WEBVTT - One on one with Ben Johnson | Bears, etc. Podcast 0:00:00.640 --> 0:00:05.960 Cut open that DJ Moore zode touchdown touchdown Bears. 0:00:06.080 --> 0:00:07.600 I am Jeff jonihack. 0:00:07.520 --> 0:00:12.920 Blitz is not Donnie got what was like playing for 0:00:13.039 --> 0:00:13.520 Coche Good. 0:00:14.480 --> 0:00:16.439 I don't want to answer any questions like that pressure 0:00:16.480 --> 0:00:25.160 coming is a big trouble. Dommi gos Mottest Sweat. 0:00:25.920 --> 0:00:28.479 Bears et Cetera brought to you by Miller Light with 0:00:28.560 --> 0:00:31.400 the voices of the Bears Jeff Joniac and Tom Thayer. 0:00:32.600 --> 0:00:34.880 We welcome the new head coach of the Chicago Bears, 0:00:35.120 --> 0:00:38.280 Ben Johnson, in this episode one of the Bears et 0:00:38.320 --> 0:00:40.880 Cetera podcast with Super Bowl winning Bears guard Tom Thayer. 0:00:40.880 --> 0:00:41.800 I'm Jeff Joniak. 0:00:42.120 --> 0:00:44.199 This episode of Bears et Cetera is brought to you 0:00:44.200 --> 0:00:47.839 by Miller LIGHTE good to have you alongside. I've been 0:00:47.840 --> 0:00:51.320 writing a little notes, little nuggets Tom, over the course. 0:00:51.159 --> 0:00:51.560 Of the day. 0:00:51.760 --> 0:00:54.520 I have so many little pieces of paper and scribbles 0:00:54.600 --> 0:00:57.800 because I'm running out of room to kind of characterize 0:00:57.800 --> 0:01:00.000 what we have here in Chicago now with thirty eight 0:01:00.080 --> 0:01:04.120 year old Ben Johnson, introduced as the eighteenth full time 0:01:04.160 --> 0:01:06.960 head coach in Bear's history nineteenth overall, and you consider 0:01:07.000 --> 0:01:12.040 interim boss Thomas Brown last season, but color me fascinated, 0:01:12.160 --> 0:01:16.040 color me intrigue, color me excited and hopeful. 0:01:16.360 --> 0:01:19.000 How about you, Well, you're a guy that's full of scribbles, 0:01:19.160 --> 0:01:21.880 and that's no difference in any other day of your life, 0:01:21.880 --> 0:01:24.480 whether it's because of a new head coach or just 0:01:24.520 --> 0:01:28.080 preparation for a game. When I look at a situation 0:01:28.280 --> 0:01:29.800 like this, Jeff, I got to look at it in 0:01:29.800 --> 0:01:32.160 a lot of different ways. I have to look at 0:01:32.200 --> 0:01:34.440 it as a Bears fan. I have to look at 0:01:34.480 --> 0:01:37.160 it as an ex player when you're all of a suddenly 0:01:37.720 --> 0:01:41.080 starting to going to try to impress a new head coach. 0:01:41.400 --> 0:01:42.920 And then you have to look at it as an 0:01:42.920 --> 0:01:46.920 alumni and a broadcaster. And so I am super excited 0:01:47.000 --> 0:01:51.080 about what I saw at the conclusion of him addressing 0:01:51.120 --> 0:01:55.160 the podium because he didn't say anything unrealistic. He didn't 0:01:55.160 --> 0:01:58.320 fill our heads full of false hope. He filled our 0:01:58.360 --> 0:02:02.600 heads worth a realistic work that's ahead of him in 0:02:02.760 --> 0:02:07.040 order to continue this process of what the organization wants 0:02:07.040 --> 0:02:09.720 to see out of him, and that's a consistent winner, 0:02:09.800 --> 0:02:11.440 and I think that's what we all want to see 0:02:11.440 --> 0:02:13.920 out of them. But when I look at the hiring 0:02:13.960 --> 0:02:16.400 of a new head coach through the eyes of a player. 0:02:17.280 --> 0:02:18.919 You're better be on high alert. 0:02:18.680 --> 0:02:20.760 Man, because I knew you were going to say that, 0:02:20.800 --> 0:02:24.800 even though your slate is wipe clean, you better understand 0:02:24.880 --> 0:02:27.720 that you're probably getting ready to go into one of 0:02:27.760 --> 0:02:30.919 the most difficult training camps that you've ever been through, 0:02:31.320 --> 0:02:34.520 because that's the initial process of most head coaches that 0:02:34.560 --> 0:02:39.200 are hired in professional football in college football. And I've 0:02:39.200 --> 0:02:43.000 been a part of changes on both levels. So I 0:02:43.120 --> 0:02:45.919 really enjoyed what Ben said at the podium, and I'm 0:02:45.960 --> 0:02:48.920 really excited to see this journey get underway. 0:02:49.040 --> 0:02:50.799 And we will hear some of my one on one 0:02:50.840 --> 0:02:54.639 interview with Ben Jonson before the news conference that took 0:02:54.639 --> 0:02:58.520 place at HALISAW. It was wonderful conversation, wonderful meeting. But 0:02:58.720 --> 0:03:00.679 the one thing that you'll hear is our goal is 0:03:00.720 --> 0:03:03.880 to win and win now. There was no shying away, No, Hey, 0:03:03.880 --> 0:03:06.760 this is going to take some time. We know what's 0:03:06.840 --> 0:03:09.560 up though. We know it's a process, no question about it. 0:03:09.840 --> 0:03:12.120 But he is not shying away from it. And I 0:03:12.200 --> 0:03:16.320 think that's his personality. Tom this guy. He sets high 0:03:16.320 --> 0:03:18.240 standards for himself and he's certainly going to set high 0:03:18.280 --> 0:03:19.240 standards for his team. 0:03:20.080 --> 0:03:21.920 Well, that was one of the most encouraging things to 0:03:21.960 --> 0:03:24.640 me that he said, because you know, Jeff, when you 0:03:24.680 --> 0:03:26.400 go back and you look at the season and you 0:03:26.440 --> 0:03:29.720 look at the reality of the division, the Bears were 0:03:29.760 --> 0:03:32.639 as close to winning the division as they were into 0:03:33.560 --> 0:03:36.200 at the end of the division. And so when you 0:03:36.280 --> 0:03:40.120 look at this process and the development and what quarterback 0:03:40.160 --> 0:03:42.560 that's going into a second year, and some of the 0:03:42.640 --> 0:03:46.640 assets he talked about already being put in place in place, 0:03:46.760 --> 0:03:49.400 and what Ryan's going to put in place, it is 0:03:49.440 --> 0:03:51.760 realistic for him to stand up there and say, look, 0:03:51.880 --> 0:03:53.920 we're here to win, and we're here to win now. 0:03:54.280 --> 0:03:56.680 And I think that should be the most encouraging thing 0:03:56.720 --> 0:04:04.440 to everybody that is part of the Bear pandemonium, because 0:04:05.080 --> 0:04:09.000 you know, it is fun to listen to him stand 0:04:09.080 --> 0:04:11.000 up there and talk about winning with confidence. 0:04:11.000 --> 0:04:12.800 I'm glad you brought up the ex player in you, 0:04:13.280 --> 0:04:17.599 the eighty five Bear, the Super Bowl winner, and just 0:04:18.279 --> 0:04:20.760 the types of coaches that have surrounded your life from 0:04:20.800 --> 0:04:22.640 the time you played youth football to the time you 0:04:22.680 --> 0:04:26.440 finished your career in Miami with Don Shula, and You're 0:04:26.480 --> 0:04:29.400 not gonna be able to look at it any other 0:04:29.480 --> 0:04:33.880 way from through a player's eyes and what expectations are. 0:04:34.000 --> 0:04:36.720 If you were sitting in that meeting room, or were 0:04:36.720 --> 0:04:41.080 you sitting in that press conference room with guys like 0:04:41.200 --> 0:04:44.920 Roma Dunze, DJ Moore, Caleb Williams and Cole Komett. He 0:04:44.960 --> 0:04:47.040 was looking right at them when he spoke to them. 0:04:47.440 --> 0:04:51.039 As a player, you can appreciate that better than anybody. 0:04:51.480 --> 0:04:54.440 So if you were that player at the age of 0:04:54.600 --> 0:04:59.200 twenty three, twenty four, twenty five, twenty eight, seven, twenty eight, 0:04:59.200 --> 0:05:02.000 whatever these guys are are right now, they're in that 0:05:02.440 --> 0:05:07.119 realm right there, would you be having an adrenaline rush 0:05:07.120 --> 0:05:10.039 of like, Okay, I get it, let's go listen. 0:05:10.560 --> 0:05:13.280 If I was a player that was able to touch 0:05:13.360 --> 0:05:16.159 the football, if I was one of those special guys, 0:05:16.200 --> 0:05:19.440 a receiver, a tight end, a running back, a quarterback, 0:05:19.800 --> 0:05:22.040 and then see that body of work that Ben has 0:05:22.120 --> 0:05:25.239 already put on display around the division, around the league, 0:05:25.640 --> 0:05:28.200 I would be trying to draw plays in my head. 0:05:28.000 --> 0:05:30.280 Going, I wonder if Ben would even consider this. 0:05:30.360 --> 0:05:32.839 I wonder if you think about this, because they're just 0:05:32.920 --> 0:05:35.200 coming off of a game this past week, what it 0:05:35.279 --> 0:05:39.159 four or five days ago, and you have the broadcasters say, 0:05:39.200 --> 0:05:41.520 oh my god, I've never seen that play in the 0:05:41.560 --> 0:05:44.480 history of my career, and that was the pitch to 0:05:44.560 --> 0:05:48.360 David Montgomery and the shovel pass forward. I've never seen 0:05:48.400 --> 0:05:51.560 it either. I've been around some of the most creative 0:05:51.640 --> 0:05:55.479 minds in offensive football for almost forty years as a 0:05:55.520 --> 0:05:58.120 player and a broadcaster, and I've never seen it. So 0:05:58.200 --> 0:06:00.240 if I'm one of those guys Jeff, that I know 0:06:00.360 --> 0:06:03.400 that I have the opportunity to touch the football, I 0:06:03.400 --> 0:06:05.240 would be out of my mind. I would have a 0:06:05.279 --> 0:06:07.760 hard time sleeping tonight, and I have a hard I 0:06:07.760 --> 0:06:10.320 would have a hard time not being in the building tomorrow. 0:06:10.520 --> 0:06:13.000 So I can make eye contact with Ben Johnson and 0:06:13.160 --> 0:06:16.120 just let him know how excited I am to be 0:06:16.200 --> 0:06:18.240 a part of it. But then you think about the 0:06:18.279 --> 0:06:21.440 process of success and you talk about what they have 0:06:21.560 --> 0:06:24.400 to do on the offense and defensive line. That's a 0:06:24.839 --> 0:06:27.839 that's a really important part of the future of the 0:06:27.880 --> 0:06:32.200 success of the Bears. But you can ignore the creativity 0:06:32.480 --> 0:06:35.039 that this guy has already shown us, especially in the 0:06:35.080 --> 0:06:36.279 division for a few years. 0:06:36.279 --> 0:06:38.800 When he walked into the auditorium to visit with me 0:06:39.440 --> 0:06:42.080 for the different Bears platforms, and you will hear the interview, 0:06:42.120 --> 0:06:44.520 but not this part. But he goes first thing, he said, 0:06:44.839 --> 0:06:47.279 how'd you call stumblebum? And I said, you got me? 0:06:47.360 --> 0:06:48.920 I just thought I just thought it was a guy 0:06:48.960 --> 0:06:51.440 stumbling around. I go, yeah, you got me good, and 0:06:51.480 --> 0:06:55.320 he just started laughing. I appreciated that that was. That 0:06:55.400 --> 0:06:59.240 was a funny little entree to meeting Ben Johnson. The 0:06:59.279 --> 0:07:03.520 other thing is that this is not from any particular tree. 0:07:03.600 --> 0:07:06.559 This is a collaboration of different influences in his career. 0:07:06.560 --> 0:07:09.080 If you read the backgrounds and the stories, Adam Johns 0:07:09.120 --> 0:07:12.360 of the Athletic did one, Dan Pompeii did one while 0:07:12.480 --> 0:07:15.520 back prior to him became a coaching candidate for the 0:07:15.560 --> 0:07:19.240 Bears while he was with Detroit. It's it's Eric Corial, 0:07:19.440 --> 0:07:24.200 It's West Coast offense, its influences of of of many, 0:07:24.400 --> 0:07:28.040 Mike Martz, it's it's Adam Gase, It's I mean, there's 0:07:28.040 --> 0:07:29.880 a long list. He's been exposed to a lot of 0:07:29.880 --> 0:07:33.240 different things. Tommy, is that an encouraging component for you. 0:07:33.280 --> 0:07:36.280 It's not from a particular tree. This is going to 0:07:36.280 --> 0:07:38.080 be and he made it clear this is gonna be 0:07:38.560 --> 0:07:41.520 the Bears offense. It's gonna be it's gonna be Caleb's offense. 0:07:41.720 --> 0:07:45.000 Right, And that was again, another super encouraging thing that 0:07:45.080 --> 0:07:47.720 I heard from him out of the podium, because I 0:07:47.720 --> 0:07:51.080 don't want a manual from another offensive coordinator in your 0:07:51.120 --> 0:07:54.160 pass and saying, Okay, we're gonna insert this during this 0:07:54.320 --> 0:07:56.520 type of defense. We are going to put this in 0:07:56.680 --> 0:07:59.640 during this type of defensive front. And I think that's 0:07:59.680 --> 0:08:02.720 the creativity that Ben Johnson has shown all of us. 0:08:02.840 --> 0:08:05.360 And again we had we got to see him twice 0:08:05.400 --> 0:08:07.720 a year since he's been around Detroit, so it's not 0:08:07.920 --> 0:08:09.680 you know what, this is not something that we're not 0:08:09.800 --> 0:08:13.160 familiar with. And a lot of the different plays, whether 0:08:13.200 --> 0:08:16.760 he's throwing a pass to an offensive tackle, the different 0:08:17.480 --> 0:08:20.440 formations that he has on the goal line, and all 0:08:20.520 --> 0:08:24.680 the other things that he used at the perfect time 0:08:25.200 --> 0:08:28.840 to use the play that nobody suspected or seen before. 0:08:29.360 --> 0:08:32.960 Now you've got Jared Goff taking center quarterback exchange acting 0:08:33.080 --> 0:08:35.680 like he stumbled. Also, I could buy time for the 0:08:35.760 --> 0:08:38.960 receiver to get done and let the defenders drop their guard. 0:08:39.440 --> 0:08:43.880 I can't wait to see the creation of that mind 0:08:44.280 --> 0:08:48.360 with a quarterback like Caleb and the other assets that 0:08:48.400 --> 0:08:52.440 they have aboard from Cole to Rome to DJ in 0:08:52.520 --> 0:08:55.200 every one of the off their offensive weapons. 0:08:54.760 --> 0:08:56.520 And one of the big things too, I think is 0:08:56.559 --> 0:08:59.680 a strong takeaway here is and George McCaskey said it. 0:08:59.679 --> 0:09:02.400 He met the media a conversation with George as well 0:09:03.280 --> 0:09:06.280 when the zoom interview started, because he didn't come here 0:09:06.480 --> 0:09:10.760 to Hallas Hall until afterwards the zoom. He says, I 0:09:10.800 --> 0:09:13.480 want this job. When the Zoom ended, he reminded them, 0:09:13.480 --> 0:09:15.920 did I tell you I want this job? And you 0:09:16.000 --> 0:09:18.600 know that excitement for something you know? And I think 0:09:18.640 --> 0:09:22.120 back to when you wrapped up your career. You dabbled 0:09:22.120 --> 0:09:25.319 in some television, you dabbled in some radio, and the 0:09:25.400 --> 0:09:28.000 opportunity to become the analyst for the Bears and the 0:09:28.040 --> 0:09:31.679 Bears Radio Network, you made it clear you want this job. 0:09:31.760 --> 0:09:36.080 That passion was exuding from you. You don't want to 0:09:36.120 --> 0:09:40.360 have any doubt from the person you're interviewing about whether 0:09:40.559 --> 0:09:44.280 they're just going through the process or they're just using 0:09:44.320 --> 0:09:47.640 you for another opportunity elsewhere to create a market. He 0:09:47.640 --> 0:09:49.720 didn't want to market. He wanted to be a Bear. 0:09:50.360 --> 0:09:52.679 I love that, and like he said, he wanted to 0:09:52.720 --> 0:09:55.840 stay within the division. And I think that's really important 0:09:56.120 --> 0:10:01.000 because there's some there's incremental issues that you already know 0:10:01.480 --> 0:10:05.200 about the division. And I think when you're a guy 0:10:05.320 --> 0:10:07.920 that's saying, Okay, I'm going to go from Detroit to Chicago, 0:10:08.040 --> 0:10:12.000 they have some centerpieces already in place. Now what can 0:10:12.040 --> 0:10:15.559 I do to put my own stamp on this team? 0:10:16.000 --> 0:10:18.680 And he did not ignore the fact that Dan Campbell 0:10:18.800 --> 0:10:21.760 was an important part of his coaching development over the 0:10:21.840 --> 0:10:24.800 last couple of years. But this is no longer about 0:10:25.240 --> 0:10:28.080 all the other coaches. This is about what Ben Johnson, 0:10:28.120 --> 0:10:30.319 the head coach of the Chicago Bears, is going to 0:10:30.360 --> 0:10:34.120 do moving forward. All the influences that he has in 0:10:34.120 --> 0:10:37.200 his football life because of the other people that he 0:10:37.360 --> 0:10:40.680 played with and was tutored by, that's all. 0:10:41.000 --> 0:10:42.560 You take all that into account. 0:10:42.960 --> 0:10:46.120 But when he walks into that building from now on 0:10:46.280 --> 0:10:49.640 and you're got that parking spot, you know exactly where 0:10:49.679 --> 0:10:52.079 to go in, you know where your office is, it's 0:10:52.120 --> 0:10:54.840 got to be an unbelievable feeling for a young man 0:10:54.960 --> 0:10:55.120 like that. 0:10:55.320 --> 0:10:57.840 Yells has a great respect for the Bears defense said 0:10:57.840 --> 0:10:59.800 it was challenging that that's what he talked. 0:10:59.600 --> 0:11:02.280 About, you know, whether you want to minimalize it down 0:11:02.320 --> 0:11:05.120 to the red zone or the entire field. And I 0:11:05.320 --> 0:11:08.280 like to hear him think that way. Because he knows, 0:11:08.760 --> 0:11:11.760 you know, part of the development of his coaching staff, 0:11:12.000 --> 0:11:15.040 what they already have out there, what they need to 0:11:15.120 --> 0:11:18.439 build upon. In the fact that what do I'm gonna 0:11:18.440 --> 0:11:20.320 do now when I see these guys every day in 0:11:20.400 --> 0:11:23.640 camp to try to keep them as difficult as they 0:11:23.679 --> 0:11:26.559 were for me, make it difficult on the opponent, but 0:11:26.760 --> 0:11:28.600 all ultimately how to get him better. 0:11:29.000 --> 0:11:30.880 He an new or gently used coat lad around. Head 0:11:30.880 --> 0:11:33.160 to your local jewel asco until February tenth and donate 0:11:33.200 --> 0:11:35.120 one of your new or gently used coachs to the 0:11:35.120 --> 0:11:38.559 thirty sixth annual Chicago Bears coat drive. Helped keep Chicagoans 0:11:38.600 --> 0:11:42.120 warm this winter. All right, so let's listen in to 0:11:42.240 --> 0:11:44.840 the new head coach of the Bears, the gentleman who 0:11:44.960 --> 0:11:49.280 helped a Detroit Lions team have two fabulous seasons. He's 0:11:49.280 --> 0:11:52.920 been there for three, and over those last two seasons, 0:11:53.080 --> 0:11:55.480 no unit in the league has average more points per 0:11:55.559 --> 0:11:59.200 game or yards per game each of the last three seasons. 0:11:59.240 --> 0:12:03.840 Coordinating that to trade offense, Johnson's crew had top five 0:12:03.840 --> 0:12:07.160 in total offense every season, including number two here in 0:12:07.240 --> 0:12:09.920 twenty twenty four with a four thousand yard quarterback, and 0:12:10.040 --> 0:12:14.480 each season under Johnson. That would be Jared Goff. This 0:12:14.520 --> 0:12:18.120 is our interview with a new Bears head coach, Ben Johnson. So, 0:12:18.280 --> 0:12:22.200 welcome to the next chapter of your football life, and 0:12:22.240 --> 0:12:24.280 it happens to be with the charter franchise of the 0:12:24.360 --> 0:12:25.440 National Football League. 0:12:25.640 --> 0:12:27.000 How do you put that in the words? 0:12:27.600 --> 0:12:28.839 It's hard to express. 0:12:29.760 --> 0:12:33.520 This is such an iconic franchise with such a storied 0:12:33.600 --> 0:12:37.360 history that only when you're a little boy do you 0:12:37.400 --> 0:12:40.160 think of something like this, and so to see it 0:12:40.160 --> 0:12:43.079 to come to light just like it did, opportunity I 0:12:43.080 --> 0:12:46.040 could not turn down. I'm beyond excited. It Really don't 0:12:46.040 --> 0:12:49.640 have words to express the excitement and enthusiasm I have 0:12:49.720 --> 0:12:50.880 right now for this job. 0:12:50.760 --> 0:12:52.520 Your Mandit had many opportunities. 0:12:52.760 --> 0:12:56.000 Why Chicago, That is a great question. 0:12:57.240 --> 0:12:59.000 I'll tell you. I'll tell you this Number one. 0:12:59.040 --> 0:13:02.360 The place I spent a lot of time coming up 0:13:02.440 --> 0:13:06.280 during the summers to see Chicago Cubs games, and I 0:13:06.360 --> 0:13:07.520 fell in love with the city. 0:13:07.600 --> 0:13:10.360 I fell in love with the people up here. That's one. 0:13:10.520 --> 0:13:11.080 Number Two. 0:13:11.320 --> 0:13:14.240 I believe in the structure that we have in place, 0:13:14.320 --> 0:13:18.200 from George to Kevin to Ryan, there's gonna be complete 0:13:18.200 --> 0:13:20.920 alignment in everything that we're doing. I love the team 0:13:20.960 --> 0:13:24.160 that Ryan's already assembled, and we'll look to continue to build. 0:13:24.720 --> 0:13:27.960 And finally, I wanted to stay in this division. I 0:13:28.080 --> 0:13:30.520 wanted to be in this division. This is a good division. 0:13:30.960 --> 0:13:34.120 Three teams made the playoffs. I have a lot of 0:13:34.160 --> 0:13:36.800 respect for the talent and the coaches that are in 0:13:36.800 --> 0:13:41.640 this but anything worth doing and fulfilling, it's the hard 0:13:41.640 --> 0:13:42.040 thing to do. 0:13:42.160 --> 0:13:42.920 It's the hard way. 0:13:43.000 --> 0:13:45.800 And so I embraced this challenge of being in the 0:13:45.880 --> 0:13:48.520 NFC North and I can't wait to get started. 0:13:48.559 --> 0:13:51.559 Well, you know, Ryan, one of Bryan Poles's famous lines 0:13:51.559 --> 0:13:54.520 that I grab onto all the time. I live it. 0:13:54.600 --> 0:13:57.760 The hard rate is the right way. So you're a 0:13:57.800 --> 0:14:00.720 glutton for punishment. I guess it's going to be. 0:14:00.679 --> 0:14:01.439 A heck of a division. 0:14:02.040 --> 0:14:06.040 What about when you got here, the welcome committee, the 0:14:06.160 --> 0:14:08.760 entire building showed up. You come out with a lot 0:14:08.760 --> 0:14:12.080 of energy. Your family's with you, your three kids, your wife, 0:14:12.360 --> 0:14:15.840 your youngest daughter staring up. I was just enamored with that, 0:14:15.920 --> 0:14:17.640 she was. How did that make you feel? 0:14:17.800 --> 0:14:21.360 Yeah, I'll be honest, I was not expecting that. I 0:14:21.480 --> 0:14:25.720 wasn't expecting this place, this facility, the people within it. 0:14:25.760 --> 0:14:29.000 There's an energy right now that I really can't put 0:14:29.000 --> 0:14:31.200 into words. So I know this. 0:14:31.280 --> 0:14:36.240 I know my family is so happy right now to 0:14:36.280 --> 0:14:38.920 see the potential of where we're going and the people 0:14:39.000 --> 0:14:39.800 we're going to be around. 0:14:39.840 --> 0:14:42.120 All Right, you're gonna get asked a lot about vision. 0:14:42.120 --> 0:14:43.640 What's your vision for this franchise? 0:14:43.960 --> 0:14:46.240 Well, I mean our goal, our goal is to win, 0:14:46.400 --> 0:14:48.120 and it's going to be to win now, and so 0:14:48.880 --> 0:14:51.680 that's going to be stressed early and off into our group. 0:14:52.080 --> 0:14:57.000 What we put on tape for this franchise is we 0:14:57.040 --> 0:15:00.360 want a physical team. We want a detail orient team 0:15:00.360 --> 0:15:03.520 that's great at situational football, and we want an explosive team. 0:15:03.560 --> 0:15:05.240 And that's gonna be on both sides of the football. 0:15:05.320 --> 0:15:08.520 Three phases to be honest with you, along with special teams. 0:15:08.960 --> 0:15:11.800 And really, when we're talking about setting the culture, which 0:15:11.840 --> 0:15:14.480 is going to be step number one here in the springtime, 0:15:14.840 --> 0:15:17.880 accountability and integrity are going to be the cornerstones of 0:15:17.920 --> 0:15:20.200 everything we're going to be about. We're going to have 0:15:20.240 --> 0:15:25.160 a team first mentality from starting to finish. Our players 0:15:25.200 --> 0:15:28.040 are going to understand the staff is going to be 0:15:28.080 --> 0:15:34.080 there to support them. There will be consistent communication and structure. 0:15:34.240 --> 0:15:34.320 And. 0:15:35.920 --> 0:15:37.880 Really, at the end of the day, there will be 0:15:37.920 --> 0:15:40.920 a level of discipline that they're looking to embrace here. 0:15:41.000 --> 0:15:44.160 Well, I can picture myself as one of the ninety 0:15:44.200 --> 0:15:46.200 players that will be here and this will be your 0:15:46.200 --> 0:15:48.440 first team meeting. That's right, You'll be standing in this room, 0:15:48.440 --> 0:15:52.000 the George muggs Haallis Auditorium. I'm similar. The message will 0:15:52.040 --> 0:15:55.120 likely be similar. But how power empowering is that when 0:15:55.160 --> 0:15:57.760 you get in front of a group of guys and say, hey, 0:15:58.080 --> 0:15:59.960 follow me, we're going to learn how to win. 0:16:00.880 --> 0:16:04.480 There's no question I think this is every player. Every 0:16:04.480 --> 0:16:06.760 player wants consistency and they want to be able to 0:16:06.760 --> 0:16:10.440 get better. And that is what I plan on doing 0:16:10.640 --> 0:16:12.560 and the staff that I bring in, that's what we're 0:16:12.560 --> 0:16:14.320 going to be tasked to do, is to get every 0:16:14.320 --> 0:16:16.120 player on this team to be the best versions of 0:16:16.160 --> 0:16:20.480 themselves and to elevate this team to winning football consistently. 0:16:20.600 --> 0:16:23.520 I know that the media always focuses on the head 0:16:23.520 --> 0:16:27.280 coach quarterback relationship, and that's one of the fifty three, 0:16:28.040 --> 0:16:30.880 but it's the most important position in all of sports. 0:16:30.880 --> 0:16:35.680 So the enticing aspect of working with a young quarterback 0:16:35.800 --> 0:16:39.000 with a bountiful amount of talent, how is that with 0:16:39.040 --> 0:16:39.680 Caleb Williams. 0:16:39.760 --> 0:16:44.160 Yeah, I think standing on the opposite sideline from him 0:16:44.160 --> 0:16:47.520 this year, I gained a tremendous amount of respect for 0:16:48.400 --> 0:16:50.760 not only the talent level that he possesses, but also 0:16:50.840 --> 0:16:53.800 the type of person he is leading that huddle. I 0:16:53.840 --> 0:16:56.520 know it was a rocky rookie year for him, and 0:16:56.800 --> 0:17:02.240 I'm excited to help grow and together this offense and 0:17:02.640 --> 0:17:04.919 the pieces. I want to be clear, it's not just 0:17:05.000 --> 0:17:07.680 Caleb I am. I am so fired up to work 0:17:07.720 --> 0:17:10.840 with him, but there are so many great pieces to 0:17:10.920 --> 0:17:13.840 the puzzle already in place. This defense gave me, gave 0:17:13.880 --> 0:17:16.879 me trouble the last two years. I stayed up at 0:17:16.960 --> 0:17:19.960 night trying to find ways. I think the red zone. 0:17:20.000 --> 0:17:22.160 We couldn't score touchdowns in the red zone. They got 0:17:22.200 --> 0:17:26.400 after us. And it seemed like almost every single time 0:17:26.440 --> 0:17:28.800 we played the Chicago Bears when I was in Detroit, 0:17:29.520 --> 0:17:32.000 that came that game went down to the wire. 0:17:32.359 --> 0:17:34.520 A few teams did. Yeah, you know, they were outstanding 0:17:34.520 --> 0:17:37.199 at it. So you mentioned other players, the skill they got. 0:17:37.240 --> 0:17:39.879 DJ Moore got from Dunsay, you got Cole Comet, you 0:17:39.880 --> 0:17:40.919 got DeAndre Swift. 0:17:41.160 --> 0:17:42.600 That's just a sample size. 0:17:43.040 --> 0:17:46.919 It is your offense, an offense that is adaptable to 0:17:47.400 --> 0:17:48.480 all sorts of kind of skill. 0:17:48.600 --> 0:17:51.359 Yeah, it's not my offense. This is going to be 0:17:52.280 --> 0:17:55.119 really I like to fancy it the quarterbacks offense. We 0:17:55.160 --> 0:17:58.399 are going to tailor this right around Caleb Williams. It 0:17:58.440 --> 0:18:02.439 will not be necessarily, but you've seen from from me 0:18:02.560 --> 0:18:04.840 the last three years. It's gonna we're gonna find out 0:18:04.840 --> 0:18:07.520 exactly what our quarterback does well, and that's really what 0:18:07.640 --> 0:18:10.120 we're going to anchor on. And then the supporting pieces 0:18:10.160 --> 0:18:13.359 around him, we're gonna look to accentuate those as well. 0:18:13.440 --> 0:18:16.119 So the different looks the same and the same looks different. 0:18:16.240 --> 0:18:19.240 You know where you heard that one before? My old friend, Ye, 0:18:19.480 --> 0:18:22.359 John shop. We'll talk about John Shoop at another time. 0:18:22.840 --> 0:18:25.560 I love that guy. What does that all mean? 0:18:26.040 --> 0:18:29.120 What that means is we want we want to keep 0:18:29.160 --> 0:18:33.040 defenses on edge, all right, when you're on an offensive perspective. 0:18:33.080 --> 0:18:36.560 We don't want them to know exactly what's coming multiplicity 0:18:36.680 --> 0:18:42.120 formationally schematically to where uh, when they see one formation 0:18:42.400 --> 0:18:44.800 and they're expecting one play that they saw on tape. 0:18:44.520 --> 0:18:46.040 They get hit in a different direction. 0:18:46.400 --> 0:18:47.200 That sounds simple. 0:18:47.320 --> 0:18:48.040 Yeah, it's simple. 0:18:48.080 --> 0:18:50.280 It sounds simple and the most complicated game I think 0:18:50.320 --> 0:18:52.800 when people break it down. If you are sitting in 0:18:52.840 --> 0:18:55.159 a team meeting or a room to break down one play. 0:18:55.280 --> 0:18:57.600 I've had coordinators tell me, yeah, I can sit in 0:18:57.600 --> 0:18:59.640 a room and break down one play for eight hours. Yeah, 0:19:00.080 --> 0:19:00.720 saying there's. 0:19:00.560 --> 0:19:02.800 No way, but yeah, that's the case. 0:19:03.200 --> 0:19:07.359 You've been described as creative, We know that, fearless, no nonsense. 0:19:07.400 --> 0:19:11.600 Are these some attributes and adjectives that you would agree with? 0:19:12.000 --> 0:19:13.600 Yeah? Yeah, Listen. 0:19:13.720 --> 0:19:18.720 I've every step of my journey, whether it was quality control, position, coach, 0:19:19.400 --> 0:19:24.119 offensive coordinator, I morphed into a world that would make 0:19:24.160 --> 0:19:27.040 me the best at that particular job, and every step 0:19:27.040 --> 0:19:28.480 along the way tight ends coach. 0:19:28.960 --> 0:19:32.879 Oh see, the last few years, it's whatever that job required. 0:19:33.000 --> 0:19:37.560 And so this new job is a completely different skill 0:19:37.640 --> 0:19:41.800 set and responsibility, and so I will find exactly what 0:19:41.840 --> 0:19:44.560 it takes to excel in this new role. 0:19:44.800 --> 0:19:47.600 How excited are you to work with Ryan Poles, his staff, 0:19:48.240 --> 0:19:50.840 Kevin Warren, mccaskey's everybody in the build. 0:19:50.880 --> 0:19:54.680 Listen, they blew me away on the interview. I spent 0:19:55.040 --> 0:19:57.840 time just alone with Ryan on that interview and then 0:19:57.880 --> 0:19:59.920 in a group setting with all of them, and it's 0:20:00.119 --> 0:20:04.320 clear their commitment to build a sustained winner here in Chicago. 0:20:05.200 --> 0:20:08.919 I think Ryan's done a phenomenal job already accumulating talent 0:20:09.119 --> 0:20:12.360 here in this building. And I can't be more excited 0:20:12.400 --> 0:20:15.520 about George and Kevin and the support that they're willing 0:20:15.560 --> 0:20:17.400 to give us and the resources they're willing to give 0:20:17.480 --> 0:20:18.560 us to get this thing going. 0:20:19.000 --> 0:20:21.920 The familiarity you touched on it within the division? Is 0:20:22.400 --> 0:20:23.160 that a positive? 0:20:23.320 --> 0:20:27.840 Because you faced everybody before for the last many years. 0:20:28.160 --> 0:20:32.120