We've heard of Tressel's Army. But a new football recruit brought it to another level.
Before a congregation in the Harvey High School library, a man emerged dressed in the standard-issued Jim Tressel uniform. Chris Fields committed to Ohio State wearing the iconic sweater vest, OSU tie, gray pants and a scarlet Block 'O' hat.
"It came into my head to wear a sweater vest to honor coach Tressel. I like wearing sweater vests," Fields said in an interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "I like him. He's down to earth."
Fields is no stranger to sporting a variety of uniforms, civilian or otherwise. He owns two: one for football, one for baseball.
The Painesville, Ohio native was recruited as a wide receiver but will keep an eye on his baseball career as a center fielder.
"If it's a good possibility, I will leave early because of the [NFL] draft, or if I end up playing baseball, that's another side," Fields said. "I don't know if I'll play baseball for Ohio State, but if I have some minor league looks, I'll keep my options open."
Teammate Devon Torrence has toed a similar line. As a cornerback for the Buckeyes, Torrence also spends his summers in minor league baseball for the Houston Astros.
As for Fields' football ability, the 6-foot, 181-pound athlete lacks size, but is particularly dangerous when in motion.
"You can hit him in the flat or the backfield, and he can make things happen," said Kevin Noon, publisher of buckeyegrove.com, in a phone interview. "You have to get him into space."
Fields committed during his junior year in 2007 after pulling in 51 receptions for 879 yards and 20 touchdowns. In 2008, he accumulated 61 receptions, more than 1,000 yards receiving and 17 touchdowns. He also returned two punts for touchdowns, which may be intriguing to coach Tressel and company.
The departures in OSU's return game, coupled with Fields' smooth frame, may make him a return specialist down the road. But like any high school receiver transitioning to the collegiate level, Fields will need to work on his route-running.
"He's your typical solid high school receiver at this point," Noon said. "It's going to be interesting to see how he fits into the mix of things."
Daniel Salomone can be reached at salomone.5@osu.edu.
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