Jeff Johnson (football player)
Encyclopedia
Jeff Johnson is a professional Canadian football
running back
currently playing with the Toronto Argonauts
of the Canadian Football League
.
in Toronto from 1996 to 1999. He was named the CIAU
’s outstanding rookie in 1996 and an Ontario University Athletics
First-Team All-Star in 1996, 1997, and 1999. He was a CIAU Second-Team All-Canadian in 1997 and 1999. In his final year at York, Johnson had 173 carries for 977 yards with five rush
ing touchdown
s, 11 reception
s for 133 yards and one touchdown, and 196 yards on 11 kickoff
returns.
Over his four-year York Lions
(York Yeomen at the time) career, Johnson had a total of 553 carries for 3,365 yards with 18 touchdowns rushing, 37 pass receptions for 436 yards with two touchdowns, and 28 kickoff returns for 776 yards and one touchdown. He went undrafted in the 2000 CFL Draft
but was signed as free agent
by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
on June 12, 2000.
In high-school, Johnson played at the prestigious Etobicoke Collegiate Institute, one of Toronto's oldest and largest high-schools, located in western Toronto. Playing tailback, Johnson led the Etobicoke Rams in offensive, and special teams yards throughought all six of his football seasons. In his final year at E.C.I. Johnson won the athlete of the year award and to this day holds the Ram's record for most total touchdowns scored throughout high-school.
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
currently playing with the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
.
Early years
Before playing in the CFL, Johnson starred at York UniversityYork University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
in Toronto from 1996 to 1999. He was named the CIAU
Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body of university sport in Canada, comprising the majority of degree granting universities in the country. Its equivalent body for organized sports at colleges in Canada is The Canadian Colleges Athletic Association...
’s outstanding rookie in 1996 and an Ontario University Athletics
Ontario University Athletics
Ontario University Athletics is a regional membership association for Canadian universities which assists in co-ordinating competition between their university level athletic programs and providing contact information, schedules, results, and releases about those programs and events to the public...
First-Team All-Star in 1996, 1997, and 1999. He was a CIAU Second-Team All-Canadian in 1997 and 1999. In his final year at York, Johnson had 173 carries for 977 yards with five rush
Rush (American football)
Rushing has two different meanings in gridiron football .-Offense:The first is an action taken by the offensive team that means to advance the ball by running, as opposed to passing. A run is technically any play that does not involve a forward pass...
ing touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s, 11 reception
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
s for 133 yards and one touchdown, and 196 yards on 11 kickoff
Kickoff (American football)
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in American football and Canadian football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team"...
returns.
Over his four-year York Lions
York Lions
The York Lions is the official name for the athletic varsity teams that represent York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The university's varsity teams compete in the Ontario University Athletics conference of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport and, where applicable, in the east division...
(York Yeomen at the time) career, Johnson had a total of 553 carries for 3,365 yards with 18 touchdowns rushing, 37 pass receptions for 436 yards with two touchdowns, and 28 kickoff returns for 776 yards and one touchdown. He went undrafted in the 2000 CFL Draft
2000 CFL Draft
The 2000 CFL Draft took place on April 18, 2000. From a list of 504 eligible CIS football players from Canadian universities and Canadian players in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, 46 players were chosen.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:...
but was signed as free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
on June 12, 2000.
In high-school, Johnson played at the prestigious Etobicoke Collegiate Institute, one of Toronto's oldest and largest high-schools, located in western Toronto. Playing tailback, Johnson led the Etobicoke Rams in offensive, and special teams yards throughought all six of his football seasons. In his final year at E.C.I. Johnson won the athlete of the year award and to this day holds the Ram's record for most total touchdowns scored throughout high-school.