We’ve heard all about the H.I.T.S. principle since Matt Eberflus’ arrival in Chicago. Hustle. Intensity. Takeaways. Smart play.
For Eberflus and the coaches, it was about getting the players to buy in to the H.I.T.S. principle. Through the spring and now the summer, it’s clear that Eberflus’ squad had bought in.
While it took some convincing for cornerback Jaylon Johnson, he now finds himself really understanding and embracing it.
“It was just something that I wasn’t familiar with, something I wasn’t used to doing, so naturally there’s going to be some back-and-forth,” Johnson said. “But really coming in, being in it, going through it during the spring, and now, like I said, it’s becoming second nature.”
Bears players actually devised a Shakespeare quote to describe it.
“Thou who runneth to the ball, good things shall happen,” Johnson said.
Translation: “If you don’t run to the ball, not too many good things are going to happen at the end of the day,” Johnson said. “There’s no really selling anything. You’re going to buy into it or you’re not. And I felt like at the end of the day, if you don’t buy into it, you’re not going to play, so I mean I felt like it wasn’t too much to sell.”
The impact of the H.I.T.S. principle has been evident on all three phases of the ball during the preseason. Players are putting in the effort on every play, whether they’ve got starting jobs locked down or are competing for a roster spot.
“It’s the standard,” Johnson said. “And as a leader, I have to push myself to push other guys, to uphold that standard. I’m definitely used to it now. It’s natural. It’s what the expectation is.”
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