Numbers lie in case Lions’ Herdman
During his four-year career at Simon Fraser, Jordan Herdman was twice named the defensive player of the year in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, set the GNAC career mark for tackles and, in his senior year, became the first SFU player to suit up for the Senior Bowl.
As impressive as he was on the field, Herdman’s academic career was equally stellar, earning a 3.9 grade average in biomedical physiology and making the GNAC All-Academic team in three consecutive years.
“He’s what you want,” said Kelly Bates, Herdman’s coach at SFU, now an assistant with the Edmonton Eskimos. “If you have 12 of him, you’ll win. There were only three places you’d find Jordan (and his twin brother Justin, now with the Argos): the field, the gym and the library. They were the hardest working players we had on and off the field.”
So how did this player — this tackling machine with the nonstop motor, unimpeachable character and relentless work ethic — fall to the seventh round of the 2017 CFL draft? Why did personnel men in the CFL, and the NFL for that matter, look at everything Herdman represents and conclude, “Nah, he’ll never play.”
It’s an interesting question, made more interesting by Herdman’s current status as the Lions’ starting middle linebacker. As for the answer, you don’t have to look too long or too hard to find out why Herdman plummeted to the seventh round on draft day.
“It’s those testing numbers,” said Geroy Simon, the Lions’ director of Canadian scouting. “We put so much stock in those numbers, but they’re just a piece of the puzzle. They’re not the whole puzzle.
“Jordan’s football IQ is through the roof. He sees things happening before they happen. A lot of times he’s going to go where the ball is before it’s snapped.”
Which is a skill that’s difficult to measure with a stopwatch.
Herdman, remarkably, landed in the Lions’ lap in the seventh round because he recorded substandard times in the 40 in his pro day at SFU and at the CFL combine. Those times — just over five seconds which isn’t bad for a mailman but is for a linebacker — coupled with his squat six-foot, 235-pound frame were enough to scare off CFL teams and the NFL squads who were sniffing around Herdman after his performance at the Senior Bowl.
Six other linebackers were taken ahead of Herdman in 2017 before he went to the Lions with the 60th pick of the draft, six spots behind where the Argos took his twin brother Justin. The Lions also took linebacker Frederic Chagnon from Montreal 26 spots ahead of Herdman.
But when they meet the Argos on Saturday in Toronto, Herdman will be their starting middle linebacker.
“All the measurables say he’s not fast enough or tall enough but he can play,” said Lions defensive co-ordinator Mark Washington. “He’s just a football player and a very good one.”
“It definitely added fuel to the fire,” Herdman said of his draft position. “But I haven’t surprised myself. I’m one of the most confident guys. I’m prepared every time I step on the field. Preparation plus opportunity equals success.”
Herdman, in fact, has been a revelation since stepping in for the injured Solomon Elimimian three games ago. In his first outing against Ottawa, he was credited with 12 tackles in the Lions’ narrow loss. Last weekend, he registered five more tackles and a pass breakup in the fourth quarter in the win over Edmonton.
In his three games at middle linebacker, the Lions have surrendered an average of 65 rushing yards per game and 3.3 yards per carry.
“He just runs through people,” says Simon. “He’s a throwback, an Alondra Johnson type (Stampeders hall of famer).”
Bates, for one, isn’t surprised at what he’s seen from his former player or his twin brother.
“They didn’t get here by accident,” he said. “They know what they’ve wanted since high school on the field and in the classroom and they did everything to prepare for it. They’re a lesson for everyone.”
Jordan and Justin were born and raised in Winnipeg, attended high school together in the ’Peg, attended SFU together where they majored in the same subject and, conceivably, could have ended up playing in the CFL together.
The sons of former CFLer James Reed, they are virtual clones of each other with similar physiques, similar playing styles and, unfortunately, similar times in the 40.
The difference? Jordan, who’s two minutes older than Justin, has a head start in his career. While Justin is playing special teams with the Argos, Jordan’s in the process of establishing himself as that most valuable of CFL commodities, a Canadian who can play an import position.
“We’ve been together, literally, since birth,” said Jordan. “It’s been weird not having him around all the time, but we’re finding our own way and enjoying it.”
And wherever they go from here, they’ll share the journey.