‘Hard to believe it’s over’: Micah Johnson retires as player, joins Roughriders’ coaching staff

Defensive lineman Micah Johnson is retiring after 12 CFL seasons and begins his new role as the Riders D-line coach. Donovan Maess has more.

Longtime defensive lineman Micah Johnson is calling it a career following 12 seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and three Grey Cup titles.

“The competitor in me is almost like, ‘Man, what? You can still go ball,’” Johnson joked at a press conference Monday. “It’s hard to believe it’s over. I’ve identified as a football player my whole life.”

Johnson came out of the University of Kentucky with aspirations to crack a National Football League (NFL) roster with the Miami Dolphins.

“From college to how down I was getting cut from three or four NFL teams there, I [thought] my football career is over,” he reflected. “I hadn’t really heard much about the CFL at that point.”

“I decided to [go] to Calgary and it was one of the best decisions I made,” Johnson added.

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What a decision it was.

Joining the Stampeders in 2013 was the start of what became a Canadian Football Hall of Fame-calibre career for Johnson.

Johnson developed into one of the league’s premier defensive tackles over his six seasons with the club. Over his 81 games in Calgary Johnson played a key role in several Grey Cup runs, including wins in 2014 and 2018.

In 2019 Johnson made his way to Saskatchewan as a free agent, where he would play 80 games with the Green and White over five seasons.

Johnson spent the 2022 season with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats where he appeared in 16 regular season games.

All told, Johnson retires having played in 178 regular seasons games across three teams, totalling 309 defensive tackles and 71 sacks.

Last season, Johnson defied age and became the first 37-year-old defensive player in league history to earn All-CFL distinction. He registered six sacks for the second consecutive season while anchoring one of the league’s most formidable run defences, adding 20 defensive tackles.

“I couldn’t have done it without even the support from my family,” he said. “My mom, dad, brothers, aunts, uncles. I just had enormous amount of support ever since I came up here.”

“When I left Calgary, [Saskatchewan] was only one place I wanted to come. It’s a top-class organization, top-class facility. And, most importantly, top-class people. We have the best fans in the world and I was just blessed to be a part of that,” Johnson added.

He ended his playing career with a win in the 112th Grey Cup for the Riders – his third Grey Cup championship.

“When I left the field last, I didn’t have intentions I was done playing,” Johnson admitted. “I was starting to get the feeling I was getting behind in my next phase of my life by still hanging on to the football.”

Johnson says he has no regrets about making the decision to retire but had one wish he hoped could have happened.

“I wish I could talk to [my dad] in this moment,” he said. “He was instrumental to me coming up to the CFL. When I was down there in the dumps, he was the one that told me to go jump off the ship, ‘The CFL has a Hall of Fame, too.’”

One chapter closes, another opens

With the ending of one chapter, another one is beginning for the 37-year-old.

“We’re here today to announce [Johnson] will remain with the Roughriders as he begins his next chapter as our team’s defensive line coach,” team VP of football operations and general manager Jeremy O’Day said. “Thanks for all that you’ve done for our team. We’re looking forward to working with you, as you start your next chapter.”

“[You] are one of the most respected interior defensive linemen in his era and in my mind, a future CFL Hall of Famer,” he added.

Johnson said transitioning to the role is something which has been on his mind for a long time.

“That transition is not something you fear, especially players who have played as long as I have,” he said. “I was just blessed to be able to have a smooth transition like this into the next phase of my career.”

Riders’ head coach Corey Mace said Johnson is ready to slide into the role.

“There’s a lot of knowledge in there, man,” Mace said about his new colleague. “He [was] excellent with his teammates, he garners a lot of respect in that locker room – certainly the defensive line room."

“Few coaches have those intangibles to transition from player to coach,” he added.

Johnson feels the past few seasons have been a training ground for his coaching career.

With so much pro experience under his belt, Johnson says he often found himself in a mentorship role for younger players – and hopes that does not change.

“I was constantly teaching, constantly grabbing the younger guys, showing and teaching things,” he said. “It was always kind of playing that position as a vet in the room where you kind of got to be a coach.”

A unique connection

The transition from player to coach with the same organization is a similar path which Mace took himself following the 2014 season when he retired with Calgary to become the team’s defensive line coach – a team Johnson played on.

“It’s hard. There is a line you have to draw in the sand,” Mace said. “And having the guys understand he’s got a job to do. But having those relationships and those guys having the respect and understanding I don’t think will be an issue.”

As former teammates turned player-coach and now colleagues, Mace and Johnson have a unique bond.

Mace’s playing career was nearing its end when Johnson first arrived in Calgary – allowing the veteran defensive lineman to take the rookie under his wing.

From there, the relationship flourished and continued to grow. Mace’s son is even named ‘Micah’ after his close friend.

“To be around the game, the energy, the passion, everything he’s learned along his journey is invaluable stuff to be able to give to to our players,” Mace said about Johnson. We’re lucky to have that experience. We already know where each other stands on lot of stuff. But just being able to pick his brain.”

“And I know players, when you’re out there and you get the game plan and it’s like, ‘Man, I feel like we should do this.’ You’re going to have your opportunities speak now. We’ll see. So I can’t wait,” he added.

Mace says the remainder of the Riders’ coaching staff is being finalized heading into new year. He added further announcements regarding coaches may be made this week.