The sad career of Jeff Johnson has come to a close. Before Lumsden...before Cornish and before Messam and Harris there was Jeff Johnson. He outshone players such as Ricky Williamms and Jon Avery. However was never givin a chance to be a starting tailback because of his passport. The American coaches seen to it that he played on the non-skilled (Canadian) special teams... What a pity his entire career was.... If he was 10 years younger, he may have been MOP this year instead of Cornish. If he had a Canadian coach like all of the afomenntioned (excluding Cornish) then he would of been a pioneer in the league...
Just a real sad story, but I for one recognize his talent. Now whether he was on steroids is another debate. Man was he ever ripped.
Ill never forget when he subbed in for Avery and had like an 8.9 yard average. Yet Avery was left to carry the mail with his 3.2 yard average... It was unbealivable really.. I guess they needed another Canadian on the offensive line or something....
He always had a good attitude when it came to the Argos never turned down anything the coaches had asked him to do.
However if I was to run a bet with someone that he was on steroids I would bet on the side that he was on the juice!
His career continued once they started testing. Also he had longevity that would counter how atheletes bodies usually wear out after prolonged use... However, he was soooo ripped that it really made you wonder... Was he as ripped during the last 3-4 years of his career?
I remember this guy very well. I thought the first time I saw him play that he should be given a chance to show what he had, and later wondered why he never really got it. Hopefully Cornish has now opened the door for Canadians at so-called skill positions. But I don’t think that will happen until more HC’s are Canadians. It will be interesting to see what happens in Winnipeg and Ottawa. And Montreal if Popp comes to his senses and steps aside in favour of Thorpe
Let’s hope now that he is in retirement that he will lay off the roids as well and enjoy life!
As a fellow York alum I can tell you that Johnson was one of the three greatest players YU has ever produced. It's criminal that he was never given the opportunity to be a feature back. It's one thing for apologists to whine about weak armed Canadian QBs who don't get "a fair shot" but imagine if a Canadian QB showed up at camp and had the strongest arm on the team, with the best accuracy and the quickest to read through his progressions...that'd be the equivalent to what Johnson was as a RB.
Bar none, he was always the strongest RB on the team. Nobody hit the hole harder and few had better hands out of the back field. And you'd never find a better teammate to go to war with. Fourteen years in the CFL and two rings. Not bad for an undrafted Canadian RB out of the CIS.
As for the steroid talk, let's get serious.
Spend enough time around the game and you'll recognize who the juice pigs are pretty quickly. There's two types - - first being the guys that are lazy and won't put in the time at the gym and just use it as an easy means to bulk up. They definitely add mass but it's terrible weight. These are the guys that are just all puffed out from the water retention. Basically look as if someone stuffed a garden hose down their throat and turned it on full blast for an hour or two.
Then you've got the guys that juice but also hit the gym hard to go along with it. They get results and will be completely jacked. But they're also always injured. These are the guys that are constantly hurt with muscle strains, tears and pulls. Can't stay healthy and after a few years they're out of football.
Reason is that steroids will only grow muscles - - they DO NOT build ligaments or tendons. So what you end up with is a guy who's muscle mass is way too powerful for what his tendons and joints can handle. Juice pigs will put up massive results on the bench and great time in the 40 but then fall flat in the T test. Once again, because they're too stiff and don't have any flexibility for lateral movement or stop/start explosiveness.
Bottom line - - you don't last fourteen years in football if you're constantly shooting steroids up your arse.
I totally agree with you, but man was he ever ripped!!!!
yes, Johnson was certainly jacked and made Giguere look like a pipsqueak in comparison.
sady, there is now one less man-crush for Rod Black…
Solid player, wish he had played for the Cats to be honest. All the best to him in the future.
Let’s just hope that the Argos organization recognizes his achievements with a presentation prior to a game next season. Instead of just giving him a 2 for 1 movie pass or whatever this current management team does for its players.
He did play for the Cats for a few years early in his career.
Didn’t know that tangle, thanks for the info!
I’m sure Braley will do something for Jeff Johnson. I mean the players must like Braley enough to be able to win a Grey Cup for him, from what I’ve been told if players don’t like management or ownership, you’ll never see the team win a championship because the players won’t give that extra bit to make winning happen, especially in a very physical sport like gridiron football.
Started out as a Cat,played the 2000-2001 seasons as a Cat before signing with the Argos,where he played an amazing 12 yr career with them.It’s rare indeed these days to see a player have a 14 yr career in football or stay with the same club for at least 10 yrs.Good on ya Jeff!!! :thup: :thup: :thup: Always thought you were a very good player!! Enjoy your retirement.
I never went to York,but have two kids who went to York,one who is now the York University Sports Editor,so I have a special place in my heart for York University 
:cowboy:
I think winning the grey cup with a bonus of $16000 for each player is more motivation to win then what owner is owning the team from a players stand point.
I guess in that case 1991 you shouldn't be too worried who owns the Argos as long as the fundamental goal is to win the national championship Grey Cup. And obviously Braley has that goal, no one including yourself would dare disagree with me on that, or even could disagree with me on that come to think of it. 
I always wondered why JJ was never played. Of course it may have been because his coaches were American and biased. When given the opportunity, he always performed very well. Why would he be ignored ? All those American coaches..Too bad the Canadian owner didn't say something
Braley’s main objective isn’t winning Grey Cups - - it’s hosting them.
What a clueless piece… of garb you write, you want the Argos to fail, just say it weasel boy…. or girly whatever you are… Braley will put you into a hole you'll never crawl out of…