Stewart Johnston is on the ball — and that isn’t simply a figure of speech.
The signature of the newly appointed CFL Commissioner will appear on all official footballs in 2025 and far beyond.
“In the present radius of now, today the wonderful staff at the CFL office handed me a game ball with my signature on it,” an appreciative Johnston told Riderville.com following his introductory media conference on Thursday.
“There will be a special place for that ball.”
As a bonus, the display was in place early in Johnston’s lengthy and accomplished tenure at TSN, with which he debuted as an intern in 1997 and ultimately ascended to the highest tier of management.
“In my basement, I built a special shelf to display my Grey Cup balls and my Super Bowl official balls — all my greatest footballs,” he said. “I’ve got Grey Cup balls going back 15, 20 years.
“To think that my name is on a game ball and is ultimately going to be on a Grey Cup game ball is so mind-blowing.
“It is so humbling. I’m filled with pride, I’m filled with excitement and, yes, a dash of giddiness. I just can’t wait to get going.”
The wait ended on April 2, when Johnston was named the successor to Randy Ambrosie.
“On the day of the announcement, I received a notification of just how public a role this is, because I was just amazed at the coverage across the country,” Johnston marvelled.
“I was still doing a different job (at TSN) and I was very busy at that, so I was pretty drained when I got home that day. It was a very emotional day. There was excitement matched with the sadness of leaving long-time colleagues. I sat on my couch and really sank into it, feeling a little spent.
“Then a note came in from the CFL office, saying, ‘The announcement was wonderful. It was great to see such a wonderful pickup. We loved the positive reaction. Do you, by any chance, have your signature on the electronic software system so that we can send it over to Wilson as quickly as possible so they can get it on to the game ball?’
“It’s really something when you hear that.”
And especially when you see that.
Imagine what it will be like to watch the footballs flying in the role of Commissioner.
In the weeks ahead, he plans a “listening tour” that will include stops across the CFL.
His first regular-season visit will be to Mosaic Stadium, where the Saskatchewan Roughriders will oppose the Ottawa REDBLACKS on June 5 to kick off the league’s 2025 campaign.
The season will conclude on Nov. 16 at Princess Auto Field in Winnipeg — site of the 112th Grey Cup Game.
“This morning, I was asked about handing out the Grey Cup,” said Johnston, referencing the media conference. “That is a moment I can’t really imagine.”
The new chief executive’s Grey Cup memories date back to Nov. 28, 1976, when Saskatchewan played the Ottawa Rough Riders at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto.
Talk about foreshadowing!
Johnston was born in Toronto.
He grew up in Ottawa.
His first official game as the Commissioner will be in Saskatchewan.
“It seems fairly poetic to me for that to be my first game,” Johnston said.
“I hadn’t even looked at the schedule when I said, ‘I want to be at the very first game of the season.’
“I saw that matchup and thought, ‘Isn’t this just wonderful?’ I’m incredibly excited.”
That was also the case during the climactic game of the 1976 CFL season.
At the time, one of the Johnston family’s next-door neighbours in Ottawa was Gerry Organ — the eastern Riders’ punter and placekicker from 1971 to 1983.
In the third quarter of the 1976 league final, Organ took off for a 52-yard run on a fake punt.
“I was five years old, so I have very few memories from being five years old or younger than that,” recalled Johnston, 54.
“My distinct memory is the joy of standing on the couch cushion and jumping up and down with excitement — probably not quite understanding exactly what was going on. But my family was around me and they were all cheering so loudly that I knew this was exciting.
“I certainly knew who Mr. Organ was. I knew that he was a kicker and he was running with the ball, so I remember being on the couch and the feeling of joy that was emanating from our family room back in Ottawa.
“The one visual that I have — and I need to look this up, actually, and see that play again — is of Gerry Organ running down the field and his arm swinging like a windmill. He had the ball in one arm and the other arm was swinging like a windmill.
“But 52 yards … you can’t argue with that.”
The appeal of the Roughriders is also beyond dispute.
Johnston appreciated the bottom-line numbers when he perused the robust ratings for Roughriders games that were shown on the CFL’s exclusive media rights-holder.
“What we always said at TSN is that if the Riders weren’t someone’s favourite team, they were the second-favourite team,” the former TSN President said. “I think that really is indicative of why the numbers from coast to coast are always so strong for Rider games.
“It is the history of the team, the history of the province as it relates to football, and the passion that folks from outside the province see coming from the province that makes such an impact on people as they appreciate everything from the outstanding play to the full stands to the great history to the great legacy to the watermelons.
“It all resonates, so I have developed an appreciation for the incredible fan base and also the affection of so many for the team.”
To be revisited in just under six weeks, when the CFL’s 15th Commissioner lands in the heart of Rider Nation.
Game day, June 5, will be added to Johnston’s ever-expanding list of milestones, to accompany April 2 (first announcement) and April 23 (introduction).
“For three weeks, everyone has known that this day is coming, including myself and my family,” he said. “Many have taken to calling me Mr. Commissioner because they think it’s so funny to call me that, so we’ve had some fun with that.
“As this day has been approaching, it has been sinking in further and further: ‘This is actually happening.’ Yet, there remained a surreal quality to the entirety of that thought process.”
The surreal experiences continued after the three-week whirlwind. Consider, once again, Thursday’s unveiling of the Johnston-signed football.
“That one,” he said, “will have a place of honour for the rest of my life.”
