Courtesy Calgary Herald:

It took Tim Johnson all of six days to make an impact in the Calgary Stampeders’ lineup.

The veteran middle linebacker, signed by the Stamps on Aug. 22, suited up for his first CFL game last Friday in Toronto and promptly led the defence with six tackles.

Almost like he’d been here since Day 1.

“Yeah, it was really quick,” nodded the 31-year-old Johnson. “I had to get in here and get acclimated and get ready to play. It was an experience.”

It has been, in fact, a couple of years since he’s experienced a game situation. After being released by Baltimore Ravens, he has been itching to hook up with a professional squad to ply his trade once again.

“That was my first tackle at game time; my body didn’t say anything to me until afterward,” Johnson smiled. “I was good until we got done and I was like, ‘Wow, this is like the first day of training camp.’ That’s probably why you saw a little rust here and there. But we’ll get better with tackling and hitting again.”

An NFL veteran who also spent time with the Chicago Bears and Oakland Raiders, the 6-foot-0, 245-pounder out of Fairfield, Ala., did begin to wonder whether his playing days were over, what with the dearth of offers.

“Pretty much,” he confessed. “It’s a long wait. A lot of workouts and no calls. But I always had faith I’d be playing football somewhere. The CFL was always a good option for us and when the time came, I was here. I was excited to be back on the football field.

“I’ve been working out, not a lot of football work, a lot of strength training, running, trying to stay in shape waiting on a call. I had four or five workouts with NFL teams and I was ready to go to NFL camp; instead I came to Canada.”

The Canadian game as opposed to the American one?

“It was still football,” Johnson shrugged. “It’s a lot of excitement, a lot of offence, a lot of passing. It seems a lot more fun.”

Most important, the newcomer received passing grades from head coach and GM John Hufnagel.

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