Well-balanced athletic career landed Fields in SPH HOF

Editor's note: This is the third in a six-part series profiling the St. Paul High School Hall of Fame class of 2023. A little bit of everything, and a lot of success. That is about the best way to describe the athletic career of Jeff Fields at St. Paul High School. Fields is remembered as one of the most accomplished and versatile athletes in school history with 10 varsity letters in football, basketball, tennis and track and field. And as if that wasn't enough, he also played a little baseball on days he didn't have a track meet. That multi-purpose, successful career has also led Fields to the Class of 2023 St. Paul Hall of Fame and will be inducted in October. The peak of athletics at that time at St. Paul started and ended on the gridiron. Case in point: During Fields' four years of high school, St. Paul was 37-3 with two Firelands Conference championships and the 1969 Associated Press state poll title under Mike Gottfried, and then Bill Hubans. Two of those three losses were also by seven points each. "Really, just playing for Mike Gottfried is what comes to mind most," Fields said about his athletics experience at St. Paul. "I was one of only two sophomores that started on that state championship team (in 1969), but I knew right away that Coach was special. "I remember arguing with some of the guys, you know, kids get mad at their coach all the time. That's typical, because he was hard on us. But I'd tell them when they got fired up like that how we were playing for one of the best football coaches in the country. You just knew it was special under him. I loved playing for him, and he's still a good friend to this day." As noted, Fields was just a sophomore playing with a talented, veteran St. Paul team in the fall of 1969. But when the Flyers traveled to Mapleton in a matchup of two 7-0 teams that were ranked in the top 10 in the Class A state poll, the legendary Gottfried turned to Fields. The coach designed a special pass play for Fields. On the second play from scrimmage for the Flyers, quarterback Chris Amato connected with Fields, who just missed taking it 57 yards for a touchdown. The Flyers quickly scored after that, then proceeded to steamroll the Mounties by a 58-0 score. It was the punctuation mark on what proved to be a state championship season (pre-playoffs). "Chris was a friend of mine who took me under his wing," Fields said. "His mom would take us to Notre Dame games, and I was out at his place a lot. I was mostly a decoy on that team, but I was also the fastest player. Chris had Mike Wasiniak and Mike Mushett. They'd split me wide out or put me at halfback, but I also returned kicks a little bit, and was also the holder on kicks for John Potts." Fields said it was also a humbling experience. At age 15, you're not physically the same as an 18-year old," he said. "And back then, there wasn't that much emphasis on weight lifting. In fact, Coach Gottfried discouraged that to me. "I was so well-coordinated, he didn't want me to put on extra muscle. But the biggest thing then was a physical difference. I was 15 and playing with and against 18 year olds." In basketball, Fields averaged eight points per game as a sophomore; 12.2 as a junior and 11.6 as a senior in 1971-72 for a total of 565 points in three seasons. In football, Fields later transitioned to quarterback and was an All-Firelands Conference, and Class A Northwest District and All-Ohio selection. While starring in track, Fields also found himself on the baseball diamond on occasion. And when Gottfried decided he was going to coach tennis instead of baseball in 1971, Fields followed. "There were times if there was no meet that Coach Gottfried would dress me in baseball," Fields said. "He'd put me in as a pinch runner to try and steal second. When I followed him to play tennis instead of track as a junior, it was a lot, but I tied for most wins that year and I got the 110 percent athlete award. "Coach didn't believe anyone was MVP, so he came up with an award for someone who puts the most effort into it." As for the HOF recognition, Fields said it represents a special time in his life. "At St. Paul, we felt like we were special," he said. "We had a chip on our shoulder as the only Catholic school in the FC. I got used to dead fish in the mail before games. For me it was just a wonderful, great experience. When my senior year was coming to an end, I didn't want it to end. I wanted to stay a kid at St. Paul. It was a blast. "We were just so proud of playing for our school, and because of some of the successes we had, the friendships and camaraderie we've built has lasted a lifetime," Fields added. "Coach Gottfried was probably closer to some of us St. Paul guys then he has been at some of his college stops. It was a special time, a special team — and it still is." Today, Fields lives in Cripple Creek, Colorado — just west of Colorado Springs in the Rocky Mountains. He works for casinos and is enjoying life. "I'm blessed to be in a wilderness paradise," Fields said. "Mike (Mushett) suggested I work for the casinos. I took his advice and I've been in the same place for 16 years. It has been wonderful."