How Ben Johnson Broke Into The NFL Is Actually Pretty Badass

Ben Johnson should not have been in the NFL. In fact, he shouldn't have been in coaching at all. Everybody who knew him in high school and college thought he was destined to enter the tech industry as a numbers genius, making a healthy living as a brainiac. However, a seed planted by his college offensive coordinator, John Shoop, convinced him to think about coaching. After a brief foray into the tech world, Johnson realized it didn't feature the connectivity between people he'd grown to love in football. That is when he decided to take Shoop's advice.

After some calls, Johnson got his first opportunity as a graduate assistant at Boston College. By his third year, he was already the team's tight ends coach. Even so, there was no reason to suspect he'd make the jump to the NFL. He never worked at that level and didn't really know anybody. It didn't matter. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune revealed that an administrator was so impressed with Johnson that he placed a call to an old friend in the league who'd just become a head coach.

He didn't beat around the bush.

Kevin Rogers, a senior offensive assistant for the Cleveland Browns since 2020, arrived at BC in 2011 to replace Tranquill and was struck immediately.

“Ben was always proactive in his own development,” Rogers recalled. “He got stuff done before I even asked for it. He had a uniquely great feel for the game, even as a young coach, and he’s got a way about him.

“That guy is a rock, I’m telling you. I am not trying to talk in superlatives but I don’t think the Bears could have done better.”

Joe Philbin was assembling his staff as the new Miami Dolphins head coach in 2012 when he got a call from Barry Gallup, a longtime assistant coach and administrator at BC. Philbin had worked under Gallup at Northeastern.

“When your former boss that you respect calls, you get back to him,” Philbin said.

Gallup’s message: Find a job for Ben Johnson.

Guys knew Ben Johnson was special from the beginning.

The fact someone who had only known the young coach for three years felt compelled to send him to the NFL should tell you everything. It seems like Johnson made that impression at every stop. Once he got to Miami, both eventual head coaches he worked for were taken aback at how intelligent and driven he was. The same thing happened in Detroit. After Matt Patricia was fired in 2021, Dan Campbell opted to keep Johnson on the staff. A year later, he was promoted to offensive coordinator. The rest is history.

What is amazing about all of this is the Bears were the team that ended up getting him. Never in the past 60 years of Super Bowl history has Chicago been the franchise to go after the hottest coaching name on the market. They finally made a determined push to change that and were fortunate that Ben Johnson wanted the job despite tons of interest from other teams. Everything about this hire feels right. Obviously, nothing is certain in the NFL. Yet nobody can say the Bears made the wrong move. Everybody knew Johnson was the guy.