Ben Johnson has only been an NFL head coach for 18 months, but it already feels like he's one of the most respected coaches in the league. He's widely regarded as one of the league's premier offensive play-callers, and it only took him one season to lose the first branch of his head coaching tree.Ravens' new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle isn't the only coach who can partially credit Johnson for his success, though. When speaking with NFL insider Ari Meirov, Commanders' newly established offensive coordinator David Blough also credited Johnson for showing him the ropes early in his playing career. 🚨 'NFL Spotlight' with #Commanders OC David Blough — from undrafted QB to OC at age 30.0:00 - Intro2:04 - Start of interview2:59 - Wanting to be Drew Brees4:49 - Realizing he wanted to coach5:51 - Going undrafted & traded to Detroit6:49 - Starting on Thanksgiving as a… pic.twitter.com/JudxSMuMJW— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 14, 2026Blough was an undrafted free agent in 2019. The Lions traded for him (via a seventh-round pick swap) just before the season began. All things considered, he was a nobody who accomplished nothing at that point.Johnson saw something in him, though. It might have been born out of their shared time playing under John Shoop (with Johnson playing under him at North Carolina and Blough playing under him at Purdue), but the fact remains. The offensive quality control coach took the undrafted rook under his wing."We were both learning Darrell Bevell's offense together," Blough said. "This was not his job, but every Saturday night, he took me through the entire gameplan. From week one, to week two, to week three, all the way up until I got the opportunity [to start] in Week 13. He helped me what an NFL offense truly was."The extra effort clearly paid off for Johnson (and Blough)Aug 20, 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback David Blough (10) drops back to pass in the first quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY SportsLet me take you back in time for a moment. It's November 2019. The Bears are experiencing a hangover after one of their most exciting seasons in a near-decade. They have a chance to get back to .500 with a win against Detroit on Thanksgiving, though. They also catch a giant break with Matthew Stafford nursing a back injury. The 3-7-1 Lions are forced to start... undrafted rookie David Blough at QB? Easy win!Not so fast. Blough comes out of the gates firing. His first completion goes for a 75-yard touchdown. Beginner's luck, right? Not exactly. The Lions go up 14-7 on the ensuing drive after the rookie manufactures a 78-yard drive. The Bears eventually fought back and went home with a 24-20 victory, but Blough's performance turned heads. 280 yards and two touchdowns (with one interception) sure isn't a bad start to an undrafted rookie's career. Detroit Lions quarterback David Blough looks to pass against the Chicago Bears during the first half Thursday, Nov. 28, 2019 at Ford Field.