With nearly a week of spring practice in the books, it’s become increasingly clear that the expectations of the 2021 Sun Devil group are poised to be different this year. Head coach Herm Edwards, offensive coordinator Zak Hill and junior quarterback Jayden Daniels all attested to that last week.

New faces have come into the mix too. Gone is the electric presence of receiver Frank Darby, and with a new batch of freshmen and transfers in the fray as well – 44 new participants to be exact - the tides are turning.

There’s one area where the Sun Devils remain almost perfectly intact, though, as all 11 defensive starters elected to return due to the free year of eligibility gifted by the NCAA by way of COVID-19 – six of them opted to stay in Tempe over declaring for the NFL Draft.

Key amongst the group of six is senior safety Evan Fields – the team leader in tackles and forced fumbles across ASU’s four-game 2020 season. On Monday, Fields sat down with the local media for the first time in 2021 and explained what went into his decision to wear maroon and gold again.

“I talked it over with my family and the coaches, everyone in my corner,” Fields mentioned. “With the season getting cut short to four games, I figured it would be best for me to come back and play with my team one more time. The ultimate goal of getting to the Rose Bowl is the main goal, but also getting better (is a goal) too, making myself the best player I can be.”

In co-defensive coordinator Antonio Pierce and Marvin Lewis’s new scheme for 2020, Fields flourished, roaming the back half with fellow safety graduate student DeAndre Pierce. While Fields and Pierce bring prevalent experience to the deep end of the defense, it’s the tutelage of his defensive coordinator, Antonio Pierce, that was another reason the senior couldn’t stay away.

“Antonio Pierce is a great coach; he’s been at the highest level, he’s seen all types of football, so having that knowledge of playing the game and playing at the highest level that takes us a long way,” Fields explained. “His ability to teach us, making us understand…everyone can understand what he’s talking about.”

Fields, who more often than not has more paint chips on his helmet and colors of the opposing team’s facemask on his jersey than most due to his heavy-hitting style of play, is not afraid to get in the mix with a full speed head start. The elder Pierce, who Fields has studied under for what’ll be the third year in the fall, also bragged about his coordinator’s ability to get the defense fired up and ready to play.

“(When it comes to getting us fired up), there’s no better motivator than Pierce,” Fields mentioned - quick to specify to avoid comparing Pierce and Edwards as hype men. “Whenever I hear (Pierce) talking fired up, it gets me fired up, so I feel like he’s a great defensive coordinator for us to have, and I think he’ll help us with our physicality, with our mental game and everything going forward.”

On the topic of physicality, Pierce also mentioned Fields’ ability to tackle hit hard and force fumbles during Monday’s press conferences, while touching on points of improvement for the fifth-year player.

“We all know Evan Fields is a missile,” he said. “(Working on) coverage would be the main thing for us, and I think that would be the best for his future going forward as he at some point goes to the National Football League. Evan plays such a physical style of football; he’s always nicked up. Our job is to protect him from himself.”

Fields concurred with Pierce’s statements about improvements in the coverage game. With 17 tackles against USC, and finishing the year as the team's leading tackler (38) showed he could lay the wood necessary to make stops, but in crunch time, the secondary failed to stop the Trojan passing attack, which would ultimately be the source of the one-point opening loss in 2020.

“Just being a smarter football player (is something I’ve worked on),” he said. “Here in this facility, they always tell us the smartest players play the longest so just playing smarter, growing with the game, knowing the game, and making more plays has been a focus.”

Alongside Fields, veteran corners Jack Jones and Chase Lucas also elected to return, cementing a game-proven presence in the secondary behind a defense that already boasts a load of talent and experience. For this group, chemistry is their biggest advantage, as they know what to expect from each other and hold a high level of trust for each individual to execute into the Pierce’s scheme, which is also a familiarity.

“When we know what we are doing out there, we can play faster,” Fields explained. “Having that camaraderie with teammates (helps), just knowing I can trust the guy next to me - if he’s outside leverage and I’m inside, I know that he will be out there (covering), and I trust him. So, playing with (the veterans) and building a better relationship with all of my teammates helps when you’re out there.”

Besides fitting into Pierce’s scheme, Fields also knows his place when it comes to looking at the next generation of Sun Devils that are just entering the program. While the starting spots are certainly the veterans to have this spring and fall, Fields is no stranger to the fact that there’s an entire generation of newcomers to the program that are eager and hot on his tail for playing time.

“I feel like the coaches have done a great job of recruiting, bringing in talent. I feel like it helps us a lot. It keeps everybody on their toes, and if you’re not doing your job, then there’s somebody else that can do it,” Fields asserted. “I feel like it makes the room better when you have competition like that, making the older players work harder and getting the younger players a good example.”

Fields hasn’t been a full participant in spring practices thus far, missing Wednesday of last week with an illness. He returned on Friday but didn’t take part in team segments and was out of uniform for full 11-on-11 drills.

Nevertheless, when fall comes around, Fields and the secondary are poised to take the next step from what they built last year. They want to display their talents to the masses and show that they’re one of the country's best groups, with Fields as a key player amongst them. Above all else, they want to win.

“My main goal when I’m out on the field is I just want to win,” he said. “That’s where it all stems from. I strive to be the best, so I want to make my mark, and I feel like I’m one of the best safeties, not just in the Pac-12, but I feel like I can be one of the best in the country, so that’s what I’m striving for and just trying to help my team win.”

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