The Roughriders' kicking crew might be the most unlikely duo in Grey Cup history
The Saskatchewan Roughriders go into Sunday's Grey Cup against Montreal with a punter plucked from a bar and a field goal kicker signed out a radio station this year.
Really.
A combination of poor punting and an injury to the field goal kicker created the need for replacements. Enter Eddie Johnson from a bar in Laguna Beach, CA and Warren Kean from a Calgary radio station, where he was selling advertising.
Because both kick balls for a living and by their very nature are considered odd—not unlike goalies—we provide you with some insight into the two.
"I was the only guy bartender, so I'm sure some good-looking chick probably filled right in," Johnson said recalling the call he received from Roughriders' general manager Brendan Taman. "My specialty was schmoozing. It was mostly a lot of excess shakes of the can. There was nothing even in there. I miss it, but this a lot of fun right now. You only get so many opportunities to play in the Grey Cup and this is awesome, so I'm happy to be here."
Johnson kicked around the National Football League for several years, failing to stay with any one team for any serious length of time. He was signed by the Argos last year as a rookie and made the season-opening roster, but separated a shoulder making a tackle on the opening kickoff.
He did not play another game and was cut before training camp this year.
He said at the time he received the call from the Riders in July he hadn't kicked in more than two months.
"I was cruising. I was coaching a young punter, maybe hitting one ball a week, just demonstrating tops, probably barefoot," he said. "I thought about (the Riders' call). I was tired from working all night. I said, 'Yeah, why not. Check it out.' It took me a few weeks to get used to the game. You've got to get into a rhythm with your punting. I just didn't want to pull anything the first week.’"
Looking ahead to Sunday, he said he would keep his hands warm tucking them in his wool hand warmer. When asked if he would party this week, he said: "That's incriminating."
He acknowledged he would probably "shake some hands and kiss some babies."
"I'm a professional," he insisted with a smirk. "I am a punter and let's face it, I don't have to be on top of things when it comes to plays, but I'm going to make sure I'm ready to go on Sunday."
As for Kean, he was a second overall draft pick of Edmonton in 2007, but was cut a year later.
He had a brief fling with Winnipeg in 2008.
He had been working out at McMahon Stadium keeping in shape and doing some kickoff work with the Stamps in practice. He always believed a call would come from a team. When Luca Congi suffered a serious injury in the team's 14th game, Johnson took over for a couple games before Kean was called.
"I don't mean to sound cocky or insincere in any way, but you always have to believe otherwise I wouldn't be out there kicking, doing my thing," he said. "Being a kicker in the CFL, you've got guys playing until their 40s. I'm 26. I had to believe at some time it would come up and I'd take advantage of the opportunity."
He was reminded of a kicker, David Miller-Johnston, who literally had several kicks with various teams before he quit. As it turns out, Miller-Johnston is Kean's mentor. Both attended Concordia in Montreal.
"DMJ is definitely an inspiration for me," Kean said. "I've definitely had a few conversations with him -- usually after I'm cut."
