The stories have been growing in number for months. Players have all agreed on one thing. Head coach Ben Johnson is not one to overlook anything. He is a peculiar blend of a computer nerd and a football junky. He knows everything there is to know about the game. Specifically, what works and what doesn’t. The man wants things done the right way. There is no room for compromise. Players must be on board with running plays as they’re designed. If one thing is out of place, the entire mechanism falls apart. Rome Odunze found that out early.
The wide receiver went on The Rich Eisen Show to discuss his torrid start to the season. Eventually, the conversation came around to Johnson. Odunze explained how intensely and diligently the coach is about everything the players do, regardless of their position. He is on top of everything. The example that stood out most came early in training camp. Odunze was supposed to line up two yards outside the hashmark. The receiver made the mistake of taking it a half-yard too far.
Johnson lit him up in front of everybody for it.
Rome Odunze got an education on what real NFL coaching is.
Johnson is not the first coach with that kind of attention to detail. Many great head coaches have had similar reputations. Don Shula was one example. Bill Walsh was another. Marty Schottenheimer would famously hold double practices whenever he felt players weren’t grasping things. Johnson seems intent on hammering it into his players’ heads that no way but his will be acceptable moving forward. If you make enough mistakes, don’t expect to get more opportunities. Braxton Jones already found that out the hard way. Rome Odunze learned fast, and that is probably why he is getting the football so often.
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Others will follow his lead as Johnson’s culture takes greater effect in the coming weeks. It will be accelerated if the Bears continue to find ways to win.
