“When (it happened) I felt I knew I was going to be out for some time because the pain I had and just the feeling I had,” said Johnson. “I knew this would go out. But I think it was just like that at that moment, just letting God work through me and around me in whatever way it looked, whatever he was protecting me or preparing for, I made it ahead.”
Instead of preparing for the season with his teammates, the two -hour Pro Bowl corner was disarmed because of his injury and was forced to destroy camps and the front page of the training room. The challenge of the season was not what he wanted, but gave him proof that he could tolerate a fight.
“This has definitely been a trip,” said Johnson. “It’s been frustrating, going to the training room in the gravity room, back to the training room for six, seven, eight weeks now. So I mean, for me this is just a mental test, but I’m getting out better.”
Chicago launches for a period of time defined by cautious optimism. Although the focus will be mostly trained in Ben Johnson’s new head coach and his influence on the team’s offense, it will be under key players like Johnson to provide a constant outstanding game on the defense side of the ball.
The bears could take the stadium shorten a week. And as Johnson explained on Tuesday, he will return soon.