Cougars' Johnson eager to get to work

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on March 31, 2014 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

Bennett Johnson handed out papers as returning and prospective players walked into the Goldsboro High auditorium Friday morning.

They scanned through the pages as Johnson talked briefly with principal Brian Weeks. Then he turned his attention toward the players and said he wanted to try a reaction exercise.

"Keep talking to each other and act as if I'm not in the room," Johnson said. "When I walk back toward you, I'm going to say 'eyes up' and I want two quick claps."

Johnson turned his back and resumed his conversation with Weeks.

Then he quickly spun and took two quick steps.

"Eyes up!" Johnson shouted.

Two loud claps echoed through the auditorium.

Johnson smiled.

An offensive coordinator at Goldsboro two seasons ago, Johnson introduced himself to those who didn't know him. The returning players smiled and each listened intently as they learned a little bit more about their new coach, who succeeded Eric Reid.

Armed with an index card, Johnson talked about the three "F's" that have influenced and defined his life -- faith, family and football. He stressed the importance of each, and encouraged every player in the room to pay attention to those parts of their respective lives.

"Obviously, there's no secret that there's plenty of athletes here, which is every coach's dream," Johnson said. "At the end of the day they're good kids, they're respectful, they work hard and they're good players.

"My biggest challenge is tapping out the talent, getting these guys believing in themselves and knowing that they can achieve more than they're capable of (achieving). I want them to go to college ... get a full-time job (and) contribute to the community."

Goldsboro experienced just two winning seasons between 2001 and 2006 before Reid, a 1980 alum, took over the reins. The program endured winless campaigns in 2002 and 2006. The 2002 squad reached the eastern 3-A championship game, but eventually forfeited its 10 wins for using two ineligible players.

It took Reid one season to resuscitate the program. The Cougars emerged as the Eastern Plains 2-A Conference champions in 2007 -- the first league title in school history in 21 years.

Reid's next six teams combined to claim three Carolina 1-A Conference regular-season crowns, finish league runner-up twice -- once each in the EPC and in the Carolina -- and advance to the 1-AA eastern finals in 2009.

The Cougars won 61 games during the Reid era.

Johnson was part of the 2011 squad that ran the table in conference play and suffered a season-ending, second-round playoff loss at Northampton.

"You can go anywhere in the state and say Goldsboro football, and people know what you're talking about," Johnson said. "I want to be a program that does the work on the field, not talk about it. You bust your tail and the hard work proves it on Friday nights.

"We want the kids to work hard and believe that they are capable of doing great things."

Johnson's handout to the players included a football helmet and a triangle on the front page. At each point of the triangle different words were written -- pride (lower left), grit (lower right) and team (top).

The players focused on Johnson as explained the first three bricks he plans to add to the program's foundation. He wants the players to be excited for whoever scores a touchdown or makes a big defensive play, he wants to see pride in and outside the classroom and most importantly, he wants to see the grit that's been synonymous with previous Goldsboro football teams.

"Grit is a word I love because teams that have grit are tough," Johnson said. "When things go south, when you face adversity ... whatever it may be, when you have grit you're going to work past it. Many of these kids have already showed grit their entire life, so it's nothing new to them.

"We're going to build on our program on those three words."

Eyes up.

Clap. Clap.