STONY BROOK, N.Y. — Coming off one of the best seasons by a quarterback in Stony Brook football history, redshirt senior
Tyquell Fields still feels he has something to prove.
With that said, the Yonkers, N.Y., native and Archbishop Stepinac High School graduate has confronted a bigger opponent since last setting foot on the Long Island campus.
Like the rest of the world, Fields and his teammates have been sheltering in place since the coronavirus outbreak.
"Since I left campus it has been challenging mentally for me because of the pandemic," Fields said. "One of my main outlets to get my mind off things was taken from me, which is football. Being on campus every day and being around friends and teammates was something I held close. The sudden change knocked me off a little, but my health has been great. I've had no problems."
Fields and his Seawolves teammates have had no issues maintaining contact as well as staying in touch with the coaching staff since Stony Brook's students were sent home for distance learning in March.
"It has not been difficult to stay in contact with my teammates or coaches because, before leaving campus, we always had a good relationship," Fields said. "Distance doesn't mean anything when it comes to tight bonds. I talk to my coaches and teammates every day."
One difficulty that has faced the student-athletes has been the ability to try to remain in peak physical condition without the in-person help of Stony Brook's Athletic Performance staff in the Dubin Family Athletic Performance Center.
"To stay in shape I go to a field near me almost every day and run," Fields said. "I don't have access to gyms, so I use workout bands to stay fit. Me and Shawn Harris have been holding each other accountable, because he lives about five minutes away from me."
Harris and Fields have also been able to practice safe social distancing and have gotten together on a few occasions to play catch.
"My arm feels great and I'm throwing better than I've ever did before," Fields said.
Fields' healthy outlook should be a great sign for Stony Brook football in 2020. During the 2019 campaign he recorded 2,809 yards of total offense, the most in school history. His 2,471 passing yards were the second most in a season by a Seawolf.
Fields, who was elected as a team captain for this upcoming season, isn't worried about how he will perform in 2020. His two biggest worries are for his mother and whether or not his senior season will be lost due to the pandemic.
"The biggest challenge for me through all of this is worrying about my mom and her health, because she has dealt with some health issues," Fields said. "Also not being 100 percent sure that I will have a full senior season has been a challenge for me.
"This season means so much to me," he added. "This season is the most important of my whole football career. This can be my last football season ever. I want to go out with a bang and a full season. I have so much to prove and so much more to show."
