Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has taken some heat this week over how he’s acted on the sidelines, and one former player believes he’s doing more harm than good.
On the latest episode of The OG Football Show, former Pro Bowl guard Mark Schlereth admonished Johnson for some of his sideline antics and the extent to which he gets animated. He warned that when he gets so animated it risks getting the team penalized, players hate it – even if they won’t tell him.
“You don’t have to go out there and tackle anybody,” Schlereth said. “You don’t have to do anything all week. Understand, you know, you’re a coach. We’re simple creatures as players. And that motivation is something that resonates with us. And so you are doing stuff that’s putting your team in a tougher position to win. So, hey, as a broadcaster, I love it. As a player? Dude, stop it. Just stop it.”
Schlereth said that as entertaining as it is to broadcasters and fans, players don’t appreciate the animated behavior because it shows fake toughness.
“As a broadcaster and a guy who does podcasts, don’t ever change. I love it, but just understand the player in me would smack you upside the head because you’re writing checks that I have to cash,” Schlereth said.
“Let me tell you something right now, Ben Johnson. If you had a lineup, if you had to put a helmet and shoulder pads on, we’d need a smoke bomb to get you out of the locker room; you’d be standing in a puddle of (expletive).”
Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images.
Johnson and His Passion
Fans really started to notice Johnson’s penchant for getting over-excited after his team’s big playoff win over the Green Bay Packers earlier this year. He cursed the Packers out in a video after the game and declared that “this one meant something to us.”
However, he was considerably less excited when his Bears got destroyed by the Packers 31-7 this past week, in a loss that really cut the team down to size.
He probably won’t take Schlereth’s advice if it’s all part of his personality, but he’ll certainly remember what losses like that feel like moving forward.
