When Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields starts tonight’s game for the Buckeyes in the NCAA national championship, most of the initial focus will be on whether or not he as sufficiently recovered from the injury he sustained during the second quarter of the Sugar Bowl.
I had heard significant speculation from fans that Fields had been dealt a fractured rib by Clemson middle linebacker James Skalski.
If that is revealed to be true, then such a revelation would merit an additional exclamation point to an already unbelievable performance by Fields in Ohio State’s semifinal victory.
To perform at the level Fields did while he endured the pain of a possible rib fracture is a sports story for the ages. It also speaks volumes about how much heart this young man brings to the table, especially during the biggest moments in which anyone could find themselves in life.
The word “inspirational” – all too often thrown-around in discussions of seminal moments in sports – is warranted in this instance.
To state the obvious, this will bode extremely well for him when the time comes later this year to embark on a professional football career.
The amount of home pride Fields has enabled for many Ohioans will have a lasting effect on quite a few of us for years to come.
But, when one considers the year we all recently put behind us as well as the already turbulent start to this new calendar, could there be other areas of life – especially life in America – where similar applications of that amount of heart would serve to uplift any number of people who could use that about now?
More than likely, Fields will continue to garner accolades in the NFL. We can expect to see a requisite display of philanthropy, on par with his peers in the league.
My hope is there would be more that some or all of us will get to see.
Can you imagine how much good can come from someone such as Fields putting even half as much of that heart into…
…marriage…
…fatherhood…
…civic involvement…
…as well as matters of equality…
…justice…
…liberty…
…faith.
Perhaps tackling these aspects would not draw the same attention and fanfare but to inspire even a few of us to emulate him in these endeavors, the impact on the world would be a much more lasting one.