Getty Quarterback Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears talked to Heavy about his connection to the military, his new home base in Chicago and what it's like to be a role model.
Discipline has always been a core value for Justin Fields.
It’s something the Chicago Bears rookie quarterback learned early on from his father, Pablo Fields, who served in the military while also working as a police officer for the Atlanta Police Department from 1990 to 2012.
“My dad is big on discipline,” Fields told Heavy via phone on November 12. “Big on doing everything the right way. Just growing up with that kind of mentality, it carried over to school and to football. I think pretty much the main things are: You gotta respect your elders, you gotta work hard.”
Fields recently teamed up with USAA and ESPN, and is featured on an episode of Home Base with USAA, an ESPN series that showcases athletes while inviting fans into their homes to talk about their connections to the military.
“I partnered with USAA and ESPN, talked about my home, where I grew up, stuff like that,” Fields told Heavy. “I thought it was appealing just because my dad, of course, has a military background, so I thought I could definitely relate, being a military kid and having that in my background.”
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Fields Talks About His New Home Base in Chicago
Considering his connection to the military, how does he feel about playing at a place like Soldier Field, a legendary venue that is named in honor of soldiers who have served? “It’s cool,” Fields said. “There’s a lot of tradition there. It’s really — it’s an awesome stadium, for sure.”
The Kennesaw, Georgia native also talked about the most difficult aspect of making the Windy City his new home. “My family is extremely important,” Fields told Heavy. “So leaving them was the hardest part. They come up (to Chicago) a lot so I’m able to see them, so that’s a good thing.” Now, it’s just the rookie QB and his French bulldog, Uno, who hangs at the dog kennel during Bears games.
The rookie signal-caller says he’s adaptable to any environment, however, noting he feels right at home in Chicago: “I make home wherever I’m staying. Wherever I’m staying, that’s home.”
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Fields Discusses Responsibility of Being a Role Model
With a bright future ahead of him as Chicago’s franchise QB, the spotlight will be on Fields for quite some time. What does he think about myriad people of all ages looking up to him?
“It’s awesome,” Fields said of being a role model. “Little kids look up to you, a lot of people look up to you, so it feels good having the opportunity to teach them, I guess, what values I have and what I value the most. Trying to teach them that and you know, helping them out along the way. It’s awesome being a mentor.”
You can watch the episode of Home Base with USAA featuring Fields below:
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Justin Fields Opens Up About How Family’s Military Background Shaped Him