A visit with Riders’ offensive lineman Evan Johnson about his time with the U of S
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The always engaging Evan Johnson has a smile that gets a bit bigger, and eyes that light up a bit more, when he thinks back to his time with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. The Riders’ offensive lineman, who is entering his seventh CFL season, admits that practicing at Griffiths Stadium brings back a lot of memories.
“I love the facility and love the campus”, Johnson said. When asked about his time (2012-16) with the University of Saskatchewan, not only does the Regina product talk about friends such as Drew Digout, Julan Lynch and Mitch Hillis, but thinks about those in leadership positions that aided him in being a first round draft choice of the Ottawa RedBlacks in 2017.
Canadian Football Hall of Fame coaches Brian Towriss and Scott Flory come to mind as does Travis Serke. Serke was the Huskies’ offensive line coach for Johnson’s entire USports football career. “He was awesome”, stated Johnson. “He was a man that was loyal to us. He told us how it was and taught me a lot about what I know now.”
While Johnson never had the chance to play for a Vanier Cup or even a Canada West title in his time with the Huskies, he can relate to the University of Saskatchewan’s recent heartbreak of losing back-to-back Vanier Cup championship games. Johnson was a member of the 2018 Ottawa RedBlacks team that suffered a nine point loss to the Calgary Stampeders in the Grey Cup.
