Fearless Johnson hits holes fast, hard

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This article was published 05/10/2009 (5844 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

THE Winnipeg Blue Bombers have discovered the CFL equivalent of the NBA’s Allen Iverson.

The Bombers have The Answer to their previously punchless return game in Jovon Johnson — a fearless speedster who hits the holes fast and hard.

Johnson’s 118-yard missed field-goal return for a touchdown in last Friday’s 27-17 win over the Edmonton Eskimos was arguably the biggest play of the season to date for the Bombers and it officially signified the arrival of the former Iowa Hawkeyes standout as a playmaker in the CFL.

Johnson had been gaining confidence for several weeks and had been hinting he was ready to pop the lid off his game. Maybe an interception return for a touchdown from his cornerback position or perhaps a punt or kick return for a major seemed to be in the offing.

Johnson ended the guessing with his third-quarter game-changing romp against the Esks but it didn’t come as a surprise to special teams coach Rick Campbell.

“Jovon hits the seam at full speed. We knew we could get a touchdown on a return, we just needed the right kick,” said Campbell. “The missed field goal return in the CFL is the biggest play because it’s 10 points. They miss the field goal and you run one back and it’s tough to recover from. We’ve talked about that since Day 1 of training camp with the special teams guys — that if we could return one of these in a game we’d probably win.”

Indeed, the Bombers led 13-10 when Edmonton’s Noel Prefontaine missed a kick that would have tied the game. When the play was over and Johnson found himself in the end zone, the score had shot up to 20-10 (including convert) in Winnipeg’s favour and they never relinquished that lead.

“Our special teams have done a great job all year. When you sign a contract to play football you sign it to play defensive back or receiver or linebacker. You don’t sign up to be a guard on the punt team,” said Campbell. “It gives you an insight into what football players are all about. They work hard on special teams, to be good players and to help their team and not to get recognition. But they get recognition from our team and our coaches.

“Jovon is fast but he’s fearless. A returner can’t be nervous and be a dancer. That’s what we sell our blockers on with Jovon, if you can just get a body on a body and create some kind of seam, he’ll find the crack,” said Campbell.

Missed field goal returns hold an advantage for the non-kicking team.

“The way I was taught this game, you expect to score on a missed field goal. It’s a mismatch. They have big offensive lineman on the field that have to try and cover a kick,” said Campbell.

Blue Bombers special teams ace Shawn Gallant had five tackles on Friday night and none came in defensive situations. Gallant says the Bombers have been getting results from their kick return and coverage units for some time.

“Sometimes it’s hard to see, but an eight extra yards every time you return a kick adds up over a game,” said Gallant. “It makes a difference. To get a big play like Jovon’s, it’s something we’ve been looking for. Once you get one, you start thinking about getting more.

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca