Why Derek Jeter Deserves Credit For The Bears Steamrolling The Browns

The Cleveland Browns jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead in the preseason opener on Saturday. The Chicago Bears seemed stuck in the mud offensively, while the special teams suffered some breakdowns. However, over the final three quarters, the team seemed to remember who they are. The Bears reeled off 34 unanswered points to steamroll past the Browns 34-10. Much of the credit for the victory went to their rookie class. Every member of their draft class in attendance made at least two or three strong plays. Undrafted running back Coleman Bennett scored a touchdown. Tight end Hayden Large had a TD-saving tackle on special teams. It was great to see. Nobody would believe the performance was inspired by Derek Jeter.

People might be shocked to hear the New York Yankees legend is involved. Did head coach Ben Johnson show the team some Jeter cutups from his playing days? Nope. According to undrafted center Jaren Kump, the team brought the Hall of Famer to Halas Hall in person. He spoke with the team, offering advice to the rookies about how to handle the transition to playing in the pros. According to Sean Hammond of the Chicago Tribune, his words resonated with everybody.

Derek Jeter knew right where to poke them.

The 6-foot-5, 306-pound lineman out of Utah didn’t realize a special guest was in the audience that day. Shortly after Kump’s rousing rendition, coach Ben Johnson brought out none other than New York Yankees icon Derek Jeter to speak to the team…

…Something Jeter told the team last week seemed to really resonate with the rookies.

“One of the things he said was basically if you don’t have butterflies, you might be a psychopath, but it probably means that you don’t care enough,” rookie tight end Sam Roush said. “Obviously I had butterflies (Saturday). I get nervous before the games. Always.”

Added first-round draft pick Dillon Thieneman: “If you don’t have that, you don’t love the game.”

Nothing hits harder than questioning someone’s love for the game.

Everybody in that meeting room had to work incredibly hard to reach the NFL. Feeling nervous going into the first game is natural. Not feeling it just means you’re in the league because it’s the best way you know to make money. The only thing that matters is the next check. Jeter developed a particular distaste for such players. That isn’t a shock after he spent 20 years leading one of the greatest dynasties in professional sports history. It isn’t surprising that Coach Johnson brought him in to speak. The two are much alike in mindset.

Win at all costs.

As a coach, Johnson can only convey that message in his own way. For players to truly grasp it, they often need to hear it from one of their own. Derek Jeter might not be a football player, but he’s a professional athlete. He understands the sacrifices that must be made to achieve greatness. It seems his word had an impact. Despite sitting most of their starters, the Bears still managed to crush the Browns. That is what good teams do. They take care of business, even if they’re not playing their best.

Give Johnson credit.

He always finds creative ways to give his players a motivational boost. Last offseason, he showed footage of a famous UFC fight where one fighter knocked out the other in the first few seconds. It was meant to stress the importance of always maintaining that killer mentality. Bringing in Jeter was clearly meant to show players that they must hold themselves to a championship standard and never lose that love of the game. If you’re unwilling to meet those criteria, it’s best to walk away.

Those words clearly had an impact. Preseason or not, the Bears acted like a winner by overwhelming the Browns in that game. They did it without any help from the starters. This team has found its identity from top to bottom. They have depth, and now they have purpose. It will be interesting to see how things progress as the season draws closer.