Tony Fields wanted a change of scenery.
After starting 37 games at Arizona and seeing over 2,300 snaps, the athletic linebacker wanted to explore his options and see what else was out there for him. Fields piled up almost 300 tackles during that time and was one of the cornerstones of the Wildcats defense.
But after conversations with his father during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic it was decided that it was best for him to move on and look for a different landing spot to help his career.
West Virginia became a natural landing spot not only because the coach that recruited him out of high school to Arizona Jahmile Addae was there but one of his former teammates Scottie Young was there.
“I talked to Scottie before I even thought about coming here because he was already here. While I was at Arizona, he had already told me about the team atmosphere and everything going on,” Fields said. “I already had a little grasp of what was going on around here.”
After considering other programs such as Texas and Minnesota, Fields eventually committed to the Mountaineers Aug. 10 and had a quick turnaround to get to Morgantown and get prepared for his new role in the defensive scheme. Fields played WILL linebacker during his time in Arizona and learned various schemes such as the 3-3-5 to the 4-2-5. But in Morgantown he would be playing MIKE.
It’s an important position in the West Virginia scheme because of the responsibility it requires. That made Fields and his experience a natural choice for the role.
“That’s your quarterback. That’s the easiest way to put it. He’s the communicators, he’s the adjustor. He gets things lined up and he’s the one that makes a wrong fit right,” defensive coach Jordan Lesley said.
The scheme itself was more complex than what Fields was accustomed to during his time with the Wildcats in large part because of the movement with the defensive line and the back end. It’s his job to set the front and relay the play call to the rest of the unit.
That was another reason why the Mountaineers were an appealing destination because he believed that the scheme would help him better showcase his skill set.
And with all of his experience it didn’t take him long to get it down.
“I’ve played so many different schemes, so it wasn’t really hard for me to come in and adjust,” he said.
And adjust he has.
Fields leads the Mountaineers with 19 tackles and recorded his first interception of the season in the Oklahoma State game. On the play he dropped back into coverage, read the quarterbacks eyes and slid into the passing lane to pick the ball off.
Recognizing pattern schemes and improvement in in his pass drops were some of the primary focuses for Fields in the off-season along with shedding blocks. Both were on display against the Cowboys.
His addition was a much-needed boost of athleticism to the Mountaineers linebacker group and he’s only scratching the surface of what he could do in the scheme. Admittedly he is still getting comfortable with things, but Fields is quickly showcasing why he was in such high demand on the transfer wire.
“I’ve been playing football all my life so catching onto the defensive schemes haven’t been hard for me,” he said. “Just switching positions and learning new terminology was the biggest difference for me.”
Fields has enjoyed the transition to date, but the Las Vegas native admits that there is one thing he might not be as prepared for as he was when it comes to learning the defense.
“It’s good to get away from the heat every now and then,” he said. “Expecting the cold coming up soon and I don’t know how I’m going to feel about that though.”
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