Bear Are They Now: Todd Johnson Now a Coach

Todd Johnson played for six years in the NFL. Half of his career was with the Bears, where he became a fan favorite for his tough play on special teams. But when an NFL career ends, most players need to find a second career. Johnson has found his next job. He's a high school football coach in Florida.

He's coaching at his alma mater, Riverview High School in Sarasota. The previous coach went 23-98 and coached for 30 years. He's hoping to use football to teach his students how to deal with adversity.

"No matter what adversity we face we still have to take care of our responsibilities," Johnson said to the Bears website. "Our society has allowed kids to believe that when things get too hard it's OK to quit. It is our job to teach them to finish whatever they start and things might even turn out better than they ever thought."

Johnson joined a long list of former Bears players who went on to be a coach. Three current NFL head coaches -- Leslie Frazier, Jim Harbaugh and Ron Rivera -- had significant careers with the Bears. Mike Singletary is an assistant coach for the Vikings. Johnson said his job with the high school isn't all that different from coaching at the pro level.

"All the great coaches I've had over the years have been great leaders, and when you're put in position to lead your teammates in the NFL there is no faking it," Johnson said. "You have to be able to deal with different personalities and situations on a daily basis, and being a high school coach is no different."

The NFL coaches are more visible and famous for their work, but Johnson shouldn't be overlooked for what he is trying to do at a high school.

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