Ryan Poles Revealed Moment He Knew Ben Johnson Won Over Locker Room

There were plenty of reasons Matt Eberflus flopped as the Chicago Bears head coach. He did a poor job building his staff. He seemed to freeze in late-game situations when the score was close. Players always seemed sloppy and unprepared. However, the true sin for him was his inability to inspire. Eberflus came across as bland, outdated, and overly formulaic in his approach. In hindsight, it shouldn't have been a surprise that the locker room eventually mutinied against him, tired of his prepared quotes and lack of accountability. GM Ryan Poles knew that if he got another chance to find a head coach, it had to be somebody who could earn the players' trust.

After a long evaluation process, Ben Johnson emerged as the clear choice. Poles knew of his sterling reputation as an offensive coordinator. In interviews, he came across as smart, self-confident, and energetic. He had a clear plan for building a winner. All Poles could do was hope his research and gut instinct were enough to know Johnson was the right guy for what was a dispirited and cynical locker room. According to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times, a moment arrived in training camp where he knew he'd made the right choice.

It came during the intense practice on August 5th, called the most physical in 20 years.

It would have been easy for veterans to roll their eyes at such a demand. A practice that nasty can feel unnecessary for those whose roster spots are secure.

“They let it rip,” Poles said, “because they heard him get in front of the room and say, ‘This is what we need to do in order to have success.’ ’’

Poles thought it was perhaps the most important moment in all of training camp. He hopes it set a foundation. Afterward, he told Johnson that the practice was proof that his players trusted him. He asked them to go beyond what was normal, and they followed him.

“It kind of gave me goose bumps,” Poles said.

Ryan Poles knows Johnson does something Eberflus didn't.

He communicates with the players. The coach can speak on their level, illustrating why he wants things done a certain way. Eberflus never had that ability. He talked at the players more than anything. He spewed his usual platitudes, expecting everybody to buy in because it worked when he was a defensive coordinator. That isn't how psychology works. Johnson understands how players think on a fundamental level. They're the ones putting their bodies on the line every Sunday. His job is to help them understand why making these sacrifices in practice now will reward them later. Ryan Poles saw the message get through in that camp practice. After years of experiencing Eberflus, one can understand why he got a bit emotional.