LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Jaquan Brisker was always someone Ben Johnson respected from afar. The Bears safety would be schemed against and accounted for when Johnson coordinated the Lions offense, especially as someone who would line up virtually anywhere.

Brisker was a chessboard piece back then. Now that he’s in Chicago as head coach, Johnson’s getting to know the fourth-year veteran’s personality.

“He’s excited, he’s passionate about the game and he loves playing football,” Johnson said in a Wednesday press conference. “He likes to talk a little bit, too, which I appreciate.” 

The aggressiveness. The devil-may-care playing style. And the trash talk. There’s just so much of it.

Those are all signs that Brisker’s back. Such a return to normalcy is a big deal after all the Penn State product went through these previous eight months.

Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble made contact with Brisker’s head and neck area in a Week 5 contest. Brisker finished out that win and then never played again. He reported concussion-like symptoms the next day before flying to London for a clash with Jacksonville. He was diagnosed with his third concussion in as many seasons, was eventually placed on injured reserve, and was never able to clear the NFL’s protocol. While that was a source of frustration, Brisker knew something wasn’t right and didn’t want to return “until I felt like me.”

The process wore on him over time, after continually failing to pass the protocol.

“It was hard being away from football, especially week to week, you know,” Brisker said after a Bears minicamp practice. “It was kind of getting sad and depressing, things like that. But got over it, it’s time to move on and I’m back now.”

That was the main theme of Brisker’s press conference, the first time he had spoken publicly outside of a podcast appearance. He was candid about the details of his time away, the struggles being away from the game and what it took to get back to football.

Brisker said he went to the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center’s Sports Medicine Concussion Program, where he was diagnosed with a vestibular concussion. According to the Concussion Alliance, these types of concussions can cause dizziness and lead to issues with balance and vision.

He said he had to re-train his nervous system, a feat accomplished with recommended exercises.

“Just, like, side to side movement,” Brisker said. “It’s a lot of tennis ball catching and things like that, just trying to track my eyes, get my eyes moving around, get my body moving around, you know, fast and things like that. Just reacting.”

Brisker feels like he did before the concussion and doesn’t have to do anything outside his normal routine to prepare for athletic activity. He considers the concussion-related issues firmly in the past.

He didn’t consider retirement during this downtime despite being diagnosed with a concussion in each of his three NFL seasons, and no one in his immediate circle suggested he should.

“Nope. Not with no one, especially not myself,” Brisker said. “Not with my parents. I feel like if my parents, you know, say something, it’s deep. So, if it didn’t come from them or come from me, I didn’t hear it to be honest.”

Brisker drew confidence from his process, which was as intensive as it was thorough. The anguish of not being able to play was real, though, especially on game days watching at home with his parents.

“I was going crazy, probably made it worse,” Brisker said. “So, yeah I couldn’t, looking at that TV, oh my gosh. Yeah, it was hard. I wanted to be out there. Especially if I’m not out there, I want to be with my teammates or around them seeing or hearing them talk or whatever, trying to communicate. All of that stuff was hard. I got past that. I’m over it. Obviously, I wanted to be out there but I couldn’t.”

Brisker has a renewed appreciation for playing football after all he went through and is thrilled to be back on the field again. There’s zero trepidation at this point, even when pads eventually come on during training camp.

“I’m not curious. I want to hit right now,” Brisker said. “…I’m going to play at full speed. I’m going to be a play maker. Nothing really changes, it’s just (that) I’m gonna be stronger, I’m gonna be a lot more mentally focused. My mind is really like probably like five or six years new or whatever the doctor said. I did so much work. I’m really past it, like I’m really moving on.” 

Brisker’s moving into a contract year, ready to inspire the confidence required to earn an extension from the Bears.

“Just stay healthy,” he said. “I don’t have to prove anything. When I’m out there, I make plays. I go attack the ball and I come down and hit. I come down and tackle, and I’m a leader. So really just have to be out there.”