Justin Fields proving toughness, using off date to prep for title push

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— Ji❌ Toney (@25jtone) October 30, 2019

If the off-date to-do list for Justin Fields includes extra time in the training room or any concern about getting enough rest for the November closing stretch, the Ohio State sophomore might have simply forgot to mention it.

Or, more likely, that brief injury scare during the Wisconsin game has already been shrugged off by a quarterback who is proving to be as tough as they come at the position.

Fields was certainly dealing with some pain in his back in that physical battle with the Badgers last week, and the soreness was still there when he got back on the practice field on Tuesday. But just like he did after leaving the medical tent at the Horseshoe, Fields went right back to work for the Buckeyes and wasn’t planning on skipping any reps during the off date — making the most of the extra practices just like he did earlier in the month.

“I mean, my back is kind of sore,” Fields said. “But I think I should be good in a few days. It’s nothing really major.

“I think a lot of guys use bye weeks to rest and stuff like that, but I take the approach that the bye week is a time to get better. So, I’m just going to go back to fundamentals and working on my feet, pocket presence and just get down to the basics, really.”

Fields hasn’t been shy about talking about the bumps and bruises that come with his position leading the Ohio State attack. And he’s certainly taken a handful of big hits that have tested his resilience, bouncing back every time and not shying away from contact either when he’s standing in the pocket to throw or fighting for the extra yards needed to dive into the end zone.

The Buckeyes obviously knew what they were getting when it came to the arm, mobility and dual-threat ability of Fields when they pursued him in the transfer portal. But as the season has progressed for unbeaten Ohio State, it’s been the way he responds physically in hard-hitting games that has really earned him the trust and respect of everybody in the program.

“His attitude was excellent going into [last week], and he ran tough early in the game,” Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said. “He took some shots, but he got us going and I was really proud of him. The one time he got banged up a little bit. I asked him, I said, “What do you think?’ He said, I’ll be fine. I’m hurting but I’ll be all right.

It wasn’t anything long-term, it was just one of those things he took a shot there and landed on it funny, but he’s going to be fine. As you start to have more experience with a quarterback, you have to be able to trust him. And he’s tough, he’s gritty. He said, if you need me to run, I’ll run. We didn’t really run with him much after that, but he said he was willing to run, and it just goes how tough he is. I keep saying that, but the more I’m around him, the more I really respect how tough he is.”

That same mentality applies on the practice field as it does the games.

So, sure, Justin Fields probably needed a little extra treatment during the off date. But it’s a safe bet that he wasn’t going to let it come at the expense of any reps as he keeps building for the championship push with the Buckeyes.

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