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On Friday, two months after Chad Johnson signed with the CFL's Montreal Alouettes, the former NFL wide receiver made his preseason debut. He caught a 13-yard pass on the first play from scrimmage against the Ottawa RedBlacks ... and that was it. Johnson's quarterback: former Ohio State Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, who made NFL stops with the Ravens and 49ers.
The exhibition game was played before 18,141 fans who watched the RedBlacks down the Alouettes 26-10.
Before the game, Johnson, who last played in a meaningful NFL contest in 2011 with the Patriots, explained his mindset ahead of his CFL debut.
"It's similar to the feeling before I lost my virginity," he said, via the Montreal Gazette. "There's a certain level of excitement ... anticipation ... not knowing what's going to happen or what I'm going to get."
As for the differences between the NFL and CFL, Johnson says it's not as big as casual observers might think.
"Yes, there's a difference. But not that much. Some of these boys down here belong at the next level. For whatever reason, they're not there. This ain't a joke. If I have to be the voice of reason to let the States know ... man, there's nothing wrong to coming up here."
One of those players: Duron Carter, Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter's son who is now Johnson's teammate in Montreal. CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora wrote about Carter shortly after Johnson signed to play in the CFL.
