Johnson grateful for second chance

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This article was published 11/10/2016 (3287 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BRUCE Johnson is happy the Winnipeg Blue Bombers didn’t throw him to the wolves.

Johnson was handed a two-game suspension Friday for violating the CFL’s drug policy after testing positive for Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA for short), a recreational psychedelic amphetamine.

The 28-year-old defensive back faced the music Tuesday afternoon following the Bombers’ first practice of the week ahead of their matchup with the B.C. Lions — the second game of Johnson’s two-game ban.

“They’ve been very supportive. It means a lot. They have my back,” Johnson said of his teammates and the club’s coaching staff. “I’ve been talking with a lot of guys and everyone is getting through this with me.”

Johnson wouldn’t delve into specifics of how the drug got into his system, but said it was a “messed-up situation” and he was shocked when he heard the news.

“(I’m) just very apologetic about this,” Johnson said, echoing the statements made in a release from the club on Friday afternoon. “I talked to my coaches and my teammates. We’re all of one accord, so we’re just trying to move on and hopefully get a home playoff game.

“Everything is unintentional. Like I told my teammates this week, be careful what you do around here and be cognizant of what you do and everyone should watch out for each other.”

Johnson chose not to appeal his suspension.

The league leaves it up to the team whether a player suspended under the drug policy can practise and attend team meetings.

Johnson was on the field Tuesday.

“I know he’s going to be better,” said head coach Mike O’Shea.

The Bombers field general told the media he didn’t demand to know how Johnson came in contact with the drug, saying he only asked if Johnson needed addittional support from the club off the field.

“I don’t think it’s a serious issue with Bruce Johnson,” O’Shea said.

Supporting Johnson is the only thing that makes sense to O’Shea, a former player.

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“He’s losing a couple paycheques, which amounts to a fair dollar figure,” O’Shea said. “He’s out here supporting his teammates on the field. We have no way of keeping him here on suspension. We got a bye week coming up. He could be gone, but he’s out there on the practice field taking reps so guys can get a rest on a short week.

“It’s important that we follow the guidelines from the CFL. He’s being punished and the conversation with the team is just that… it’s not meant for public consumption.”

Drug testing in the CFL is conducted on a random basis. Once a player is caught, however, that player is then subjected to mandatory testing.

The first offence results in a two-game suspension, the second means nine games, or half a season, and the third is a full one-year ban. If a fourth positive test is to occur, a lifetime ban is issued.

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @scottbilleck

Scott Billeck
Reporter

Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade’s worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024.  Read more about Scott.

Every piece of reporting Scott produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.