Washington Wolfpack Week 1 Player Of The Game: Mike Fields

The Washington Wolfpack opened their 2026 season with a home game against the Oregon Lightning. The contest did not unfold exactly as the Wolfpack had hoped, ending in a 33-16 loss to their Pacific Northwest rival. Yet the defense delivered standout moments, forcing multiple turnovers that kept the game competitive. One player who clearly stood out was defensive lineman Mike Fields, who earned Washington Wolfpack Week 1 Player of the Game honors.

“Man, it really felt special,” Fields said about Week 1. “It was what I’ve been itching for this entire offseason, since December really. I wanted to put my hands on somebody violently, so it felt really good.”

He did exactly that. Fields made an immediate impact, using the very physicality he had craved all winter.

Fields’ Background

The opponent carried extra familiarity for Fields. He had spent part of the 2025 season with the Oregon Lightning, finishing with six sacks and two forced fumbles across seven games. He also earned Defensive Player of the Week honors in Week 8 last year after posting five tackles, three sacks, and another forced fumble.

Fields’ journey to this moment began at Nansemond River High School in Virginia. After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving as an Infantry Mortarman on active duty. When his service ended, he returned to football and helped the Duluth Harbor Monsters capture their second straight league championship.

“My experience with the army correlates in a way where I know the guy to my left and my right depend on me. So I have to make sure I’m up to par and make sure I’m not slacking. Just like the Army, we need to be successful as a unit,” Fields said.

That same team-first mindset served him well last season, playing under Coach Delvin Myles with the Lightning. Fields already knew the defensive scheme Myles prefers and the standard he demands.

“I played with him last year at Oregon,” Fields said of Defensive Coach Myles. “And just his energy and his communication skills are great. We know what he expects from us, and I appreciate him getting after us. Even when we’re not having the best days, he’s still expecting us to perform at our full potential and believing in us.”

Fields has equally embraced the energy brought by Wolfpack Head Coach JR Wells.

“We don’t want somebody that’s just calm and smooth talking,” he said. “Especially not for the defense, or even coaching in general. You’ve got to always have somebody who lights that fire up underneath you.” Both Coach Wells and Coach Myles deliver exactly that spark.

Week 1 vs. Oregon Lightning

Fields picked up right where he left off in 2025, delivering big plays from the opening snap. He finished with two sacks and a forced fumble that was recovered and returned for a touchdown. While the stat sheet only credits him with the two sacks, Fields generated constant pressure on Lightning quarterback Dalton Cole all afternoon. Not every contribution shows up in the box score, yet his two sacks and forced fumble provided the perfect start.

“I tried to focus on all the new moves and new techniques I’ve learned in the offseason and advice from my teammates,” Fields said, reflecting on the forced-fumble play. “And I tried to use it. So I did a long arm and a stab. It was pressure on the right side, and when he stepped up into the gap that was there. I was waiting on it, and I just wrapped my arms around it and felt that ball just pop out.”

Coach JR Wells watched the same sequence from the sideline and called it “special.”

“You know, again, just a reminder, it’s Week 1. We have a long season ahead of us, and this was just a glimpse of what’s to come. He (Fields) and this defense are going to be dominant. They’re going to fly around, and we’re only going to get better.”

That forced fumble helped set an early tone for a Wolfpack defense that finished the game with five total turnovers. Even against Oregon’s fast-paced passing attack, Fields repeatedly collapsed the pocket and forced the offense to hurry. His production came as no surprise to Coach Wells.

“He’s exactly who you see out there,” Coach Wells said of Fields. “High energy, full of love, full of smiles, and loves this game. When someone asks do we have any dogs on the field, you can look at Mike and know right then and there that, yeah, we’ve got some dogs out there.”

Fields is already locked in on larger goals. On the team side, he wants the Wolfpack to reach the AF1 playoffs.

“For team goals, I want to make it in the playoffs in the AF1. That’s my goal,” Fields said. “Everybody’s goal is to make the Championship, of course, but the goal right now is to make the playoffs. That’s my mindset. For personal goals, I’d like to break the Arena sack record.”

He also drew energy from the home crowd that packed the stands for the opener.

“They’re very energetic and loyal. When Byron got the interception and returned it for the touchdown at the end, we were all cheering like we won the game,” Fields said. “But it was just that feeling from the field, you could hear the crowd through your helmet and everything. It’s loud, and it’s energetic and makes you want to celebrate. Makes you want to really give them what they deserve. It really makes me want to be a part of that movement and change here.”

Keep howling, Wolfpack fans. Fields will continue to make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks and give the crowd plenty of reasons to roar. The Wolfpack now enjoy a Week 2 bye before returning to action in Week 3 against the Nashville Kats in Nashville.

During the downtime, Fields will most likely be found doing what he loves most. When asked about his hobbies, he answered with a smile, “My hobbies are the gym and playing the game.” His love for the sport is unmistakable whenever he talks about it. “I work as well. I do security. I love doing security, and I like to just go for a nice drive.”

After opening the season with two sacks, Fields looks poised to keep pressuring quarterbacks all year long. It already feels like the first of many disruptive performances.