Ohio State's Day defends Fields over 'reckless' comments about work ethic

Rumors concerning NFL prospects are swirling with just under a month until the 2021 draft, and Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields recently became the latest victim of anonymous criticism.

ESPN analyst and former quarterback Dan Orlovsky caused controversy last week by suggesting he'd heard some teams were concerned about Fields' work ethic and "his desire to go be a great quarterback."

But Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day came to his former player's defense this past weekend, saying he thinks "some people are being a little reckless with their comments."

"The whole idea that he doesn't have a very good work ethic? I mean, to me, that's crazy," Day told Peter King of NBC Sports. "He got done with the Clemson game (the 2019 College Football Playoff loss), and he came back, and all he did was work to get back to that game. And when those other guys are opting out, what's he do? He petitions to have a season.

"He put together this petition that the Big Ten athletes all signed saying that they want to play, but they want to play safely and that they don't accept canceling the season. It was all led by Justin Fields. Where was everybody else? Where were the guys who were opting out then? You know, you don't love the game if you're doing something like that. This kid loves the game."

Orlovsky told King that while his comments about Fields were based on the opinions of other individuals from NFL teams, he regrets failing to add the necessary context to the information he was passing on. He also said he talked to Fields to clear the air.

"I told him exactly what happened, said I wasn't good enough in that moment, and that's on me. He was like, 'I get it. It's OK. I watch, and I know you're someone who's had my back. I appreciate you calling me,'" Orlovsky said. "I felt like he was really mature, and I appreciated him hearing me out."

Though Fields' stock has seemingly dropped during the draft process - with Zach Wilson becoming the clear favorite to be the New York Jets' pick at No. 2 overall and reports suggesting the San Francisco 49ers prefer Mac Jones at No. 3 - concerns about the ex-Buckeyes quarterback haven't centered around his work ethic.

In fact, Fields wrapped up his college football career with arguably one of the most impressive displays of fortitude in recent memory.

The 22-year-old took a huge hit to the ribs during the second quarter of his team's playoff game against Clemson, but he missed only one play and returned to throw four more touchdowns, outplaying Trevor Lawrence in a 49-28 victory.

Fields suited up 10 days later in Ohio State's national title game loss to Alabama despite clearly not being fully healthy.