Captain of the Bulldog Defense

All Kolbe Fields could do last season was watch.

A two-time transfer who left previous stops at South Carolina and LSU looking for a fresh start, Fields arrived in Ruston ready to make his mark after being relegated to a backup role in his college career. But the NCAA had other plans, forcing Fields to sit out the entire 2023 season — sitting back as the Bulldogs’ defense was tortured by opponents that fall.

It was one of the toughest years of Fields’ football journey — unable to play the game he loves at a school that took a chance on him when he was otherwise cast aside at his previous schools who didn’t think he could bring much to the table. So much for that idea.

Fields has taken off this fall for the Bulldogs in his biggest opportunity yet as one of the team’s starting linebackers, leading Tech in tackles (67), tackles for loss (8.5), while being tied for the most interceptions (1) and forced fumbles (2) on the team as well. He’s a certified playmaker, a weapon that Tech defensive coordinator Jeremiah Johnson utilizes in and out of the box, brings from different pressure packages, and asks to play with controlled violence in a manner few Tech defenders haven’t shown in recent years.

“The resolve he showed last year amidst something not going his way is that he learned from it. And when he has his opportunity, he’s made the most of it,” Tech head coach Sonny Cumbie said.

For Cumbie, watching Fields emerge through adversity isn’t surprising. He watched him study like he was a starter last year, go through meetings with the same, if not more intent at times, than others.

When you want something so bad like Fields did with showing his growth and worth to a team, Cumbie expected nothing less than what he’s shown this fall.

“When you think about the kid for 12 games last year he walked the field every game before the game. He was on the sideline every game with a notepad, and he was taking notes. It was painful to watch him sit out for 12 games,” Cumbie said. “He did such a great job of focusing on the present and such a great job of focusing on the future. There’s a lot of guys that deserve a lot of success in how they work and how they handle adversity. And he’s one of them because he looked it right in the face and he didn’t back down and he was a great teammate last year in the midst of something that was really out of his control.”

Fields’ Tech debut was just a taste of what he’d end up bringing to the table this season in a 25-17 win over Nicholls on Aug. 31 as he put up 12 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and forced a safety as well. Since 1999, no Tech player has had a stat line of at least 12 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks in a game, except for Fields.

“I woke up at five this morning. I prayed. I thought about my people. It wasn’t me out there, it was God,” Fields said after his debut performance.

Fields embodies the turnaround of Tech’s defense from 2023 to now — both once thought of as afterthoughts, but now, with belief going both ways, the Bulldogs have one of the top units in the country with one of the best Group of 5 linebackers.

There was no other option for Fields but to use last year’s adversity as motivation into 2024.

“Our AD came to talk to us about resiliency. Last year, I had to be really resilient. I sat out all last year and had to practice every day. It made me look at the game differently and it made me want to go harder,” Fields said.

Fields has helped engineer a stark turnaround for Tech’s defense after the unit gave up 232 rushing yards per game last year (second worst nationally) and 33.4 points per game (114th nationally).

The Bulldogs are now top 50 nationally in pass defense (26th, 187.3), rushing defense (29th, 115 ypg), total defense (12th, 302.3 ypg), red-zone defense (15th, 74.1%), and first-downs allowed.

Rummel High School head football coach Nick Monica, who coached Fields from 2017-20, has always seen Fields’ ability to rally those around him.

When Rummel won a state title in 2019, with Fields putting up 105 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks as a junior, Monica could tell his athletic linebacker had more in his game to show and was ready to do whatever it took to get there.

“You have to continue to work and love the process to be great and he’s always done that,” Monica said. “I think after we won a championship his junior year, and when we held him to a higher standard after that, he didn’t meet those expectations at first. But once he realized what he needed to get back to, he started to be that alpha that guys were looking to. I think that was a turning point for him.”

Monica also points to Fields’ adaptability as a strength in his game.

“He was always so versatile, just with his size and his length and then you talk about his ability to run,” Monica said. “He was a thicker kid, but he could run and play the whole field. We specifically created this hybrid defense to free him up and let him play in multiple areas.”

Fields clearly carried that mindset over to Tech, with his teammates voting him a captain before he even stepped foot on the field this fall.

Fifth-year cornerback Cedric Woods has seen many great players come through Tech in his career and Fields is certainly on that list.

“He’s a great player. He’s an even better leader,” Woods said. “He’s helped me when it comes to watching film. He instills confidence in all of the guys on defense. I feel more comfortable with him out there. And you know 10’s going to make big plays.”

Fields and his fellow linebackers, including CJ Harris, wear wristbands that say ‘All money in. No money out.’ It’s a statement that the unit lives by, to not let a play go by without their names on it. Someone is always watching. Every rep counts and Fields has made sure his teammates understand that mindset throughout this season.

Harris, third on the team with 5.5 tackles for loss, is eager to take the field with Fields each week and play up to the high standard.

“When we step on the field, I know he’s going to play fast. He’s going to play violent,” Harris said. “I know they’re not going to want to run it to that side and they are not going to run to my side. So, we just try to hustle to get to the ball every play.”

Jacob Fields (not related), a sophomore defensive back, praised Kolbe for his ability to make others around him confident.

"He's the biggest leader we have on the defense right now," Jacob said. "He flies around and makes plays that you wouldn’t even think he could make. He gives a different kind of energy and feel when he's in your corner."

Fields doesn’t take his time on the field for granted for obvious reasons. He’s not one to snooze through a walkthrough or treat his starting role as a right. He’s grinded his way to get back to this point and he’s not going to stop until the final bell rings on this season.

“It was challenging. I fought a lot of personal battles because this is a thing I love. And when they take away something that you love – before you take it for granted. Now, I’m fortunate enough to come out here every day and be on this grass with my teammates and be able to go out and make plays on Saturdays,” Fields said.