Johany Jutras
In his last two games Jeremiah Johnson has looked like a monster truck crushing his way through opposing defences.
Ask the Ottawa REDBLACKS’ running back about his back-to-back performances and he calls himself a small cog in a larger wheel.
“I’m blessed for the recognition, but it’s not me,” Johnson told the Ottawa Sun. “It’s the offensive line, it’s Hank (quarterback Henry Burris), it’s the receivers doing their thing.
“I bask in the glory. I thank God for the opportunity and the reward, and I move on.”
At five-foot-nine and 209 pounds Johnson isn’t the biggest back in the CFL, but he has managed to put up some giant numbers.
After a lukewarm start to the season, he had 30 carries for 86 yards and three touchdowns in the first four games he played, Johnson has started to boil. In wins over Saskatchewan and B.C., Johnson had a combined 34 carries for 192 yards and five touchdowns.
On Sunday, Johnson shredded the Lions’ defence for 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 31-18 victory. He also had five catches for 41 yards and was named one of the CFL top performers of the week.
The win was the first time an Ottawa team won in B.C. since Oct. 6, 1990.
Jordan Maksymic, Ottawa’s running back’s coach, said Johnson has been evolving as the year progressed.
“J.J. has had a little bit more expanded role the last few weeks,” said Maksymic. “We’ve asked him to do some more things because he showed to us in those early games that he’s capable of doing those things.
“He’s put up the numbers and responded to that.”
In six games Johnson has 278 yards on 59 carries and leads all players with eight touchdowns. He’s shown his sure hands by catching 21 of the 26 passes thrown at him for 150 yards and is one of the reasons the REDBLACKS are tied for second in East with Toronto with a 6-4 record.
Johnson can be like a chameleon on the field. He can put his head down and bulldoze his way to a first down, or use a move to make a tackler miss.
“If it’s second-and-two, and you need a guy to get the ball and go get a first down, he can do that,” said Maksymic. “He can catch the football out of the backfield and hurt defences as a receiver.
“A big part of what we ask our running backs to do is be great in pass protection. He understands our protection scheme and is not afraid to stand in there against good linebackers or good defensive ends.”
Johnson missed three games with an injury this year and didn’t dress for another. He might have been an unknown factor before, but after scoring seven touchdowns in the last three games, that element of surprise is gone.
“I’m sure people do notice him and spend a little bit more time on him while they go through their prep week,” Maksymic said. “We are just going to keep doing the same things we are doing. They’ve worked thus far.
“With the athletes we have blocking for J.J. up front, I think we can go through the rest of the season just doing what we are doing. We are comfortable with it and I think success will continue.”
Ottawa will be looking to extend its current win streak to three games when they face the Saskatchewan Roughriders (1-10) Sunday at Mosaic Stadium. The Riders got a dose of Johnson back on Aug. 30 when he trampled them for 92 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-13 REDBLACKS’ win.
“It’s always a little bit of a different beast going into Saskatchewan,” said Maksymic. “It’s always difficult to go there and play well.
“I expect J.J. and the offensive line to do the same thing they have been doing the last few weeks.”
Johnson, 28, grew up in Los Angeles. He credits his single mother Sabrina for keeping him out of gangs and making sure he steered clear of trouble.
He met his wife Shanel while attending college at Oregon and the couple have two children.
Coming out of Dorsey High School in L.A., Johnson was regarded as one of the top three running backs in the region. While at Oregon he rushed for 2,336 yards, leaving him sixth all-time for the school. In 2008 he rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown in the Ducks’ Holiday Bowl victory over Oklahoma State.
Johnson signed as free agent with the NFL’s Houston Texans in 2009. Over the next few years he bounced around the league with Washington, Carolina and Denver.
He joined the Toronto Argonauts last year and played five games before being released in August. He signed with Ottawa in September and in five games rushed for 238 yards on 38 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Jason Maas moving to Ottawa from Toronto this season as offensive co-ordinator has played a role in Johnson’s development.
“He (Maas) brought a system that Jeremiah was familiar with,” said Maksymic. “When we got to training camp he already knew a lot of the terminology and the schemes he was comfortable with.
“Right from training camp he was able to hit the ground running. There wasn’t a really big learning curve for him. He was a lot more comfortable.”
Growing up in a single-parent home, and watching his mother return to college to earn a Master’s degree, helped shape Johnson’s worth ethic. His career has been built on dedication and hard work.
“He’s very coachable,” said Maksymic. “He’s the kind of guy who has a good sense for the situation.
“If we are in a meeting, and we are presenting a bunch of new material, he can quiet down, focus in and learn that. When we are going into a game, and he knows the offence needs a little burst, he can be that guy that gets them going. He covers all the bases.”
