Justin Fields' Dad Tells Hilarious Story Of When He Knew His Son Was Special

Nobody disputes Justin Fields might be one of the greatest athletes ever to play the quarterback position. It remains to be seen how far that will take him in the NFL, but nobody can say he's not working hard to become the best. Such a grinding mentality didn't come naturally. Fields has regularly credited his father, Ivant Fields, with being the one that taught him nothing but hard work will make somebody great. The family patriarch admitted to Jarrett Payton of WGN News that he was a disciplinarian with his kids growing up. Part of that comes from his background as a police officer.

Fields was then asked an interesting question. When did he start to realize his son was different from other kids as an athlete? This led to a great story about how he gradually learned Justin might be better than most at all the things was around the age of one. Fields noticed how his son seemed to have unusually good hand-eye coordination, throwing a ball up and down the steps in the house and keep catching it. Then Justin entered T-ball, and that was when things got fun and hilarious.

Justin Fields wasn't free of his father's vision, though.

Around middle school, Justin stopped winning races as he began going against older kids. Ivant used that as an opportunity to teach his son about the value of hard work. Natural ability is great, but it won't get you far unless you put in the necessary time to improve. So Justin did that. Then he went from 5'9 to 6'3 in high school. His body came into its own, and suddenly, he was the best athlete on the field, regardless of the sport being played. That is when colleges began clamoring for his attention.

Now Bears fans know. They have the Justin Fields origin story. Anybody who has thrown balls up and down stairs knows it can be unpredictable. For a one-year-old to keep catching it anyway is not normal. Having watched the quarterback play over the past two years, it's something that isn't hard to believe. Guys like him are rare. It is a good reminder that not everybody can play in the NFL, and even fewer can be good at it. We must thank Ivant for instilling the great work ethic on top of everything else.