MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP – Marco Fields is going to be a college football player, but there was a time, not so long ago, when there was a question about whether he could continue to play football at all.

It wasn’t about his size or skill or potential. He had enough of all of that to make the Reeths-Puffer varsity squad as a freshman.

It was about academics. You have to keep your grades up to play high school sports, and Fields was close to not making the grade.

That situation started to change when Fields began his sophomore year in 2019, and Coach Matt Bird came to Reeths-Puffer to take over the football program.

Bird started keeping a close eye on Fields’ academics, and brought several school counselors and teachers together to try to assist him.

They discovered that Fields had a reading comprehension issue, and made sure he started getting the extra help he needed.

Before long his grades started to improve, and he was no longer in jeopardy of losing sports eligibility. Over time he gained confidence and started getting A’s in many classes.

Now Fields – a  very large 6-foot-3, 280 pound senior lineman –  is preparing to take on a new challenge as a football player and student. He recently announced that he had accepted a football scholarship at Ferris State University, and will be playing for former  Muskegon High School Coach Tony Annese next fall.

The academic part of college shouldn’t be a problem for Fields, according to Bird.

“Early on, when I first came in, he was coming off his freshman year of varsity, and I think when he played basketball that year there were some eligibility issues,” Bird said. “He was hovering around the border.

“We knew that something wasn’t right there. He was too good of a kid, and he worked too hard. Attendance wasn’t an issue, and he wasn’t getting in trouble. We finally realized that it was a matter of understanding that there was a reading issue there that had to be rectified.

“His teachers might have perceived that he wasn’t paying attention in class, but the truth is that he didn’t quite understand. He had to learn that it wasn’t him – he wasn’t dumb – it was the way he was processing things. It was a pattern where he could read, but maybe not process what he was reading. Once that was addressed he was fine. He went from like a 1.7 to a 2.7 (grade point average). He’s improved tremendously.”

Fields understands that he had a reading issue, and he also admits he wasn’t trying that hard in his early years of high school, because he didn’t think it mattered.

“I didn’t take it very seriously, and I was really failing in my classes,” he said. “Then Coach Bird sat me down and said colleges were checking me out, so I started taking things more seriously, and I’m an A student now.

“I couldn’t really understand some of the stuff at first, but then I had some tutoring after school and after practice, and everything started clicking.”

When he announced his football scholarship online, Fields thanked his mother, Sara Moore, “for making all of this possible. Without you none of this would have happened.” He also thanked Coach Bird “for leading me through my career in football.”

Bird said he and Fields have become pretty tight over the past three years.

“We are close,” the coach said. “His mom did a heck of a job with him and was always very active in his life. She recently remarried, but before that there were times when it was just her, and I think he needed a male figure in his life. We’ve had some talks about whatever he was going through at different times, and things in class. I guess you could say he and I leaned on each other.”

“We just kind of clicked,” Fields added about Coach Bird. “I’ve been to his house a few times. He’s just a really nice guy.”

Fields’ ability on the field has never been an issue. The big guy has been a problem for opponents for four seasons now, as an offensive guard and defensive tackle.

On offense he’s been particularly effective at creating holes for standout sophomore running back Brody Johnson, one of the top rushers in the area this season.

“He’s good,” Bird said. “He’s still learning, but you can see in our conference the way other teams set up blocking schemes for him. There’s a level of respect. He causes a lot of havoc as a defensive tackle, but he’s pretty darned good at guard, too. His run blocking is really good. He’s been very good for Brody.”

Fields has been even better since he’s managed to get his weight under control. He freely admits that he likes to eat, and was way over 300 pounds last year before a stint with the wrestling team, arranged by R-P athletic director Cliff Sandee, helped him get back in shape.

“We would have all these team dinners, and I would start to eat, then I would go home and eat again, and then eat again,” Fields said. “I noticed watching film that I was moving pretty slow, then wrestling came along, they told me I had to work hard, and I went from (over 300) to 260.  Then I felt a little weak, so I added about 20 pounds and I felt great.”

Fields and the Rockets have had their ups and downs this year. They are currently 2-3 and will have the challenging task of playing powerful Mona Shores on the road this Friday.

“I just know we have to come to practice and stay focused,” he said. “This is not a week to goof around. We’re playing a two-time state champion. Knowing that we have so many young guys playing, I have to step up and help lead them, on offense and defense.”