey Walker, and Casey Thompson as the fourth 2018 in-state prospect to receive a Sooners offer.