CHICAGO — Kevin Warren never really saw Justin Fields as an adversary. He viewed him as a leader.
In the summer of 2020, with major decisions to be made about Big Ten athletics in the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic, Warren understood where Fields was coming from with his public push to play. Warren admired Fields’ purpose even when the two didn’t agree on the proper direction.
As the conference commissioner, Warren had the responsibility of steering Big Ten athletics safely through uncertain times with the health and well-being of student-athletes his top concern. Fields, then a rising junior quarterback at Ohio State, was like so many athletes who badly wanted to play.
