Defender has a new number, same outlook
Johnson knows all about injuries, feels sick about teammate Law’s broken ankle
There’s no escaping the visual. The number four is definitely sleeker than the number 93.
“Everybody’s going to ask me how much weight did I lose,” guffawed Micah Johnson, who will start the 2017 CFL season with a new integer on his jersey.
“Honestly, I knew I wanted to switch to a single digit so I knew it was going to be just one, so I wasn’t waiting on that specifically. It (4) was the number I wore in college, so it’s kind of crazy how it all just happened. It’s not often as a D-lineman that you get to wear the same number in the pros as you did in college.”
The fifth-year Calgary Stampeders defensive tackle made a preseason appearance Sunday against Edmonton and quickly renewed acquaintances with Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly, sacking the veteran. A nice way to get things underway.
“Especially going against Edmonton and a quarterback like Mike,” Johnson said. “You really can’t rattle him. He’s one of the few guys who’ll stand in the pocket, so the respect level for Mike is high.”
When the player beside him on the D-line, Cordarro Law, suffered a fractured ankle, it reminded Johnson of just how fickle the fates can be. Last year was the first of four seasons in which Johnson played an entire season without a gruesome injury.
He hopes the upcoming campaign is the second.
“That was the most frustrating thing,” said Johnson, who played linebacker in college at Kentucky.
“I know what I could do, and I’ve always been confident in my ability to play. I felt it slowed down my learning process, just moving to the D-line. As the season went on, I continued to learn and it was just so exciting. I know that I’m nowhere near my best because I’m still pretty early at doing it. I’m excited to keep growing and do my job when I’m healthy and be an impact player.”
As to the Law injury: “I feel sick, man. Law’s as cool as it gets. He’s a good teammate, he’s even a better person. Selfishly, that hurts. You can’t replace that. Guys are going to have to rally and step up and make more plays.”
MAYO GETTING BETTER
There were a handful of nickedup players on the field Tuesday morning. None was happier to be there than linebacker Deron Mayo, still recovering from surgery on a torn patella tendon suffered last October.
“It’s feeling better and better every day,” Mayo said. “The range of motion is there, the strength is coming back pretty nice. It’s getting there. It’s good to be running around with the guys today.
“It’s been pretty tough. You want to be in every drill with the guys — the blood, sweat and tears that came with training camp, you want to be involved in that.”
As to a timeline, June 23 — the date of the Stampeders’ seasonopening game in Ottawa — would be nice.
“It’s a matter of how I’m feeling,” he said. “Some days, I’m more sore than others. Usually try to push through that. I consider myself a pretty tough guy, right? Discomfort is good, pain isn’t, so I’m trying to decipher which is which.
“Ultimately, the goal is to be out there for Game 1, but it’ll come down to how I’m feeling, how the coaches feel and how the trainers feel.”
CAMPBELL HURTING
Another player on the field but just doing some individual work, suffering from a hamstring pull, is defensive back Tommie Campbell.
“He should be close, maybe doing some stuff tomorrow,” Stamps head coach Dave Dickenson said.
“He showed up with it. It’s hard when that happens, you weren’t able to rehab him from the getgo. You don’t know the severity. He says a slight pull ... we’re hoping to see him get some practise time in sometime this week and for sure before Week 1.”
It’s not often as a D-lineman that you get to wear the same number in the pros as you did in college