Jeff Johnson (born February 28, 1977) is a former professional

Canadian football Canadian football () is a team sport, sport played 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 oval-shaped ball into the opposing team's sco ...

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...

who played for the

Hamilton Tiger-Cats The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Tim Hortons Fiel ...

and

Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based in Toronto, Ontario ...

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

(CFL).

Early years

In high-school, Johnson played at the

Etobicoke Collegiate Institute Etobicoke Collegiate Institute (ECI, Etobicoke CI), previously known as Etobicoke High School is a high school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the Islington neighbourhood of the former suburb of Etobicoke. It is overseen by the Toro ...

, one of Toronto's oldest high-schools, located in

Etobicoke Etobicoke (, ) is an administrative district of, and one of six municipalities amalgamated into, the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the city's west-end, Etobicoke was first settled by Europeans in the 1790s, and the municipalit ...

. He first played football in Grade 12 when he was asked to try out for the football team. Playing tailback, Johnson led the Etobicoke Rams in offensive, and special teams yards throughout his two 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. After high school, Johnson starred at

York University York University (french: Université York), also known as YorkU or simply YU, is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's fourth-largest university, and it has approximately 55,700 students, 7,0 ...

in Toronto from 1996 to 1999. He was named the CIAU’s outstanding rookie in 1996 and an

Ontario University Athletics Ontario University Athletics (OUA; french: Sports universitaires de l'Ontario) is a regional membership association for Canadian universities which assists in co-ordinating competition between their university level athletic programs and providin ...

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(es) may refer to: Places United States * Rush, Colorado * Rush, Kentucky * Rush, New York * Rush City, Minnesota * Rush Creek (Kishwaukee River tributary), Illinois * Rush Creek (Marin County, California), a stream * Rush Creek (Mono Cou ...

ing

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron 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. In Ameri ...

s, 11

reception Reception is a noun form of ''receiving'', or ''to receive'' something, such as art, experience, information, people, products, or vehicles. It may refer to: Astrology * Reception (astrology), when a planet is located in a sign ruled by another p ...

s for 133 yards and one touchdown, and 196 yards on 11

kickoff Kickoff or kick-off may refer to * Kick-off (association football) * Kickoff (gridiron football) * ''Kick Off'' (series), a series of computer association football games * ''Kick Off'' (album), a 1985 album by Onyanko Club * ''Kick Off'' (magaz ...

returns. Over his four-year

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 U Sports and, where applicable, ...

(York Yeomen at the time) career, Johnson had a total of 553 carries for 3,365 yards with 18

touchdowns A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether Rush (gridiron football), running, Forward pass, passing, returning a Kickoff (gridiron football), kickoff or Punt (gridiron football), punt, or recovering a Turno ...

rushing, 37 pass receptions for 436 yards with two touchdowns, and 28 kickoff returns for 776 yards and one touchdown. In 2017 he was inducted into th
York University Sport Hall of Fame
at the Dinner and Induction Ceremony, September 22, 2017. Fellow inductees included Peter Bedard (Tennis), Melanie Roach (Hockey), Greg Rolston (Hockey), Frank Cosentino (Football Coach and York University Administrator) and Patricia Murray (Coach Badminton and Swimming and York University Administrator). Jeff Johnson (BA '00) is one of the most decorated football players at York. He burst onto the scene in 1996, winning the Peter Gorman Trophy as CIS rookie of the year to become the first national major award winner in program history, and the Norm Marshall Trophy as OUA rookie of the year. He was honoured throughout his career at the conference and national levels, earning three OUA first-team all-star selections (1996, 1997, 1999) and two CIS second-team all-Canadian awards (1997, 1999). He holds the York record for most career rushing yards (3,358) and carries (553) and ranks third in yards per carry (6.1). Johnson signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as an undrafted free agent in 2000 and went on to a 14-year career in the CFL, spending two seasons in Hamilton and 12 in Toronto and winning a pair of Grey Cups with the Argonauts in 2004 and 2012.

Professional career

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Johnson went undrafted in the

2000 CFL Draft The 2000 CFL Draft took place on Tuesday, April 18, 2000. 46 players were chosen for Canadian Football League teams from among the 504 eligible CIAU football players from Canadian universities, as well as Canadian players playing in the NCAA. Of t ...

but was signed as

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

by the

on June 12, 2000.

Toronto Argonauts

On February 22, 2002, Johnson signed with the

as a free agent. On December 20, 2013, following his 14th season in the CFL, Johnson announced his retirement.

Sportscasting career

From 2011 to 2017, Johnson served as the colour analyst for the Toronto Argonauts radio broadcasts on

TSN 1050 CHUM is a Canadian radio station in Toronto, Ontario, broadcasting on 1050 kHz. The station is owned and operated by Bell Media. CHUM's studios are co-located with The Sports Network, TSN at 9 Channel Nine Court in the Agincourt, Toronto, A ...

alongside play-by-play voice

Mike Hogan Mike Hogan may refer to: * Mike Hogan (American football) (born 1954), former NFL running back * Mike Hogan (athlete) (born 1943), British Olympic hurdler * Mike Hogan (The Cranberries) (born 1973), member of Irish alternative rock band The Cranb ...

References

External links

Toronto Argonauts page

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Jeff 1977 births Living people Canadian Football League announcers Canadian football running backs Canadian radio sportscasters Hamilton Tiger-Cats players Players of Canadian football from Ontario Sportspeople from Toronto Toronto Argonauts players York Lions football players