Micah Johnson wants to play at least one more CFL season (but only for Saskatchewan Roughriders)

Veteran defensive lineman Micah Johnson has yet to show any signs of slowing down at the age of 37, earning a second-straight All-CFL selection this year. It’s only fitting that he wants to play at least one more season — and do so in Green and White.

“I know for sure I want to play another year. After next year, I want to see how my body’s feeling and see how everything is,” Johnson told 3DownNation on Wednesday. “I feel like at this point, (my career’s) gotta be here (with Saskatchewan). It’s gotta be here.”

The six-foot-two, 255-pound defender recorded 20 defensive tackles and six sacks this season, marking his fourth-straight season with at least five sacks.

Saskatchewan is a perfect fit for the veteran given his close ties to head coach Corey Mace. Johnson and Mace were teammates with the Calgary Stampeders for three seasons, then Mace became the team’s defensive line coach. Johnson left for Saskatchewan in free agency three years later but the two have always shared a strong bond.

“Watching (Mace) grow, his transition has been huge. It’s a lot of the qualities that he showed back early when I was playing with him, it’s like, ‘You know this guy could be a coach.’ Mace would run our 8:30 meetings, he would run meetings after practice, tell everybody what to do,” said Johnson.

“He was always that voice, so you knew the transition would be seamless. For me, I’m just so happy to see the opportunities he’s gotten and continue to climb because it was something that we saw a long time ago. It wasn’t shocking to anybody the success that he’s having. It just seemed like it happened so fast.”

Johnson will turn 38 in June but is continuing to build a Canadian Football Hall of Fame resumé. He has recorded 309 defensive tackles, 71 sacks, six forced fumbles, and two interceptions over 178 regular-season CFL games, 80 of which have come with the Roughriders, earning five All-CFL selections and eight divisional All-CFL selections.

The native of Columbus, Ga. has changed the way he prepares for the season, which he feels has contributed to his longevity.

“I work hard. I don’t ever really give myself an offseason — two, three weeks after the season I’m right back working out, right back grinding. I take that serious, I take my nutrition serious,” said Johnson.

“The way I lift is a little different now. I’m not gonna get any stronger, I don’t think, so I’m not benching 405 or 450 (pounds) every day, or trying to squat 600 pounds every day. For me, I had to bring more functionality in it, more movement in it, and I think that’s why I’m able to still move well and still got some fluidity with my movements.”

Another strong resource for Johnson has been franchise quarterback Trevor Harris, who is two years his senior.

“Trevor is a good source for me. He’s like an encyclopedia when it comes to the body and how it works and different things you can do. With him being a few years in front of me, he’s always ahead, so I always ask Trevor,” said Johnson. “It’s crazy because I don’t see (my age) as big of a deal as it is on the outside.”

The Saskatchewan Roughriders (13-6) and Montreal Alouettes (12-8) will meet in the 112th Grey Cup at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg on Sunday, November 16 with kickoff scheduled for 6:00 p.m. EST.

The Alouettes defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East Final by a score of 19-16, while the Roughriders came back to defeat the B.C. Lions in the West Final by a score of 24-21. The teams split their two regular-season meetings, though Montreal franchise quarterback Davis Alexander missed both games due to a hamstring injury.

The weather forecast in Winnipeg calls for a high of two degrees with a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN, CTV, and RDS in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally.

This marks the fifth time the Grey Cup will be played in Winnipeg and the second time it will be hosted at Princess Auto Stadium. The venue’s first Grey Cup was held in 2015 when the Edmonton Football Team defeated the Ottawa Redblacks by a score of 26-20 and Michael Reilly was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.

Click here to read article