In his second season with the Stampeders and just his fourth season of organized football, Johnny Forzani has made tremendous strides. After making just three catches in an injury-shortened rookie season, the 22-year-old Calgary native already has 19 receptions in 2011.

Forzani recently sat down with Stampeders.com to talk about the current season, his determination to keep improving and dealing with the pros and cons of playing for the franchise for which his father Tom, uncles John and Joe and godfather John Hufnagel all played.

Stampeders.com: Let’s start out with a very general question — how would you describe your situation right now in your football career?

Johnny Forzani: That’s a broad question that can be answered many ways. For this being the fourth football season of my life — ever — I think I’m on a pretty good track. I think I have to continue to get better every day because of the fact I didn’t play football until I was 19. I have to make up for lost time. I work at it and I think I’m on the right track.

Stampeders.com: For outside people who only check on you once in a while, it may seem like your progression has been very dramatic. For you, it might be more gradual because you’re working at it every day. Have you had a chance to step back and realize how far you’ve come so quickly?

Johnny Forzani: No, because I don’t ever want to get complacent. Even if I’ve made a couple of plays this year, it’s not anything to be over-excited about. It is what it is and I’ve just got to keep getting better every day. That’s all I’m really worried about doing. I don’t sit back and think, “Wow, this is only my fourth season. Some guys when they’re in their fourth season of football, they’re 10 years old.” I do find myself wondering every once in a while how often someone with only four months of football experience was able to get a Division-1 scholarship. But mostly I just feel that I’m lucky that I’m in position. Well, not lucky because I’ve worked hard at sports my whole life, but I’m very grateful and I’m not complacent at all. And I don’t think I ever will be because I want to keep getting better.

Stampeders. com: Any second-year pro is still going through his education about the game, especially a second-year pro with a limited background in football. Can you give us an example of some of things you’re learning every day?

Johnny Forzani: When Dave (Dickenson), Pete (Costanza) or Huff are talking, they’re talking to a room of guys who have played at the highest level forever. They don’t have to explain anything in depth because it’s like walking to them. Sometimes the terminology is such that anyone who has been playing football for a long time understands it easily but I’ll be like, “Wait, what does that mean?” Maybe that was more last year for me. It just comes with experience. The more you play, the more you play anything, it just becomes second nature. But it takes a long time to get to that stage where you line up and execute every time. That’s what the expect out of you and that’s what you have to do. I think that’s the hardest part about professional football. It’s not the physical part because you wouldn’t be on the field if you didn’t have the physical attributes and athleticism, but what separates the really good players from the guys who are just alright is the mental ability. Look at Nik. Nik will be a head coach some day because he knows the game inside and out. He’s a very good athlete, he’s strong and he’s hard to tackle, but some people he doesn’t look like a classic stud receiver — tall and fast. But that just goes to show you how important the mental aspect of the game is. I think being smart on football outweighs being talented and athletic. It’s the guys who have both who are the real superstars and are getting paid $15 million a year.

Stampeders. com: If you could go back and visit the Johnny Forzani who was at rookie camp with the Stampeders last year, what advice would you give him?

Johnny Forzani: Shut up! (Laughs) That’s a really tough question. I don’t really know if I would say anything. My mindset then was still the same as it is now. I wanted to be great but I was just moving too quick. I probably thought it was going to be easier than it really was. Not that I thought it was going to be very easy, but I just thought I would make the transition. Playing in the Pac-10 that one season, you’re playing against USC, Oregon, Cal, Stanford, Arizona . . . major, major schools. So you think, “OK, I’ve played at a high level.” But this (the CFL) is a way, way higher tempo than major Division-1 football. The speed, the tempo and the general understanding of your assignments have to be so much higher. They do not like it when you mess up mentally and that’s my main focus. I’m doing a little extra homework and really trying to lock in. I’m healthy, which is a huge advantage over last year when I missed nine weeks.

Stampeders. com: Do you find that you have to balance not getting frustrated by the reality of limited football experience with not using it as an excuse?

Johnny Forzani: That excuse period is over. It ended probably two or three weeks ago. I’ve started eight games now including the pre-season. The physical stuff is there, the coaches have the faith in my capabilities. Yeah, I’m still young but I don’t want to use that as an excuse. It’s time to mature. Why can’t I mature faster? I’ve made it this far and I have to keep taking, not baby steps, but big steps every week. Not that I want to put too much pressure on myself, and I don’t want to force it, but I really care about this and I want to do well. It’s very important for me.

Stampeders. com: When the Stampeders took you in the supplemental draft, you obviously had certain thoughts and feelings about playing for your hometown team and the franchise that has retired your father’s number. Have your feelings in that regard evolved at all since then?

Johnny Forzani: It sucked at first, I’m not going to lie. It was non-stop, every single thing during my first year. Some people weren’t sure if I deserved to be here and I had to prove myself. I think where I did most of my proving last year was on scout team going up against the No. 1 defence because I was doing so well. Anytime I dealt with the media, they always asked me about my dad, my uncle, about Huff. That comes with the territory and I understand that, but being a younger guy, it was a lot to deal with and it meant added pressure. And there still is added pressure because that retired jersey isn’t going anywhere. That’s why I work that much harder. I have to prove myself, not necessarily to other people, but to myself. All you can do is to try and carry the name as best as you can. I can’t worry about what they did. I have to concentrate on what I
need to do.

Stampeders. com: Do you think that instead of living in the shadow of the family legacy, you’ll be able to get to the point where you feel you’re simply adding to it?

Johnny Forzani: Yeah, absolutely. I have an opportunity now that I can do some positive things and I’m trying to take advantage of it the best I can. It’s all about consistency and getting better each week, like I said earlier. So right now I’m just trying to get better this week against Saskatchewan.

Stampeders. com: This a team with veteran receivers such as Nik Lewis, Ken-Yon Rambo, Romby Bryant and Arjei Franklin and younger guys such as yourself and Anthony Parker. What’s the dynamic like between the two groups?

Johnny Forzani: We’re like a really tight-knit family. Honestly. We love each other. We all get along so well. We live in the same building and we’re really tight. We’ve been together for a while now because remember when I was playing with the Calgary Colts, I was practising with the Stamps every day. So I’ve been around Nik and Ram for three years and we’ve definitely developed a good relationship. Nik and Ram have been together forever, Romby is the outsider but he’s funny and we all love him — Rom is the man. We’ve got a wide variety of characters and we all get along. I think it’s something special, especially with Pete and Dave coaching us. I think this group has helped me a lot. They’re not scared to call guys out, which is good. If you’re messing up, they’re going to call you on it and they’re going to expect you to be better.

Stampeders.com: The team is 4-2, has just won a home and seems to be headed in the right direction. What’s it like to be a football player in this town right now, especially when it’s your hometown?

Johnny Forzani: It’s going to be exciting. I can’t wait to see how it plays out because we’re starting to click. We’re definitely starting to click. When we get rolling and when we get all our guys healthy, we’re going to start a nice run here. It’s one game at a time but we’re going to get the city fired up and it’s going to be a great season, I think. We have a great shot to do some great stuff this year.