Imagine being a highly skilled athlete in junior high. You’ve been told you have the ability to play in high school and college. You do what you can, but how do you get noticed? That was the nightmare that Pat Fields had and, as a result, he has taken on the task of helping younger athletes make their dreams reality.
“I remember I was looking for guidance when I was on that journey, especially early on,” Pat said. “I had help as I got older and became more known with my talent. I realized that I could do that for younger players, sharing what I had learned.
“Getting to college is the hardest part of being a successful student-athlete,” he added. “I’ve had NFL guys reach out to me and they say the same thing. Moving from high school to college can be really tough.”
His expertise isn’t limited to what happens in competition, even though he helps younger athletes learn what coaches want to see on video when the recruiting is going on. He talks with younger players about the changes in college athletics that he is living through, including the hot button issue, NLI or name, likeness, image.
“The next generation of players need to learn how to create their own personal brand,” Pat continued.
The impact Pat has had has earned him recognition. He was recently named a semifinalist for the prestigious Campbell Trophy. Given by the National Football Foundation, the award is given annually to the absolute best scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
A fourth-year senior, Pat has compiled a 3.82 GPA while simultaneously pursuing a B.B.A. and master’s degree, both in accounting. He is scheduled to complete both in December. A three-year starter at safety, Pat has played in 35 career games and leads the team in tackles through five games this season. He has twice been elected as a team captain by his teammates (2020 and '21).
A 2020 Academic All-America second-team selection, an Academic All-Big 12 First Team honoree in 2019 and 2020 and a recipient of the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award, Pat received OU's Dan Gibbons Outstanding Scholar Athlete of the Year Award and the 2020 Cotton Bowl's Dan S. Petty Scholarship Award.
He completed a two-year term in the spring as one of two student-athletes nationally serving on the NCAA Division I Football Oversight and Competition Committee. He was part of the leadership team of OU athletes who promoted social justice initiatives, voting education and registration, and helped develop the Sooners for Humanity patch featured on all OU athletics uniforms for the 2020-21 athletics year.
Pat founded "Town Business," a financial literacy seminar that teaches high school football student-athletes about budgeting, money management, credit and personal branding. Along with other collegiate student-athletes and former NFL players, he conducted the first seminar in May in Tulsa. He also founded the Black Wall Street Scholarship, collaborating with the president of the OU National Black Alumni Association, to establish an endowment with the purpose of providing scholarships for underrepresented and lower-income students from Tulsa. He coordinated a back-to-school event and football camp in July for economically vulnerable elementary school students in his hometown.
“I wanted to have options. Football players in the NFL make a lot of money. So do the owners. Look at all the options. I love working with the kids, and it is so important for them to see someone who looks like me doing these different things.
“I never really believed I would make it at OU. Opportunities presented themselves and I put myself in them,” Pat said. “There was the fear factor of what if I don’t make it. I took advantage of opportunities and I want to share that lesson with those who follow.”
Nightmares aren’t so scary when you know what to expect.