Outstanding in his field

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/11/2009 (5808 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The football skills you know about. Jovon Johnson flashes a collection of talents that jump off the page every time he pulls on a Winnipeg Blue Bombers uniform.

He’s a shut-down cornerback with six interceptions and a solid open-field tackler. And after taking over the club’s kick-return chores, he is once again showcasing the same abilities that made him a star, and a legit NFL prospect, while at the University of Iowa.

What doesn’t always show up on game day or in the statistical summary are the skills that, in part, led to the 26-year-old Erie, Pa., product being named the Bombers Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Special Teams Player after voting was conducted by The Football Reporters of Canada. Namely, a fierce competitive nature, a confidence that borders on cocky and — most of all — a gritty resiliency that, perhaps not coincidentally, has become this team’s most obvious characteristic.

Johnson, you must understand, has been through hell and back over the last couple of years.

He lost an opportunity to suit up for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in their 2007 Grey Cup victory over the Bombers after a disagreement with then-head coach Kent Austin. And, tragically, he lost his 15-year-old brother DaQuan Crosby last summer when he was shot in his hometown.

This current season — the one filled with so much joy and accomplishment — is dedicated to DaQuan.

"Every time I go out on there on the field, in the back of my mind I’m always thinking of him," said Johnson. "Before and after every game I do a little prayer and give him all the glory. I know where my blessings come from and I know that he’s watching over me to make me a better player.

"I know that if he was still here he would want me to be successful."

Johnson, whose rights originally belonged to the Bombers, was shipped to the Riders in a swap of negotiation list prospects during the ’07 season. After his disagreement with Austin he resurfaced with the Bombers and was having a solid 2008 campaign when the tragedy involving his brother occurred.

Interestingly, what brought Johnson back to the game is what keeps him in Winnipeg — and may keep him here if he opts to re-sign this winter rather than test free agency or test the NFL — the support he gets from his other family: his teammates.

That may sound corny, but Johnson believes if he didn’t return to the Bombers after he lost his brother last year he may not be in their colours today.

"When I was at home going through that whole process, not only was I hurt, a lot of people expected so much from me… it was just a lot of pressure," Johnson said. "People started getting on my nerves… I just figured the best way for me to get through it would be with my teammates. That’s why I decided to come back so early.

"When I was at Iowa, nobody would have expected me to end up in the CFL and as the Most Outstanding Player on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. But I’m happy to be here right now. I wouldn’t want to be any place else."

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca