Jerrod Fields
Athlete Bio#
Hometown
Chicago
In 2005, Sgt. Jerrod Fields lost his lower left leg after an IED exploded during a patrol in Iraq while deployed with the 3rd Infantry Division. Fields recovered from his wounds and passed all of his physical requirements with his prosthetic leg to continue on active duty with the 3rd ID at Fort Stewart in an ambitious six months instead of the doctor-predicted nine. Re-enlisted by Vice President Dick Cheney, Fields is now a Bradley Fighting Vehicle Gunner with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Squadron.
For his service, Fields was awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.
Participating in sports all throughout high school and in college at Tennessee State, Fields was looking for a way to remain active. Even though he had no previous experience running track, he was quickly hooked on the sport after attending a Military Camp for disabled veterans. A member of the Army's World Class Athlete Program (WCAP), a program for active duty soldiers, Fields is now training in hopes to make the trip to London for the 2012 Paralympic Summer Games.
Fields appeared on the cover of the April 23, 2008 issue of ESPN Magazine.