Chicago Bears players react to first meeting with Ben Johnson.
Newly hired head coach Ben Johnson met with his Chicago Bears players on Monday April 7th. Four top players met with the media the following day for a Q&A session.
Jaylon Johnson
Defensive back Jaylon Johnson was asked about his new coach’s message to the team. “It was a lot,” he said. “It was one of the longest ones he said he’ll have. I think overall, just setting the tone for what we want to do this year and really just having a sense of urgency right now. Not just waiting and going through a process and figuring out what we’re going to do but establishing who we are right now and then working towards that goal. Really just the mindset of winning and winning right now and winning a certain type of way too. I think just having that dominated mentality is something that I took from the team meeting, and it starts now, it starts with the work that we put in. It starts with gelling and being cohesive and understanding what they’re going to be asking from us. Especially on defense. Just understanding the mentality, understanding the mindset and identity that we’re going to establish. Really just chasing that throughout the off season throughout the training.”
“It was great. Being able to see him get up there. He said, ‘You never forget your first day as a head coach.’ He said, ‘It’s a great day, let’s get this thing rolling.’ He jumped out there and set a bunch of dos, set a bunch of don’ts, set a precedent of what we’re going to be like as a team, finding our identity and all of that. We’re excited. Obviously, we have to put in the work. Can’t be too excited because the work hasn’t been done, but definitely excited for what’s to come and the future.” -Caleb Williams on Ben Johnson
Offensive lineman Darnell Wright was asked the same question. “It was good,” he observed. “A lot of stuff he had to hit on. I don’t know the right word for it, parking spot type deal (laughter). They’re a couple things he said, I won’t really mention, but he said some good things that you could tell he’s made of the right stuff.”
“It was him in front of the whole team,” said LB Tremaine Edmunds. “Some of those things that I just talked about was his messages. The first day was kind of overwhelming a little bit, you’ve got to go through logistics, you got to go through security stuff, medical stuff. It’s a whole lot of stuff to try to get in a small period of time. More or less, it was just about mindset and talking about what we need to do right now, starting day one as an organization.”
More comments from the players:
Caleb Williams– On ‘the work and the opportunity ahead’:“I’m super excited about it. Being able to be in this position, being able to have a first year the way I did – ups and downs. Then to be able to come in here as confident as I was last year or possibly even more. To be able to get here with the group that we have. I really can’t wait to get to work with these guys. We’ve got a good group of guys personality wise, then obviously talent wise, it speaks for itself – what some of these guys have been able to do. Some of the key pieces that we added so far to this team. So far, we’ve meshed well these past two days of introductions and today our first workout getting after it. We’re all really excited and we can’t wait to put in the work. Obviously, like I said, we have to do it. It’s something where the time, energy, effort sacrificing – that doesn’t just mean us putting in time on the board, us being here, working out, lifting, getting stronger, faster. It’s also us hanging out in the offseason, building that bond so that when times do get tough – it’s a long season as I can say now – it’s a long season so being able to build that bond off the field, so when times get tough, we fight through it, we get through it, and we keep going as a team.”
On ‘preparing to play more under center’: “It’s the whole thing. It’s working, getting up to the line. It’s visualizing getting up to the line, saying the cadence, being under center, controlling those things, going over the routes, concepts, the footwork in your head in the offseason so that when those times hit – it’s the fourth quarter, you can’t think about those things, and you can’t focus on those things. It’s second nature, second habit, first nature, first habit of doing that. Getting under there, going through the cadence, going through the huddle sequence, getting up to the line, making checks if needed or anything like that. It’s practicing those things now, visualizing those things now. And building on those.
On if he ‘has a sense how far out of his comfort zone Johnson will push him’: “Today we had our first quiz as a QB room. It’s not like a real quiz where you go up and write stuff. It’s just us. We went over a few things yesterday, talked about a few things and Ben walked in this morning, flung open the door made a grand entrance (laughter). Then we got to the work of him testing us about what we talked about yesterday. So already first day in and challenging us. Everybody loves a challenge in this sport. It’s one of the great things about the sport, every day is a challenge. Today, we got our first one.”
On comparing the start of this year’s Offseason Program to arriving as a rookie last year: “This feels different. Obviously, it’s the same in that sense. Being around these, you know, these coaches and some of these new guys, obviously that’s new. That’s how I felt last year. I think some of it for me though, is the fact that I’ve gone through a year, the fact that I had ups and downs we stayed strong and I stayed strong. I think that’s the difference to it so far for me, and the feeling for me. Then obviously what Ben has been able to do brings some excitement for me. Those have been the two main things. I’ve had a year under my belt now of ups and downs and good and bad. Then, the excitement of Ben being here and his creativity and all these different things.”
On ‘what impressed him most about Johnson from afar and how it will help his career’: “I think us growing together is key starting now. Him pushing me is key. I know that he knows that, him pushing me because as he said before, it’s a QB driven league. Being able to have that position right on every team. That’s why that position is so important in the draft or people trying to get the QBs in this day and age of the game – I would say is because it’s so QB driven. If you have that position right it helps with a bunch of different things. So, building that bond, him pushing me and us growing together for years to come is going to be fun. I can’t wait. To be able to help me learn more about ball. He’s super smart, super sharp – grow and progress in those ways so that year four I’m out there and it’s Ben’s obviously still calling – Ben’s doing his thing, (and it becomes like) a (Lions QB) Jared (Goff) thing, where Jared’s out there now, he is calling the whole game in a sense that when he is out there on the field and he’s been the coach.”
On his ‘involvement in the draft process’ and ‘how the team can still get better’: “I think the cool part is that – yes, I’m not much removed (from college), but I don’t think they’re taking too much. We have experts in the building for getting certain guys here filling those gaps and holes. That’s why we have people get paid for that (laughter). Mine is to go out there and win some games. I think there is a sense of it. I think we’ll be trying to go for the best player that we can get. You always want to be in that position. That’s something that I’ve learned from hearing the vets and being around this past year. When you draft and are in those positions, you want to be in position to get the best player. I think right now we’re in position to be able to get the best guy that we think is needed for the team. I don’t know what the needs are. Y’all probably have a better idea than me. The group we have right now is amazing. The holes that we filled through free agency and all of that – I think now is the time through the draft where you get to go and draft guys, the best players and then get guys to be able to develop them with. People like (OL) Joe (Thuney) and (OL) Darnell (Wright) and all these different guys. Wide receivers, running backs, tight ends. You get to kind of pick your poison and develop them.”
OL DARNELL WRIGHT: On acquiring offensive linemen thus far this offseason: “Selfishly, I think it’s great. I can take so much from those guys, learn so much from them. They’ve been to the highest places Super Bowl winners – so just selfishly – It’ll benefit the team, but I think it’ll be good.”
Darnell Wright
On Lions OL Penei Sewell: “Him being one of the greater players, as far as the offensive line in the game today, I watch him all the time. His body type, I feel like, is similar to mine. Then being in the same conference, his tape comes up anyways. I’m always watching him. Try to emulate some of the things he does. Obviously, you can’t emulate everything. Some people are just different. Some people have different talents. I watch him.”
On ‘what stood out about the Lions offensive line’: “The Lions offensive line as a whole, you could tell there are a lot of veteran guys with a lot of experience. Something we didn’t really have last year, or at least just speaking from my position. Not a lot of experience – years playing. You could tell they were like a really cohesive unit. A lot of things you can learn from them, they’re a good O-line.”
On being compared to Sewell: “I’m happy, I’m fortunate that they think highly of me and hopefully I can live up to that. He’s a really, really good player and I try to emulate some of his stuff. He’s good, so I hope I can live up to that.”
On ‘his reaction’ to the team adding to the offensive line: “For me personally, that’s really the only thing that I really ever wanted is just consistency with the people who they bring in. (General Manager Ryan) Poles, he does a good job. He does his job and I try to do mine. I know the guys he brings in will be of standard that we need. Just seeing him really focus on that aspect of it, just being an o-lineman, I appreciate it and then I think it’ll be good.”
On if he can tell when a coach is ‘nervous or unprepared’: “I can’t really tell. I’m nervous every time I come up here, as you can tell (laughter). Maybe he looks like me (laughter).”
On if there has been ‘any talk’ of him eventually playing left tackle: “Well, they said I was going to quarterback (laughter). We’re really just training right now, just putting the groundwork in.”
On what he means when he says ‘Johnson is made of the right stuff’: “Just little glimpses. We’re not in full training camp or anything like that. But when he’s talking, you can see how he gets fired up. He gets a lot of passion and I think that’s contagious.”
On OL Joe Thuney: “Him being a veteran guy, like I was talking about earlier. A lot of experience. Probably it’s just the questions that I don’t even know to ask. I’ll probably just soak up being around him. That’s probably the biggest thing.”
On if there is ‘anything that sticks out on the Lions tape that could help him’:
“When you’re watching tape – I play right tackle, when you’re watching a tape, you look at the right tackle and you see Penei who plays right tackle as well. You’ll see some of the things he does and you’ll try to – not emulate it per se, but you’ll take little tips when you cross reference with your own film. It’s always learning.”
On how he ‘holds himself accountable’: “The biggest thing is just being consistent. Being consistent and growing each day. Just being consistent in who I am and them seeing me. Trying to develop a little bit more into a more leadership role, for some of the young guys maybe that are coming in or some of the couple guys under me, just evolving as a player.”
On how much interaction he has had with Offensive Line Coach Dan Roushar: “We talk a lot. He and I talk a lot. The thing I’m most excited about with him is just the way he inspires me to, not a leap of faith, but not be afraid to fail. We talk a lot, so it’ll be good.”
Tremaine Edmunds: On Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen and his approach: “I think it was very direct, understanding where we were as a football team. Understanding, how we’re going to get there. The message is the message. We want to win; we want to win now. I think saying that and being blunt with it is what we needed to hear, because that’s our mindset going into – especially the guys that’ve been here. We want to win and we’ve got the pieces to win. I think knowing that the coaches understand that coming in, it’s not like, ‘Oh, we’re going to take the backseat.’ It’s like, ‘This is what we got now let’s put the plan to action.’ It’s all about the work. I can tell just by his energy, his passion, the way he communicates his words. The tone in which you communicated is all geared towards now. We want this to happen right now. We are waiting for anything. Let’s get this thing, let’s hit the ground running. That’s what the message is. That’s what we receive as players, that’s what I receive as a player. It brings excitement because we are all excited. Not just that, it’s all about belief. Belief that we can win now. Belief that we could be special right now.”
Tremaine Edmunds
On his fit in the scheme: “We haven’t really gotten into a lot of the scheme stuff. A lot of things have just been happening. Yesterday was our first day. As we began to unfold this playbook, I’d be able to answer that question a little bit better.”
On ‘if he can feel Johnson’s intensity’: “You could feel it. The confidence level, being a first-time head coach, being able to address a room that’s important. You feel that as players, just everybody in the room. He stepped up there with confidence, guys were all ears. Gave him the utmost respect and that’s what it’s all about. You feel that as players, I felt that. I’m like, okay, this guy is the real deal. We have the same type of mindset. That’s the thing that you get most excited about. Even walking out of that room, it’s like, okay, I feel the energy now let’s put the work in as players now.”
On why this time of year is important: “I think it’s important. Anytime you have new pieces, new changes in the organization. You have to be able to feel each other out at a slower pace rather than just jump right into practice and all that type of stuff. This is the time you’ve got to build your team chemistry. This is the time for team bonding. The things off the field that people don’t necessarily see from the outside. Those things are important, it’s equivalent to winning and you have to be able to build that as a football team. You got to be able to go through the hard, you got to be able to go through the workouts. The time that we spend in the off season that’s going to excel us come training camp. That’s going to excel us come those tough times later on in the year. When we think back on these hard workouts we had, when you think back on where we started as an organization. It’s about getting to know one another too. There’s a lot of new faces here, not just players, but coaches. Each year in the league. You’ve got to be able to understand where this person came from, this background, their background and all of that stuff happens in the offseason. It’s just about getting around one another, feeling that energy out and really just building. Because everything starts all over. It is the life of the NFL. Each year starts all over from ground zero. It’s about building that foundation and being able to have that foundation take us through the rest of the year.”
On ‘what he respected most about Johnson as an opponent’: “Honestly just the mindset. When you ask people about, let’s just say Detroit and what he was able to do. Just the mentality, I would say what their offense wanted to do to opponents. It was put up a lot of points. I think you can feel that. This guy doesn’t just want to win, he wants to win by a lot. He wants to dominate. I think that’s important. That just talks about his mentality, it talks about his mindset. We are going to be the best, we want to dominate and we want our opponent to feel that for sure.”
Jaylon Johnson:On ‘excitement right now’: “I’ve been through it too many times. I’m going to get excited when we win in November and December and we change some things and get to the playoffs, that’s when I’ll be excited.”
On ‘navigating all the noise and hype leading up to the season’: “That doesn’t have anything to do with me. The only thing that has anything to do with me is the work that I put in and the work we put in as a unit. Taking the steps in the right direction. Other than that, the talk, the hype and all that – I mean hype doesn’t win you no games. I’ve been here a minute; I’ve been through the hype and we don’t win games. For me, if it’s not about winning, quite honestly, I don’t really care about it.”
On ‘if anything feels different’ with Johnson and Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen: “We are still trying to figure each other out. I just saw the guys in person for the first time yesterday. Nothing feels different for me at the end of the day. I’ll see in camp to start and that’s when the real ball will show up. Then really, throughout season, we’ll see, because things can start off rocking in the beginning, we figure it out and things change throughout the back half or in the middle of the season. Or we start off hot and then we (fall apart). At the end of the day, to me it’s about winning, and I feel like we go out there and we win on Sunday. I feel good about everybody.”
On his skillset in Allen’s defense: “You lock up the number one guy, number one on number one. For me that’s what I’m looking forward to doing. That’s what I look forward to the most, that’s what I train for, that’s what I work hard for. For me it’s just going to be about being ready to go out there and lock up, challenge guys, make things hard on the offense, mess up timing. Then the dogs up front they have to eat. Everybody just does what they do best. Dogs eat and then the guys on the back end we cover.”
