'We've got to have a couple of screws missing': Browns' Tony Fields II savors special teams

BEREA − Some football players grow up loving to throw the ball. Some love catching it, or running with it. Some even love blocking the guy in front of them.

Tony Fields II gets a thrill covering kickoffs.

"In college, I loved kickoff," Fields, a second-year Browns linebacker, told the Beacon Journal this week. "They didn't let me do anything else, neither one of my schools [Arizona and West Virginia], but I love kickoff. I want to do other things, and they're like, 'No. No. No.'"

A 2021 fifth-round pick out of West Virginia, Fields has found a place more than willing to grant him his wish. In fact, it's a big reason why Fields has been able to find a niche with the Browns.

Need someone to cover kicks? Fields will do it. Need someone to block someone else covering kicks? He'll do that, too.

There's pretty much nothing on special teams Fields won't, and hasn't, done for the Browns. The only special team he hasn't lined up on has been the field-goal team.

"Special teams, to me, it's very key to the game," Fields said. "You can win games on special teams. I feel like a player on special teams has to have a couple screws missing. To want to run down on kickoff, to want to block somebody running full speed down the field, we've got to have a couple of screws missing. But it's honestly very fun. It's the tempo-setter of the game."

A year ago, Fields played 127 total special teams snaps, per Pro Football Focus. Those snaps were spread out fairly even across punt return (44 snaps), kick coverage (42) and kickoff return (39), with two punt coverage snaps.

Fields' attitude toward playing special teams is something that fits like a glove with the attitude Browns special teams coordinator Mike Priefer is looking for in players on those units.

"We have good, young players who love the game of football," Priefer said earlier in camp. "I tell them all of the time, ‘There is something wrong with you in a good way if you are going to cover a kickoff in the NFL.’ … At the end of the day, I think we have the right guys in the right spots."

Fields found that spot despite seeing his NFL career get off to a tough start. A foot injury took away all of his rookie minicamp, then within 24 hours of getting on the field for training camp, he suffered an injury on the other foot.

The first game Fields played in as a rookie came in Week 3 against the Chicago Bears. A year later, he's once again preparing to see the Bears, only this time, it's in Saturday's preseason finale.

The fact Fields has even had a preseason has been huge to him.

"Camp's been real fun," Fields said. "I've been healthy. This is my first camp healthy, as you know. So it's been real fun to finally get out there and actually run the plays without just doing the plays in the film room or walk-through. Just actually being able to get out there and run it."

The injuries which plagued the start of Fields' career could've been deflating. This wasn't a first-round − or even first two days of the draft − pick.

Instead, it was a guys taken 153 overall. Not only that, but it was a guy who was undersized in some regards at 6-foot, 220 pounds.

Fields wasn't going to allow the tough start to deter him from trying to achieve a dream.

"I have a saying that my grandfather gave me a long time ago," Fields said. "'So what, now what?' So that's how I live. I mean, stuff happens. You just got to move on. You got to take the cards that's dealt with you and play that card and wait until the next hand. So that's what I've been doing. Well, that's what I did last year. I take the cards I was dealt to me, understood that I had had some injuries to take over and take care of. I took care of them as much as I could in the offseason. I rehabbed and got myself as strong as I could as fast as I could, and as soon as I got here, the work showed."

A year later, Fields isn't just finding his way onto the field on special teams. The first two preseason games, with multiple key players being held out for at least one of them, has opened the door for him to get back to doing another thing he loves, playing linebacker.

Fields played outside linebacker at Arizona, but shifted to more of a safety when he transferred to West Virginia in 2020. His missed preseason prevented him from getting work there a year ago.

The top four linebacker spots on the Browns are taken by Anthony Walker Jr., Sione Takitaki, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Jacob Phillips. Fields, though, has at least had a chance to grab the No. 5 linebacker spot, and not just as a special-teams contributor.

"I haven't played linebacker and lined up at linebacker in the game like for two years until this year," Fields said. "So that really helped me a lot. Just being able to get my flow back, getting back, getting ready to pat my feet and flow with the linemen and everything that like. So that helps out a lot."

Through the first two preseason games, Fields has played 88 total snaps at linebacker. He played 38 snaps, 51% of all the Browns' defensive snaps, in the opener at Jacksonville, then played 50 snaps (68%) last Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.

“Tony has done a nice job," coach Kevin Stefanski said. "He played a lot of football for us last season on special teams and that will continue to be an area where he can make a big impact on Sundays. He has gotten a ton of reps at linebacker, and we may be counting on him at certain points this season. He is trying to put it all together, but it is just a matter of stacking reps for Tony."

Fields' name may come up for some as they discuss potential bubble candidates for the final 53-man roster. The Browns have to get down to that number by 4 p.m. Tuesday, although there will still be moves and roster shuffling between then and the Sept. 11 season opener.

But the special-teams work Fields has done makes him feel like a player who will find a way to stay with the Browns on into the regular season. If nothing else, the preseason snaps at linebacker provide more film for him should things not work out with the Browns.

"The start of the roster is over 85 people, and then at the end of it, it's 53," Fields said. "So guys need to get film in. The starters are the guys who obviously are going to keep on a 53-man already. So the other guys, we all get a chance to showcase our ability, showcase ourselves to make this team or another team in the NFL."

Contact Chris at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Tony FIelds II savors role on Cleveland Browns special teams