Ben Johnson details first practice as Bears head coach

Ben Johnson led his first practice as the Chicago Bears kicked off rookie minicamp on Friday. It marked a first for the new head coach, where he had to learn how to adjust from a coordinator to a head coach in the roughly one-hour practice.
"I've never blown the whistle to stop the play; I've got a little bit of work to do there," Johnson said with a smile. "I can get better in that aspect. Other than that, it was great. I'm surrounded by a phenomenal coaching staff. It was fun to watch them get their hands on these players and be able to work with them like that. I'm very encouraged."
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For Bears rookies, draft picks and undrafted free agents alike, it was the first time they'd stepped foot on the practice field at Halas Hall. While this weekend is a learning experience for the players, it also serves as a beneficial experience for Johnson and his coaching staff.
"We call it rookie orientation," he said. "It's a coach orientation for us this year, too. It's our first time as a coaching staff to really have a practice format like that. It was fun to see them get after it and get to work a little bit. We've got a long ways to go, but [I'm] really happy with how the guys went out there and competed and learned . . . and look forward to seeing the progression there over the course of the weekend."
One of the standouts during this first practice was the intensity from Johnson and his entire coaching staff, which is a far cry from when Matt Eberflus led the show. As for as Johnson, his style is already sitting well with the rookies.
'I'm a big fan,' said first-round pick Colston Loveland. 'I love his spirit, his energy. He's super determined. He's ready to go. He's ready to take this thing to the top. I've seen him getting on people's butts. [He's] fired up too. I'm loving how he coaches. It's early, but I'm excited to play for him.'
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According to the Sun-Times, Johnson spent time with general manager Ryan Poles and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen at the start of practice, and then he split time near evenly between the offense and defense. While Johnson will be leading the offense, he's learning how to run an entire team. And leaning on Allen, a former head coach, is beneficial before the veterans hit the field for OTAs in the coming weeks.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Ben Johnson details first practice as Bears head coach

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