After big game, this Providence Day football player wins bet with older bro, ex-Duke star
Back when he was a freshman, Providence Day’s Nickel Fields looked like he was going to be one of the best football players in school history: strong and fast with a pedigree.
His older brother, Bryon, was a starting cornerback at Duke, where he played from 2013-17.
At the end of Fields’ freshman season, Syracuse offered the running back a scholarship. But knee surgeries after his freshman and sophomore seasons, temporarily stole some of that promise.
Friday night, however, Fields took some of it back.
He ran 17 times for 241 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-30 win over Charlotte Country Day that gave Providence Day its first conference championship since Fields’ breakout freshman season. It also gave Providence Day its first sweep of its Big South 4A conference rivals -- Country Day, Charlotte Christian and Charlotte Latin -- in at least 17 years.
Since the surgeries, Fields, now a senior, has really built his body up. Coach Chad Grier calls him “a tank that nobody wants to hit head up.” But Grier admits that some colleges were concerned about what happened after Fields got through the point of contact.
Fields, who’s 5-10 and 190 pounds, looked pretty fast on a 67-yard run and then better on a 77-yard run Friday, busting through big holes and running away from the defense.
For Grier those runs showed two things:
1. In film sessions in the preseason, the Chargers coaches would often point out that Fields wouldn’t read or use his blocking well enough. He would go too fast sometimes. So, in Grier’s words, an 80-yard run would turn into a “good bruising 8-yard run.”
By being a little more patient Friday, Fields found bigger holes that turned into longer runs.
2. Well, we’ll just let Grier tell it:
“The big knock was ‘did he have that top end speed,’” Grier said with a laugh, “but he looked pretty good tonight.”
And Fields’ big night also meant he’ll be taking some cash from his brother.
Bryon Fields signed with the Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2018. A three-year starter at Duke, Fields played in 52 career games and was a four-time Academic All-ACC selection. He now works for a New York real estate firm, Nickel Fields said.
Before Friday’s game, big brother told little brother that for every scoring run of more than 50 yards, he would get $100.
“I will buy something that has to do with video games,” Nickel Fields said. “I know that.”
Fields also thanked his offensive line -- Dalton Goodwin, Jay Brandon Jones, Collin Quinlan, Cameron Nichols, Kevin Sangmuah and Marc Magno. And they did open big holes for him.
But after taking his coaches’ coaching, Fields has better learned how to read them -- and to take advantage.
“I don’t know where to start with how happy I am for him,” Grier said. “Two knee surgeries and the kid just bought in. He was one of the first kids I met when I came here, trying to decide if I was going to (coach at Providence Day). There’s something about him as a competitor. He’s never missed anything. He does everything right and is a tank in the weight room and he practices hard and leads. The kids voted for him overwhelmingly as a captain.”
And Friday night, Fields had a big night on a night Grier and the Providence Day faithful will be talking about for a long time.
Charlotte Christian 44, Charlotte Latin 0: The Knights (2-1) wrapped up second place in the Big South 4A conference quickly, taking a 31-0 lead into halftime.
Charlotte Christian outgained Charlotte Latin 284-79. Latin averaged 1.4 yards on 58 plays.
Quick Links
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Friday’s #BIG5 Top Performers
Matthew Tuomala, Charlotte Christian: completed 8-of-13 passes for 184 yards and a score against Charlotte Latin. He also had two touchdowns rushing.
Henry Rutledge, Charlotte Christian: usually known as a running back, Rutledge caught four passes for 127 yards, averaging 32 yards per catch. He also ran 12 times for 78 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 6.5 yards per carry.
Russell Tabor, Charlotte Country Day: completed 22-of-41 passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns against Providence Day. He ran 18 times for 82 yards and a score.
JT Smith, Providence Day: sophomore had six catches for 61 yards and a touchdown. He had two catches for 25 yards and a touchdown. On defense, he eight tackles and an interception.
Nickel Fields, Providence Day: 17 carries, 241 yards and three touchdowns in the Country Day win
This story was originally published October 24, 2020 at 12:11 AM.
