Daniel Johnson felt right at home in his first CFL start.
With family members in attendance, Johnson excelled at left offensive tackle for the Saskatchewan Roughriders as they defeated the host Hamilton Tiger-Cats 28-23 on Saturday.
Johnson grew up in London, Ont., 125 kilometres west of Hamilton.
“It was awesome,” the University of Purdue Boilermakers alumnus said after Tuesday’s practice at Mosaic Stadium.
“Playing in the States, I didn’t have the chance to have my family at a lot of games. Being in Hamilton, it was the first time I got my whole family to be there.
“After the game, seeing all of them coming out of the tunnel was amazing. It’s something I prayed for all the time and I finally got it.”
Johnson’s second start will mirror the first, in that the game will be played in southern Ontario.
The Roughriders are preparing to oppose the Toronto Argonauts on Friday (5:30 p.m., TSN, CKRM). Expect another Johnson cheering section when the Roughriders visit BMO Field.
“My parents weren’t able to be there for my childhood, going to games and stuff, because they were working hard for me and my brothers to be happy,” Johnson noted.
“It’s great for them to be at the games now, knowing that what they did when I was growing up is paying off.
“They get to see me live out my dreams and be happy — especially being kids from a refugee camp.”
Johnson was one year old when his parents, Grace and Langoya, moved the family to Ontario from Nairobi, Kenya.
The Roughriders’ fifth-round selection (41st overall) in the 2024 CFL Draft, Johnson spent last season on the practice roster.
He made his CFL debut on June 5th, when he dressed as the sixth offensive lineman for the regular-season opener against the visiting Ottawa REDBLACKS.
Johnson ended seeing significant game duty after Payton Collins, a rookie from Eastern Kentucky University, suffered a knee injury during the third quarter of a 31-26 Saskatchewan victory.
The Roughriders then won a second consecutive game with a left tackle starting in the CFL for the first time. Moreover, the Green and White has allowed only one sack over those two games.
“There can’t be a drop-off,” Head Coach Corey Mace said. “That’s just the expectation.
“(The offensive linemen) work their tails off in understanding that. They work so well together, too, so it’s a cohesive unit.”
Not to mention a unit that was recognized as the CFL’s top offensive line in Week 2, according to rankings released by Pro Football Focus.
The accolades are additionally significant when you consider that veteran offensive linemen Sean McEwen (knee) and Philippe Gagnon (bicep) were injured early in Coors Light Training Camp.
Leading up to the regular-season opener, right guard Jacob Brammer suffered a back injury that forced him to sit out Week 1. Then Collins was sidelined during the Ottawa game.
It was business as usual for the Roughriders, who last season started 12 different offensive linemen and dressed 13.
The results are a testament to the expertise of Offensive Line Coach Edwin Harrison.
“We don’t even address him as Ed,” Mace said. “We call him ‘coach of the year.’ ”
Harrison’s tutelage has clearly benefited the 6-foot-5, 307-pound Johnson.
“Like I said during camp, he far and away made the biggest jump from last year to this year,” Mace said.
“He got a little bit of a taste of it the prior week, after Payton went down. Then he got a full week of practise heading into a game against some guys who have played at the (defensive end) position in the league for a while. He did an excellent job.
“I’m not shocked. We felt really good about our depth and versatility in the offensive line room.”
Mace was quick to credit “our scouting department” for providing the wealth of talent that has enabled the Roughriders to weather an inordinate amount of injuries over the past year.
Johnson also dealt with injuries as a first-year CFLer before emerging, and quickly so, as an active-roster player.
“It’s everything I expected it to be,” he said. “Starting off with two wins, that was awesome. Being able to be out there and play a full game, it had been a long time, since college.
“It has been an amazing experience. Knowing that my first start was a win was also awesome.”
