Every game, don’t miss Barney Shynkaruk’s Behind the Facemask — a closer look at your favourite Saskatchewan Roughriders.
This week: new Roughriders defensive line coach Micah Johnson.
Barney Shynkaruk:
Okay, another edition of Behind the Facemask. Today, joining us — there he is, up at Griffiths Stadium — Micah Johnson.
Thanks for doing this, Micah.
Micah Johnson:
Hey Barney, thanks for having me.
Barney:
I’m going to start with the generic one off the top. How has the transition to coaching been?
Micah:
Well, it’s been a lot of fun. It’s definitely been a transition, just like you asked.
I’ve been embracing it. There have been a lot of changes for me, especially after playing professional football for 15, 16 years. This is the first time I’m kind of doing something different.
So for me, it’s been an adjustment, but I love it.
Barney:
Walk me through your day now. Are you putting in as much time as you did as a player? About the same? More?
Micah:
Way, way more than I thought for sure.
Definitely more than as a player. As players, our days are pretty scheduled. We’d be there for four or five hours, and then maybe I’d stay and get another lift or workout in.
But for the first time in my life, there were some days when we were here from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. That was definitely an adjustment.
Barney:
When did Micah Johnson decide, “I think I want to try coaching”?
Micah:
It’s been a few years now.
I’ve had conversations with Corey Mace for a long time about coaching. Conversations with Josh Bell, too.
For me, it just felt natural. I know more about football than anything else — I kind of feel like I’ve got my PhD in football.
I’ve always been good with people, so it felt like a seamless transition.
Barney:
Were you the leader growing up? The coach in the group?
Micah:
Not so much the coach, but I’ve always been a leader.
That’s not to say I was always a good leader. Especially in college, I could’ve been better.
But I’ve always been somebody people gravitated toward. When I became a pro, I wanted to become a better leader and a better leader of men.
I think that really came together around 2018 when I won the President’s Ring with Calgary. That kind of confirmed to me that I was doing a good job leading.
Barney:
Let’s take it back.
At Fort Campbell High School, you rushed for 2,543 yards and 46 touchdowns as a running back and had 293 tackles on defence.
Better running back or better linebacker?
Micah:
That’s a good one because a lot of people don’t know that.
I had a lot of offers to play tailback back in the day. I always thought I was a really good running back.
I played running back longer than linebacker.
That last year? I was rolling at running back for sure.
Barney:
Here’s one a lot of people might not know — in 2005, you were named Kentucky’s Mr. Football.
What did that mean to you?
Micah:
It was awesome.
My family had been living in Virginia, and my dad got deployed, so we moved down to Fort Campbell. I was new to the state.
I’d only been there for a year and only played football there for a year, so it was cool to move into the state and make that kind of impact.
Barney:
Some big names won that award, too.
Micah:
Yeah, you heard about those guys growing up.
To follow in those footsteps was awesome.
Barney:
I’ve heard you were a pretty good basketball player, too.
Micah:
Yes sir.
Basketball was my first love. I thought I was going to be a basketball player.
My freshman year, I was about 6-foot-1 and thought, “I’m going to grow to 6-foot-4 or 6-foot-5.”
But I stopped growing taller and just got wider.
Football kind of chose me.
Barney:
Do you still play?
Micah:
Oh yeah.
My son will be out there with his friends, and I’ll jump in and dominate the court a little bit.
Barney:
Then how come you didn’t show up in the coaches’ three-point challenge?
Micah:
That was for a reason.
Coach knew I would’ve torn the rim down and scorched everybody.
He wanted to make it fair.
I’m lights out from deep.
Barney:
Big basketball school — Kentucky Wildcats.
Why Kentucky?
Micah:
Family.
My dad was deployed for my whole senior year and part of my freshman year in college.
I wanted to make things easier on my mom. My older brother was playing football too.
It felt like the right family decision.
Barney:
When I look back at the 2010 Draft, I think, “This guy should’ve been drafted.”
How motivating was going undrafted?
Micah:
It was a huge motivator.
I performed at a high level, and it was disappointing.
But I was making mistakes back then, too. In a lot of ways, I got what I asked for.
Barney:
You spent time with the Giants, Dolphins, Chiefs, Bengals and Packers.
What stands out?
Micah:
The Giants cut me on my birthday, bro.
I’ll never forget that.
But making the 53-man roster with Miami was huge.
Our first game was against Buffalo — one of those experiences I’ll never forget.
Barney:
Then you come to the CFL and have the career you did.
Did you ever think the CFL could be a path back to the NFL?
Micah:
I did.
Especially after the 2017 and 2018 seasons, when I put up big numbers.
But I tore my ACL back-to-back in my first couple of years in the CFL.
I had conversations with NFL teams, but the knee history made things difficult.
Barney:
Last one.
What coach have you learned the most from — or maybe emulate now?
Micah:
Corey Mace.
Watching him go from player to coach to coordinator and seeing how fast he moved up — that’s always been inspirational to me.
He’s always been a great people person.
Barney:
Micah, thanks for doing this.
I had to do some research and go old school.
Micah:
The research was phenomenal.
Those Fort Campbell running back stats — a lot of people don’t know those.
Barney:
Thanks again.
Another edition of Behind the Facemask with Micah Johnson.
