Before the bright lights of Soldier Field, before the roaring playoff crowd… there were just two kids from North Carolina chasing football dreams together.
Now, years later, country star Chase Rice and Bears head coach Ben Johnson are about to share the same stage again.
From Small-Town Teammates to Soldier Field Spotlight: Chase Rice and Ben Johnson Reunite
When country music star Chase Rice performs at halftime during the Chicago Bears’ playoff game at Soldier Field, it won’t just be another concert.
For Rice, the moment will feel deeply personal.
Standing on that field will be his childhood friend Ben Johnson, the Chicago Bears’ head coach—someone Rice has known since middle school.
Their journey from small-town teammates to sharing the spotlight on one of the NFL’s biggest stages is a story that spans decades.
Watching Bears Games From the Side of the Road
Rice’s connection to the Bears is unusual.
Growing up in Florida during the 1990s, he never followed the NFL closely. His football loyalties were rooted in college football, where fans typically supported either the Florida Gators or Florida State Seminoles.
That changed when Johnson rose through the coaching ranks.
This season, Rice found himself doing something he had never done before: planning his schedule around NFL games.
While traveling through the country during hunting season, Rice would sometimes pull his truck over on remote rural roads just to watch the Bears play.
Using a Starlink satellite connection, he streamed games from places like Montana, setting up a makeshift viewing station right in his vehicle.
“I have the Bears schedule in my calendar,” Rice said. “I’d pull over, set up Starlink, and watch the game sitting on the side of the road. I’ve never done that for any team.”
A Friendship That Started in Middle School
Rice and Johnson first met after Rice moved to Fairview, North Carolina, a small community outside Asheville where Johnson grew up.
The two quickly became teammates on their middle school football team.
From that moment on, their paths were intertwined.
Rice eventually realized that throughout his entire football career, he only played one season without Johnson on the same team.
Their roles on the field were very different.
- Johnson played quarterback
- Rice played linebacker
Their high school team, A.C. Reynolds, went on to win a 4A state championship, with the two friends playing key roles.
Rice jokes that one thing he never got to do during those years was deliver a big hit on his quarterback.
“We weren’t allowed to mess the quarterback up in practice,” Rice laughed. “But if I had the chance, I definitely would have.”
College Teammates and Roommates
After high school, both players headed to the University of North Carolina.
Rice was a highly ranked recruit, considered one of the top football prospects in the state. Johnson, meanwhile, joined the program as a walk-on.
Despite their different paths to the roster, they remained close—even becoming roommates in college.
Eventually their careers took them in different directions.
Johnson pursued football coaching, slowly climbing through the NFL ranks.
Rice stepped into the entertainment world, building a successful career as a country singer-songwriter.
Yet their friendship never faded.
Watching a Friend Rise to the Top
Over the past two decades, Rice has watched Johnson steadily rise through the coaching profession.
From early assistant roles to offensive coordinator positions and finally landing the Bears’ head coaching job, the journey has been impressive.
Rice recalls visiting Johnson early in his coaching career when he was still near the bottom of the staff hierarchy.
Seeing him become an NFL head coach was surreal.
“You never expect a guy you know to become a head coach,” Rice said. “That’s something you usually see happen to people you’ve never met. But I’m really proud of him.”
The Bears’ New Locker Room Tradition
Johnson’s personality has become widely known among Bears fans, especially after the team’s viral locker room celebrations.
Following victories, Johnson leads players in a chant:
“Good. Better. Best.”
For Rice, the moment was shocking the first time he saw it.
That chant actually came from their high school football coach, Bobby Poss, who used it as a motivational rallying cry.
Rice himself has used the chant during his concerts for more than a decade, starting each show with a pre-performance routine involving his band.
When he saw Johnson leading it in the Bears locker room, he couldn’t believe it.
“I was on my tour bus when I saw it,” Rice said. “My jaw just dropped. And the crazy part was seeing all these millionaire players doing the same chant we used as kids.”
A Playoff Moment Years in the Making
Sunday’s playoff game will mark a special moment for both men.
Rice will perform at halftime during the Bears’ Divisional Round matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, while Johnson coaches in only his second playoff game as Chicago’s head coach.
Despite the excitement of performing in front of tens of thousands of fans, Rice says the football game itself will likely be the most nerve-racking part of the evening.
As a relatively new Bears fan, he’s already experienced the emotional rollercoaster of Chicago’s dramatic season.
“I call them the Cardiac Bears,” Rice joked, referencing the team’s league-leading seven comeback victories.
More Than Football
At the end of the day, the biggest takeaway for Rice isn’t the playoff atmosphere or the halftime performance.
It’s the friendship that started long before either of them became successful in their careers.
“Seeing your friends succeed later in life is one of the best things,” Rice said.
From small-town teammates to the spotlight of Soldier Field, Rice and Johnson’s story is a reminder that sometimes the most meaningful victories in life happen far beyond the football field.
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