[12/15/02]When he’s not on the football field, Richmond Fields often marches in step with his fellow Warren Central ROTC members, following a carefully planned cadence.

On the gridiron, Fields creates his own rhythm for WC to follow the sweet rattle of first-down chains marching down the field.

The WC running back led Warren County in rushing yards this season, with 1,410. He also ran for 13 touchdowns, caught seven passes, and led the Vikings in rushing for the second straight season.

He wasn’t able to provide WC with a state championship the Vikings lost to Southaven in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs but he did earn The Vicksburg Post’s Offensive Player of the Year award.

“I’m very happy. We worked very hard. We had a little downfall, but overall we still had a good year,” Fields said, crediting his blockers and coaches for his success. “We just came to play ball, that’s what we like to do … I just prepared hard for it and did my part.”

Suiting his humble personality, Fields quietly went about having the best season by a WC running back in nearly a decade. His yardage total was the most by a Viking back since Brian Darden ran for 2,238 yards in 1994.

Fields is also the first WC back to surpass the 1,000-yard mark and lead Warren County in rushing since Darden. He’s the first Viking player since Josh Morgan in 1997 to be selected Offensive Player of the Year.

“He reads blocks very well, and he knows where to make cuts,” said WC fullback Henry Williams, who served as lead blocker for Fields this season. “He watches my head and knows right away which way I’m going. He uses his speed to his advantage.”

Despite his great season Fields led Class 5A in rushing for part of the season he has drawn surprisingly little interest from most colleges. Southern Miss and Rice have shown the most interest, he said, but no offers have come along yet.

That’s fine by Fields. Although he dreams of playing in the NFL, there are other things that need to be taken care of first, like playing in the Mississippi/Alabama All-Star game and advancing to the ROTC national competition next summer.

His father, Johnny, who has since passed away, was in the U.S. Navy and spurred his son’s interest in the armed forces.

Asthma will keep Fields from pursuing a career in the military, but not his other goals. Whether his future includes football, he just wants to be successful in life.

“It keeps me level-headed,” Fields said of maintaining a humble attitude. “I look to the future and see things I’ve got to do and what I’m striving for. Not just for me, but for my father and my mother.”