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On Tuesday, Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields held a minicamp with children of varying ages and ethnicities at Deerfield High School. There were many attendees at the session; however, one entered the spotlight for the wrong reasons.
On Thursday, a still-unnamed Michigan-based journalist took offense at a video of Fields posing with a white kid imitating his style - from the No. 1 jersey to the dreadlocks. Claiming that the video "carries racist undertones", she said:
“White parents need to educate their children on what is exclusively black culture.”
Justin Fields enjoyed working with kids at minicamp
The seeming controversy is unlikely to affect Justin Fields' image, as he relished the opportunity to teach his local youth how to play football.
"My favorite parts were really just seeing the kids' emotions, seeing their faces when I would give them high fives or hugs. So really just getting personal with them and making them happy–that was my favorite part of today."
He called it an especially great day for those who did not usually have an opportunity to learn football from a major personality:
"We wanted to bring some inner-city kids just because we knew the camp was kind of expensive and out in the suburbs, so for some kids that weren't able to make it out here or really get a chance to be out here, we just wanted to provide the opportunity for them."
He added:
"Not all kids are raised the same. Some are less fortunate than others, so we just wanted to give them a day where they could feel special and really enjoy the day and really have a good time. So, I'm glad they were able to come out here … and just glad we were able to bless them with that opportunity."
Justin Fields already has lofty goals for himself and Chicago Bears in 2023
The Bears' training camp is drawing closer, and Justin Fields has some huge ambitions once it begins. He told the Sun-Times that he projects his team to be Super Bowl contenders, given their roster:
“It’s a very exciting time, just because of the new pieces we have on our team. The culture we put in place last year and all the guys, I think we’re all just trying to reach the same goal and that’s to win the Super Bowl.”
He also wants to be the first quarterback in franchise history to throw for 4,000 yards in a season:
"I will. I plan on doing it this year, too. I plan on doing it this year."
