It hasn’t been hard to see that Ben Johnson is a die-hard competitor. The man devotes countless hours of his time to the game of football. One might call him obsessed. No detail gets overlooked, whether crafting an offense, coaching his quarterback, or studying potential draft picks. It wasn’t a surprise to see the Chicago Bears‘ head coach in Indianapolis for the scouting combine. He wanted to get a look at the players up close while also fulfilling his responsibilities to the media machine.
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported how full his schedule actually was. The man covered a ton of miles and several tasks in just one day. His energy and endurance remain impressive.
After a media whirlwind of group interviews and then select multimedia appearances beginning in the morning, he was back on the road by early afternoon. In fact, word is Johnson was back at Halas Hall that evening in time to join some of the team’s one-on-one interviews virtually.
That’s the way he wanted to attack things, and the team is fortunate Johnson agreed to do the media tour. He’s the best frontman the Bears have had in a long while.
However, Bears fans have no idea how crazy the man is. A healthy person would’ve struggled with that schedule. As it turns out, Johnson was sick the whole time. If you saw his opening press conference, he looked unusually haggard and gaunt. Well, there was a reason for that. CHGO found out.
If Johnson looked off during his Tuesday media availability, it’s because he was overcoming a bout of food poisoning that struck before he traveled to Indianapolis.
Ben Johnson remains a sick human being, literally and figuratively.
Anyone who has experienced food poisoning understands one fact. You are bedridden constantly and never more than a few feet away from a bathroom. Johnson got dressed, drove a couple of hours to the combine, did the media rounds, drove back, and did one-on-one interviews with prospects. People say someone is “built different” a little too much these days. In Johnson’s case, it is true. The man is so driven to make the Bears a success that he’ll sacrifice his own comfort and well-being to further that goal.
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Nobody can ever again say the man isn’t dedicated to the cause. It’d be one thing if he fought through illness to be in a high-profile playoff game. Doing it at the scouting combine, which several other head coaches skip voluntarily, is sicko behavior. How can you not love the guy?
The Bears came away with plenty of good data to help construct their draft board for next month. Position groups like the safeties, edge rushers, and offensive tackles stood out. They should have plenty of good options when they go on the clock. No doubt Johnson will be at the center of those decisions, given his considerable power inside the building. Hopefully, he won’t be ill any longer.
