'Do you realize how proud I am of you?': Why Lane Johnson's Man of the Year nomination matters to Eagles O-line coach Jeff Stoutland

Jeff Stoutland asked Lane Johnson a loaded question last Friday morning, three days after Johnson was announced as the Eagles’ nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award. The two were alone together. There were no hidden cameras this time, as there were two months earlier when Johnson learned of the honor. No one was present to document the interaction. It was just the All-Pro offensive tackle and the coach who has been with him for 11 seasons.

“Do you realize how proud I am of you? And where you’ve come from, and where you are right now?” asked Stoutland, the Eagles’ offensive line coach.

Stoutland smirked when sharing this conversation, adding, “I’ve got to remind him of that.”

Stoutland is not alone. Go back to that hidden video the team released, filmed on October 11.

Stoutland oversaw a Wednesday offensive line meeting focusing on concepts in the tight red zone. A graphic came on the video screen indicating that Johnson was the Eagles’ nominee for the prestigious award. Johnson, who went public with his mental health struggles in 2021, has become an outspoken advocate in the two years since. Johnson asked what was on the screen. It was a surprise to him.

“So Lane, this is a big fucking deal,” Stoutland said in the meeting. “This is a huge deal.”

Then Jason Kelce spoke. 

“This award a lot of times goes to someone who gives a bunch of fucking money to a charity and does a bunch out in … the open,” Kelce told him. “That ain’t fucking you. We all know that. But that doesn’t take away what you mean to the guys in this room, in this building, these people. That’s why they fucking nominate you — because everyone … finally sees who you are. And when I think of a man, I think of someone who…weathers the ups and downs in life, how you fucking move forward. You’re doing better than I’ve ever seen, and it’s so fucking awesome to see. And I know it ain’t all been perfect all the time. But like, there ain’t another (person) in the NFL who represents that better than you. That’s important for you to hear.”

Stoutland embraced Johnson with a hug carrying the weight of 11 years of history. 

“I’m so proud of you, man,” Stoutland told Johnson. “This is a big deal, Lane.”

.@LaneJohnson65 was not expecting this 🥹@nationwide | #WPMOYChallenge pic.twitter.com/OhGm3tqFul

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) December 7, 2023

The emotion was genuine — not contrived — which is one way Kelce likes to describe Johnson. “Not a lot of bullshit to him,” Kelce said. “That’s hard, really, in today’s age in general. Because there’s a lot of that flying around.”

So why was Stoutland so proud of Johnson? Why was it such a big deal?

“Lane and I came here together in 2013. We were rookies together, and we’ve been together ever since,” Stoutland said in a recent interview with PHLY. “So I’ve been able to watch his story and his ups and downs. And I watched him struggle — really struggle. And I watched the pain that he had to go through. And the support system that’s here at the Philadelphia Eagles — a lot of people could have very easily said, ‘This guy’s not this or that’ — it was the total opposite. It was a total support by his teammates, the organization. … I think that having to go through some of the things that he’s gone through, and knowing that the coaches, the players were there for him, is a big part of why he’s able to come back as strong as he has. And he’s in the best place he’s ever been since I’ve coached him.”

This was a point that Kelce made and has been echoed elsewhere. Johnson is happier now than at any point in his Eagles career, which is heartwarming for those who know him well and reveals what Johnson suppressed behind the scenes for so long.

“He’s always happy, positive, locked in on what we’re doing in terms of the meetings. There’s no distractions. He’s just the best he’s ever been,” Stoutland said. “And I’m proud of him. I’m really proud of him, because I saw the dark days. I saw when he wasn’t good.”

The nadir came in 2021 when Johnson was away from the team for three weeks. Johnson had lived with anxiety since he was in college and supported former teammate Brandon Brooks when Brooks went public with an anxiety condition in 2016. Johnson similarly experienced his own mental health challenges. In 2021, with withdrawal symptoms from medication affecting his body, Johnson left the team. There was serious concern from those closest to him when his whereabouts and condition were unknown. The depths of Johnson’s absence is one topic Stoutland declined to discuss.

When he eventually returned, Johnson had a choice. He could keep what he endured private and allow the outside world to only know him as a football player. Or he could be honest and vulnerable. Johnson chose the latter. It wasn’t natural. It was extraordinarily helpful.

“Since it became public, I felt like instead of shying away from it, I felt like I could help a lot of people that felt like they were in a similar situation or headspace,” Johnson said. “I was kind of reluctant at first. … A lot of NFL players are reaching out. You’re in this business, and you got to work on yourself not only physically, but the mental part.”

Johnson’s story has resonated in the NFL community, with other players empathizing with Johnson. It’s resonated even more beyond the football community. Kelce remarked about the number of people who approached him expressing appreciation for Johnson “being open and honest.” If Kelce is down the shore or in a bar, he’ll invariably hear about Johnson.

Johnson, who was also nominated in part because of his outreach with Gold Star families, has gone on a speaking circuit, sharing his stories with schools, organizations, and companies. He lets the public see a different version of himself than what they might be exposed to while watching games or only consuming his public comments.

“Everybody has different pressures on them, some people bottle it up, some people don’t know how to address it or handle it,” Johnson said. “But when you see a public figure or somebody on a football team who you see is a big, strong man kind of get vulnerable and express how they dealt with it, it gives people courage. Brandon (Brooks) was huge for me.”

Stoutland did not initially want to bring Brooks into the story until a reporter mentioned his name, but the offensive line coach acknowledged it was a relevant connection. And he cannot deny the before-and-after from 2021. Those close to Johnson have always felt a sense of loyalty to Johnson based on his authenticity and humor. They’ve witnessed a different person since he returned — one who’s earned candidacy for an award that resonates within the locker room. 

“Look, we spend a lot of time together. I spend a lot of time with those guys. They become my family. I spend way more time with them than I do my family,” Stoutland said. “So we’ve been watching it, and that’s why it’s so emotional  — and that’s why Kelce was so emotional and even myself. You’re right there with him the whole time seeing it all go on and all everything that’s happening. And now watching where he is at. So there’s no better person deserving of this award. And that’s the truth.

“From what he’s overcome, and what he does for other people and recognizes that he doesn’t want anybody to know. He’s not a hotshot. He doesn’t care about that. Just wants to help people that maybe are in or were in his situation.”

Both Stoutland and Kelce highlighted the relative lack of a spotlight on Johnson. This award often goes to players who are exceptional with philanthropy or supporting causes in ways that generate considerable fanfare. Johnson has done much behind closed doors, but he’s also helped indirectly. By simply being transparent, he’s inspiring those who can relate to his story.

“Some of the things he’s overcome and persevered through has helped a lot more people than people realized,” Kelce said. “It’s just apparent how much he means to people in this city and across the country, and certainly this building.”

Stoutland realizes it. It’s why the award means so much to him. Because he’s experienced the past decade with Johnson. He’s seen Johnson as a 23-year old from a small east Texas town move to Philadelphia, watched Johnson endure in ways that are relatable to almost anyone — marriage, fatherhood, family health — and now earn this nomination. As Kelce told Johnson, being a man is about experiencing that roller coaster and displaying persistence. 

So why was Stoutland so proud? Why was it such a big deal? 

Because he now smiles about Johnson thriving on the other side. 

“Life, you have to overcome,” Stoutland said. “You have to be able to overcome. He’s had it real hard. The stuff that he’s gone through, and where he is today, I wanted him to understand … do you realize what you were just able to do and where you came from? 

“And he does.”