Bulldozing his path to the SEC: Gabe Fields signs with Vanderbilt Commodores

By Calvin Silvers

The walls of Central High School have witnessed generations of standout athletes, each leaving their mark on the playing field. Yet, in recent memory, few have commanded as much attention as one relentless running back with game-changing speed and a punishing style that embodies “bully ball.”

For the past four years, Gabe Fields has been the pride of the Central Indians and now, his journey takes him to college football’s grandest stage: the SEC Conference, where he’ll don the black and gold of Vanderbilt University.

“It’s crazy to think about, I mean, after a lot of long nights and working hard, lots of tears,” Fields said. “All of that, I mean, finally made it happen.”

Fields took full advantage of the early signing period of National Signing Day, officially becoming a Commodore. Vanderbilt’s running backs coach, Ghaali Muhammad-Lankford, a former Central standout, has been pursuing Fields since coaching at New Mexico State, making this signing a full-circle moment for the local star.

I grew up with Ghaali and so, you know, we’ve had a really good friendship through our whole life and, you know, kind of seeing Gabe grow through high school, it reminded me a lot of him,” Central football coach Sheldon Farrell said.

Fields has dreamed of reaching football’s biggest stage since second grade, and that ambition carried him through high school. Initially part of coach Farrell’s quarterback group, Fields’ versatility soon revealed his natural fit at running back, leading to a pivotal conversation with his coach, during which he declared his goal to play at the SEC level.

The running back never wavered in his pursuit, channeling his determination into becoming one of Central’s most dynamic athletes.

“He’s really dedicated, you know. I think a lot of kids have that dream of playing Division I and go the NFL,” Farrell said. “But then the work that goes into it to get there, I mean, talent only gets you so far, so I think that’s where there’s a difference, in my opinion, of Gabe and other athletes I’ve seen.”

Felds’ dedication ignited as he flipped through Central’s record books, finding inspiration in names like Ghaali Muhammad, John Deleon, and Phillip Harrison.

Determined to etch his own name among the legends, Fields left a legacy during his senior year, breaking the single-game rushing yards (474) and rushing touchdowns (8) against Excelsior Springs, along with another handful of accolades.

“My freshman and sophomore year, I would look at the record books and be like, man, like, I want to go get those records one day,” Fields said. “Just to be able to be in the same conversation as those guys is amazing.”

As Fields’ career as a Central Indian winds to a close, he hopes the mark he left on the football field inspires the next generation of athletes.

“I hope I left behind hope for the youth, just to show them that anybody can make it out of anywhere,” Fields said. “I remember being told growing up and just even when I was here, like, ‘man, you need a transfer,’ but man, it’s just, it’s a blessing to show people that you can make it from anywhere.”