DEL CITY — Prior to starting his senior season, LaDainian Fields had a difficult decision to make.

The inevitable ruling largely came from a yearning for growth. Fields desired a new challenge after spending his first three seasons at a struggling Southeast.

At the time, he had just two scholarship offers from NAIA school Texas College and Division II Oklahoma Baptist.

"My mindset then was like, 'OK, cool, these offers are nice, but I've got to keep going and get another one'," Fields said. "Once I got my first one, that was all I needed to see to know I could go places."

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Yet, Fields refused to stay complacent.

He soon detected an urge to be guided by a familiar face. With hopes of elevating his game to a new level, he confided in third-year Del City head coach Robert Jones — who'd long been Fields' family friend and mentor.

"I told him early on that I felt like he could become a player-of-the-year-type kid in just a few months," Jones, a former Oklahoma State defensive back, said.

After conversations with Jones, Fields' mom moved LaDainian from Southeast to Del City with her nephew, Rodney, following suit shortly after. Coach Jones pushed LaDainian to attend a few camps to garnish interest from other colleges and gauge where he stood amongst his peers.

Jones' counsel would soon be rectified. Shortly after, Fields received offers from the likes of Washington, Washington State, Navy, North Texas, San Diego State and Wyoming.

"Last summer was huge for me," Fields said. "My motivation has always been to get to the NFL, so I knew my senior season would be the most important year of my life. Coach Jones presented a great chance for me to get better at Del City and I didn't want to take that for granted.

"Knowing his history, I wanted to learn how to play at the next level from someone who's done it."

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Fields, The Oklahoman's 2023 All-State Football Defensive Player of the Year, came through on his mission.

Fields was the heart of the Eagles' defense in his sole season at Del City.

He recorded seven interceptions and returned four for touchdowns at defensive back, helping the Eagles advance to the Class 5A state championship game for the first time since 1976. He was also Del City's leading wide receiver, catching 72 passes for 1,450 yards and 22 touchdowns. Additionally, Fields returned three punts for touchdowns.

"In my 18 years of coaching, LaDainian translated hands-on coaching into on-field results better than any player I've ever had," Jones said. "It wasn't just his brains that impressed me, but the work ethic he showed by attacking the weight room all summer. We saw those results this year on both sides of the ball, but especially as a lockdown corner.

"I honestly think he will be my first player that'll get drafted into the NFL — I sincerely believe that."

Fields' abnormal combination of size and speed allowed him to dominate opponents who lined up across from him in all aspects.

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound two-way star spearheaded a Del City defense that shut out five opponents. In that time, his offensive output at receiver also helped the Eagles average 51.1 points per game.

At the start of the season, he added additional Power Five offers from Kansas State and TCU, whom he committed to on Aug. 5. He seemed to have everything he'd always envisioned as an adolescent.

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Yet, Fields and his family still craved the possibility of a long-aspired dream.

"Dae Dae's recruitment was a process," Fields' mother, Lauren Johnson, said. "Everybody always wondered why he didn't have offers from OU or OSU, but I always told him that they were coming. We had to be patient, but it was hard because I knew he wanted OSU."

On Dec. 11, Fields got his wish.

He announced on X, formerly Twitter, that he'd landed an offer from the Cowboys. Fields flipped his commitment from TCU to Oklahoma State on National Signing Day.

His commitment meant playing alongside his cousin, Rodney, who committed to OSU in January 2023. The pair has been inseparable from birth to youth leagues to Southeast to Del City and now Stillwater.

In LaDainian's eyes, things played out how they were supposed to.

"Rodney and I always used to watch college football games in the living room and say, 'Dang, that's going to be us someday,'" Fields said. "I always believed it would be the both of us together. I think you'll be a better person if you just keep your family close."

"On my visit, OSU made me feel like family. So when you actually have football family there with you and your actual blood family not too far away, it made choosing OSU a no-brainer."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: The Oklahoman All-State football Del City's LaDainian Fields now a star