Good prospect (knockout recruit if we can get him, due to his father's boxing background)
LB Eric Fields recaps Nebraska visit and sets decision timeline
Sean Callahan 12/18/22
One of the late visit additions for Nebraska this weekend in Lincoln was Ardmore (Oklahoma) linebacker
Eric Fields.
Despite having 180 tackles in 10 games as a senior and running 10.8 seconds in the 100-meter dash, the 6-foot-2, 195-pounds Fields has stayed under the radar. The son of
former professional boxer Eric Fields Sr. wasn’t even sure if he had an offer from the Huskers heading into the weekend.
“I felt relieved, actually. There was a lot of stress lifted off my shoulders knowing I had an actual offer,” Fields said. “I actually feel blessed. It’s crazy to think I have an offer now from Nebraska coming from a small town in Oklahoma.
“When (Texas Tech) found out Nebraska was talking to me, they offered me, too. At first, it was kind of a walk-on deal with NIL. Then they offered me a full ride after they found out Nebraska was talking to me.”
Fields spent the weekend in Lincoln with several other recruits.
It was the first time he had ever gotten a chance to meet new Husker head coach Matt Rhule.
“The visit went well,” Fields said. “They took me around the town. They showed hospitality, fed me well, and did everything right. It went well.
“I met Coach Rhule, and he was just a down-to-earth dude. He didn’t seem above everybody else. He talked to me, and it seems like everybody there had their own problems and drama they went through. They kind of related to me with how my life went. I kind of clicked with everybody and said ‘this might be a good fit for me.'”
Eric Fields discusses decision timeline
Neither one of Fields’ parents was able to make it on the official visit with him this weekend, but he did have other family that came along.
A decision timeline now is what’s next, which should come very soon.
“I plan to make an announcement on Monday,” Fields said. “I will probably do something on social media.”
Spending time with the Husker staff, Fields also learned a lot about how it plans to use him in its scheme.
What also jumped out to Fields is the coaches were evaluating him even when they were at Carolina.
“They said I have a lot of speed they could utilize in the defense,” Fields said. “I’m not sure where that’s at. Probably outside. They see me as an edge guy and want me free. They want me to blitz the quarterback sometimes and stuff like that.”
Boxing helped develop Fields as a football player
Another thing that really helped Fields growing up was boxing.
Learning from his father, some of those skills translated to the football field.
“That’s one aspect that really helped my game,” Fields said. “It gave me a physical aspect. I’m not afraid to get hit, and I’m not afraid to hit people. That helped me a lot with football.”
When Fields reflects on this last week, it’s pretty crazy how much his life has changed as he sits 24 hours from making a decision on his future.
There’s no question his time in Lincoln this weekend had an impact on him.
“Everybody is nice, everybody is welcoming and they have a good fan base,” Fields said. “Even my driver that dropped me off said he’s looking forward to seeing me on TV.”