Johnson gets a glimpse of life on the other side of the ball

Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive lineman Micah Johnson has seen plenty in his 11-year CFL career, but in Week 9 he managed to do something he’d never done before for a significant part of a game.

He was asked to stop hunting sacks and start protecting his own quarterback.

Early injuries meant the 6-foot-2, 278-pound veteran, who is tied for the CFL lead in sacks, ended up playing nearly half the game against the Blue Bombers at right guard. 

It was the first time Johnson had ever played on the offensive line for a long stretch in a game. Understandably, he was taken aback after coaches approached him about flipping to the other side of the ball after offensive linemen Peter Godber and Zack Fry got hurt.

“I was like, ‘Oh crap,’” the 36-year-old said on Thursday, laughing.

Johnson was previously on the offensive line for a single series on Aug. 3 versus Edmonton. He ended up playing more than 30 snaps in the 35-33 loss on Labour Day, getting a firsthand view of how different life is on the other side. 

“The biggest transition was just identifying everybody, understanding the protection, who they were IDing in the [snap] count, the linebackers, and different things like that,” he said. “Being a defensive lineman, you have to stay close [to the line] and dialled in. With the o-line, it’s just understanding what the defence is doing…what do we need to do on this play, leverages, things like that.

“I think there’s definitely a big correlation that allowed me to play the offensive line.”

Johnson’s performance earned rave reviews from his coaches and teammates. 

“It’s incredible,” Roughriders head coach Corey Mace, a former defensive tackle, said after the game. “I wish it was really easy for people to understand how hard it is to switch at any position on your side of the ball, let alone going on to the opposite side. So, the fact that Micah Johnson is playing the whole second half at right guard, that’s a credit to him doing whatever he has to do to help this team.”

Quarterback Trevor Harris also praised Johnson.

“He did fantastic,” he said. “Worst part of the game is injuries and the fact that Micah was able to step up…was fantastic.”

Elks defensive line coach Almondo Sewell has been in Johnson’s shoes before. 

He never played on both sides of the ball in the same game, but in 2017, when he was a player on the team, injuries on the offensive line nearly forced him into action. Sewell said he had taken reps on the offensive line in practice, so he was more prepared than Johnson, but was still nervous.

“[The coaches] were like, ‘Hey man, we’ve got to switch you out of this No. 90 jersey to like a 50s number,” he said. “I’m like, ‘Oh boy, here comes the bull rush.’”

Sewell’s approach was simple.

“Just don’t mess it up,” he said.

Sewell also noted the subtle differences between the two positions, saying that one side of the ball is about aggression while the other is about protection.

“On defence, you gotta be super aggressive,” he said. “On the offensive line, it's a lot more being passive than anything. Or you could be aggressive, but you’ve got to be under control a lot more than you would be on the d-line. So, you’ve got to pick your battles on when to be aggressive, when not to be aggressive. When to shoot your hands [out], things like that.”

Johnson has had success switching positions before. He came to the Calgary Stampeders in 2013 as a linebacker, but defensive line coach DeVone Claybrooks convinced him that being on the defensive line would be a better fit for him in the Canadian game.

“I thought I'd probably be like a defensive end or something like that,” Johnson said.  “I didn't imagine I'd be inside the three-technique…after my first week during camp, [Claybrooks] was like, ‘If you moved inside as the defensive tackle, you could be a force. I think you can make a lot of money up here.’

“I was kind of reluctant at first, but at that point, I just wanted to make a team. I got cut so much from the NFL, I just jumped in.”

Johnson has settled in on the defensive line over his decade-long CFL career and, despite a successful cameo on the offensive line, doesn’t have plans to make the switch permanent unless injuries come up again.

Both Godber and Fry are out for the rematch in Winnipeg on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET/ noon PT on CTV. Johnson didn’t say if he’ll suit up on both sides again, but is open to another cameo on the other side of the line. 

“It's obviously injuries,” he said. “I told the coaches. They know I'm available for them.”

Sewell, meanwhile, wishes he had gotten into action in 2017.

“I thought it would have been hilarious,” he said. “[My teammates] were like, ‘Now, you get to experience the bull rush.’”