Micah Johnson talks defensive success under new defensive coordinator Rich Stubler, his favourite go-to teammates, Edmonton quarterback Mike Reilly and his rehab process following last year’s injury.

How have you seen the defence come together since Day 1 of training camp and how has Rich Stubler made a difference for the Stampeders this year?

It’s been consistent growth, especially from the first day of camp. Everybody believes in the defence. Stube just seems like he has a number on offences right now and we’re always a step ahead. Everyone is believing, so it’s all coming together beautifully and I think the best part about it is we can still get better.

Your defence has given up just one touchdown in three games. Have you ever seen anything like that before?

No, definitely not at the professional level. Down in the NFL, I haven’t seen that. It’s real rare. I think the big thing is how close everyone is on defence – the camaraderie. I think that makes it easier to play with everyone. Everyone believes in the guy playing beside him and believes in the scheme. I know that sounds super cliché because that’s what everybody is supposed to say, but I think that’s why we’ve only given up one touchdown at this point.

Do you have a go-to guy on defence?

When I’m playing, I’m talking to Corey Mace pretty much the whole game. Mace is real knowledgeable and this is only my second year playing D-line so I get a lot of tips from Mace. I also feed off of Charleston Hughes’ energy. Mace makes sure I’m in the right plays in the playbook and Charleston is just pure energy. He’s out there screaming and yelling the whole time, so it’s easy to feed off.

Mike Reilly likes to use his feet. What challenges does that present to you on defence heading into Edmonton this week?

Reilly is a guy like (Hamilton QB) Jeremiah Masoli. He can use his feet and he can really throw. It’s not a thing where he has to use his legs to win. He really can make all the throws on the field. It’s just a plus how athletic he is. He’s a bigger, stronger guy. Watching film, guys are getting their hands on him but just can’t bring him down and then it turns into a 15, 20-yard scramble. It’s awkward to say, but for him you’ve really got to slow down because you’re probably going to miss when you’re going full tilt at him. He’s such a big guy — I think he’s carrying around 220 or 230 pounds. That’s the difference with Reilly. He’s going to take what the defence gives him.

Does Reilly remind you of any quarterback you’ve ever play with or against?

His strength when he’s in the pocket and how he’s breaking tackles, he looks like Ben Roethlisberger, honestly, with his break-tackle ability. He’s extending plays right now. There are improv plays on top of that. A lot of the things he’s doing right now aren’t drawn up by design, he’s just taking that weight upon himself. He just reminds me of Ben a lot when he runs the ball because he’s the quarterback that’s not sliding. He’s leaning forward to get every first down and every yard. He’s not stepping out of bounds, he’s cutting back into the field. His personality is, ‘We have to win and I’ll take it on my shoulders completely.’ He wants the pressure on him and he wants to be the one to come through.

What has progress been like on the injury you suffered last year?

It’s come along great. I had rehab with the Atlanta Falcons at their rehab facility in Atlanta in the off-season. My personal trainer was Justin Thomas and I was with him three or four times a week constantly working. Everything really just fell into place. The first day at Stampeders camp I was cleared 100 per cent medically but we just took it step by step so we wouldn’t have any setbacks and I would have the ability to be peaking at this point in the season. Right now it still feels different. It definitely doesn’t feel like my right knee, but all the hard work at this point has paid off because there’s really no fatigue. There’s nothing I’m worrying about. I think all of the training in the off-season and all the work that me and Justin Thomas put in just built in a lot of confidence early. We were always pushing the envelope for this moment.