When Ben Johnson accepted the head coaching role with the Chicago Bears, it set off a series of moves that brought running backs coach Tashard Choice to the Detroit Lions — and reunited him with a familiar face: Jahmyr Gibbs.

Johnson had spent the previous three years as Detroit’s offensive coordinator. Once he transitioned to Chicago, he took receivers coach Antwaan Randle El along to serve as assistant head coach and oversee the Bears’ wideouts. To fill the gap, Detroit reassigned assistant head coach Scottie Montgomery from running backs to receivers. In turn, the Lions brought in Choice from the University of Texas to take over the running back unit under Dan Campbell.

Choice isn’t new to Gibbs. He worked with him during the 2020 and 2021 seasons at Georgia Tech.

“He’s got limitless potential,” Choice said of Gibbs. “But I’m going to push him harder than anyone. I have to.”

After the 2021 season, both Choice and Gibbs left Georgia Tech. Choice headed to Texas to join Steve Sarkisian’s staff, while Gibbs transferred to Alabama. There, he tallied 926 rushing yards and seven scores on 151 carries, adding 44 catches for 444 yards and three more touchdowns in 2022. That performance led Detroit to draft him 12th overall in 2023.

Gibbs made an immediate impact in the NFL, earning Pro Bowl honors in each of his first two seasons. He has accumulated 2,357 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns on 432 carries, along with 104 receptions for 833 yards and five touchdowns.

He now shares an exclusive club with Hall of Famer Edgerrin James as the only NFL players to notch at least 2,000 rushing yards, 25 rushing TDs, 100 receptions, and five receiving TDs over their first two pro seasons.

Choice praised Gibbs’ football IQ and instincts. “He’s one of the sharpest backs I’ve ever coached. You tell him once, he’s got it. He understands the game at a deep level,” Choice said. “I’m going to keep challenging him. I joke with him that Zero can’t do anything right, but Jahmyr Gibbs, I love. It’s the same with David Montgomery. When they’re on the field, it’s all about making them better as players, not coddling them as people.”

Over the past two years, Gibbs has split backfield duties with Montgomery. In that span, Montgomery has racked up 1,790 yards and 25 touchdowns on 404 carries, with 52 catches for 458 yards. Together, they’ve made history as the only running-back pair to each post double-digit rushing touchdowns in consecutive seasons.

Choice said Gibbs’ greatness was obvious from the start — despite some schools viewing him as a defensive back prospect.

“I remember seeing him live and my buddy looked at me like, ‘This kid is special.’ After watching other backs, it was clear — none compared,” Choice recalled. “When a back has ‘it,’ you don’t need a long audition. It’s like watching a movie that hooks you in the first scene — you just know. I was glad I didn’t have to compete against the schools that saw him as a DB. His footwork and movement were elite — he could’ve played gunner on punt coverage. We saw that athleticism at Georgia Tech. He just loved the game.”

Choice admired how Gibbs could instinctively evade defenders, often avoiding tackles without even seeing the would-be tackler. “Those traits — field vision, evasiveness, spatial awareness — are the hallmarks of top-tier prospects. The kind you learn to spot when you’re around elite recruiters and scouts.”

The Lions begin organized team activities (OTAs) on May 28. In this third phase of offseason training, teams are permitted to run full-team drills without contact.