Ex-Hawkeye Jovon Johnson gets big CFL honor

Jovon Johnson may have been an underrated cornerback when he played for Iowa from 2002 to 2005. He was first-team All-Big Ten as a senior, but wasn't selected in the 2006 NFL draft. He did play for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2006 season, but only on special teams.

Johnson had 17 career interceptions, one less than the Iowa career co-leaders, Nile Kinnick and Devon Mitchell. Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said Johnson had a knack for getting a pick in every practice.

Well, the native of Erie, Pa., has carved out a very nice career in the Canadian Football League, and just gets better. He had a league-best eight interceptions this season for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and returned two for touchdowns. He knocked down five other passes. He not only became a CFL Eastern All-Star for the third-straight year, but was named the Eastern's Defensive Player of the Year. Later this month, it will be determined if Johnson or linebacker Jerrell Freeman of Saskatchewan will be the league's Defensive Player of the Year.

Winnipeg hosts the Hamilton Tiger-Cats next Sunday in the Eastern title game.

Former Iowa quarterback Drew Tate's season ended Sunday when his Calgary Stampeders

lost to the Edmonton Eskimos in a first-round playoff game. It was Tate's first loss as a starter after quarterbacking the Stampeders to wins in their last three regular-season games.