Cats’ Fields never strayed from Dogs’ commitment

Calhoun wide receiver Da’Rick Rogers, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Player of the Year, left Georgia at the altar on Wednesday, signing with Tennessee after having been committed to the Bulldogs for months.

Nickell Robey, a cornerback from Frostproof, Fla., and another longtime UGA commitment, jilted the Bulldogs for Southern Cal on national signing day.

Bulldogs coach Mark Richt was never in trouble of losing Dalton defensive end Jalen Fields, a two-time Daily Citizen All-Area Football Team selection. Not even a switch in defensive coordinators rattled Fields, who last March became the first junior to commit to Georgia.

“I was still getting phone calls from recruiters right up to last week,” Fields said. “The last call I got was from Tennessee. I visited a couple of places, but I knew I was going to sign with Georgia.”

On Wednesday, Fields did just that.

Fields, ranked No. 63 on the Mobile Press-Register’s Super Southeast 120 list of prospects, remained steadfast with Georgia throughout his senior season at Dalton, when he helped the Catamounts record their 50th consecutive winning season, win a Sub-region 7A-4A title and earn a spot in the Class 4A state playoffs, where they lost to state-ranked Tucker, 35-13.

When Richt fired defensive coordinator Willie Martinez on Dec. 2, Fields stuck with his commitment. When Richt needed 43 days to find a replacement in former Dallas Cowboys defensive line coach Todd Grantham — a stretch that saw three candidates turn down Georgia’s overtures — Fields never wavered.

At Fields’ signing party in the Dalton High commons on Wednesday afternoon, everyone in the room could see his eagerness to begin his college career.

“I’m very excited,” said Fields, who recorded 177 tackles and had seven forced fumbles, four recovered fumbles and an interception in three varsity seasons with the Catamounts.

“I’ve been thinking about this since I was a little boy. It has been a goal of mine since my sophomore year to play college football. I didn’t always think it would be for Georgia, but things turned out right.”

When Fields made his non-binding verbal commitment last spring, Martinez was directing the Bulldogs defense and Jon Fabris was his primary recruiter. Both are now gone, but Grantham made a solid impression on Fields when the two met for about an hour at the defensive coordinator’s office in Athens.

“I understand that college football is a business,” said the 6-foot-5-inch, 245-pound Fields. “Me and coach Grantham talked a lot of football. I like him and see what he’s talking about. I like his new 3-4 scheme and know it will be an adjustment at first, but I’ll be all right.

“They want me to play linebacker in the new scheme. I’ll be like a hybrid, something like Marcus Ware is with the Cowboys. When he said I’d play linebacker, my face lit up.”

Fields played defensive end the past two years at Dalton High — he played at tight end as a sophomore — and said he hasn’t played linebacker since his recreation league days. This past season, Fields and junior Floyd Coffey formed a dynamic duo at defensive end for the Cats. Combined, they had 112 tackles and Fields had four forced fumbles.

While creating havoc in opposing backfields during his junior and senior seasons, Fields was attracting attention from some of the country’s top college football programs. At the beginning he was considering Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina State, Florida State, West Virginia, Mississippi and Auburn. He visited Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee.

“At Alabama, I liked the campus, the academics and the football atmosphere was great,” Fields said. “There wasn’t much you couldn’t like at Alabama. Their national title didn’t change my mind, though. I figure with the class we’ve got coming in this year, Georgia will have a national championship soon enough.

“At Tennessee, I pretty much liked everything about that place. The coaches seemed like guys that would keep their word. I was recruited by (assistant coach Ed) Orgeron and gave them some consideration. With all these schools, if they’re offering you a free ride, you’ve got to visit and check it out.”

Orgeron and Lane Kiffin bolted Tennessee after one season for Southern Cal and the Vols hired Derek Dooley from Louisiana Tech. Dooley swept in and changed Rogers’ mind and that of his best friend, Calhoun quarterback Nash Nance, who had been a longtime Vanderbilt commitment. But when Fields took his official visit to Athens a few weeks ago, his intention to sign with Georgia was only reinforced.

Dalton coach Adam Winegarden is confident his prized defensive player will be successful.

“The sky is the limit for Jalen,” Winegarden said. “Athletically, size-wise he’s about 6-5 and 245 and has been clocked at 4.65. You just don’t see that in a kid his size. He’s got a ton of potential. I’m excited to see what he does.”

The last obstacle Fields has to clear to be admitted at Georgia is academics. He is not yet qualified for freshman eligibility.

“I’m getting my grades and making sure I do qualify,” Fields said.

Fields is scheduled to take the ACT at Southeast Whitfield High on Saturday. He said he made a 12 on his first attempt and needs a 20 or better to qualify.

“I was nervous the first time I took it,” Fields said. “I thought I had done pretty good, but it turned out not to be so good.”

Fields said he wasn’t sure what his current grade-point average is, but is confident of qualifying.

“I realized after my sophomore year I had to get to work,” he said.

If he doesn’t qualify, Fields said he would attend Georgia Military College in an attempt to improve his academics and eventually enroll at Georgia.

“If I don’t, it’s not the end of the world,” Fields said. “But I feel good about how things are going.”

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