When Jamal Peters arrived at Argo camp in 2021 nobody knew who he was. Likewise, Qwan’Tez Stiggers was just a curiosity when he showed up last year, a player from a gadget league with no college experience and a unique name.
The pair became stars before leaving the Argo fold this off-season; one for the NFL, the other for a city where Grey Cup dreams go to die.
The departures left an opening at one cornerback position, with veteran Tarvarus McFadden expected to man the other. Surprisingly to most, McFadden was among the team’s final cuts, a casualty of the outstanding play of some of the incoming talent.
When the dust of training camp settled, a pair of those players, Benjie Franklin and Leonard Johnson, had claimed the two starting spots at cornerback.
Franklin is the more familiar of the two to Argo fans, but not by much. He signed with the Argos last September and got into just one game, the season finale in Ottawa. It was a chance for him to show off his skills and he took full advantage of the opportunity, intercepting a pass and recovering a fumble. He picked up a loose ball and showed off his speed – perhaps his most distinctive trait – with a 34-yard return.
“It gave me a great boost,” Franklin told Argonauts.ca, reflecting on that game. “Once I finally got that notice that it was time for me to play it was like a dream come true. Finally getting to play with the guys, it was fun.”
It whet the Houston native’s appetite, but it didn’t completely sell him on heading north. He explored other options in other leagues, but when it came time to decide about 2024, he opted to come back to Canada.
The job openings created by the departure of Stiggers and Peters added to the excitement of getting back on the field with the Argos.
“Once I found out, it was a great opportunity for me, to come back and try to make a statement that I can really play corner here,” he said. “Once I got that opportunity, I was really ready to show them what I can do and make the best of my opportunity.”
He did just that and was rewarded with one of the two vacated starting spots, as was Leonard Johnson. His road to Toronto is a bit more complicated than Franklin’s.
The Duke star was ready to head to the NFL. He had the size, strength, and talent to be drafted, but his lifelong dream was ruined when he suffered a knee injury just before the NFL draft. He would not hear his name called from the podium and needed to rehab his knee just to get a look see the next year.
The New York Giants gave him a chance by signing him, but things didn’t work out. After being released, he opted to head to Canada to play pro, signing with the Argos just after the conclusion of the ’23 CFL season.
He approached his first experience in Canada with some caution, but his talent quickly became evident.
“At first I thought I’d get my feet wet a little,” he told Argonauts.ca. “But we were just competing with the other corners when I got here. I guess me and Benjie were the top guys, so they just stuck with us.”
He impressed from the get-go. Several of the new players flashed, but Johnson was constantly making plays during training camp, confirming his ability by playing well in the pre-season games. It earned him the starting job, which has allowed him to set goals for himself.
“Winning the Grey Cup,” he said without hesitation. “Personal goals? The first thing is being there for my teammates, just being competitive, but one personal goal is leading the league in interceptions,” he said with a huge smile. “That just comes with playing hard.”
The Hayden, Alabama native is listed at 6’0”, 194 pounds but seems bigger, both on the field and when standing next to him. When asked to give a scouting report on Johnson, the first thing Franklin noted was his stature.
“He’s a big, physical corner,” said Franklin of Johnson. “I think he can get down there and make plays and throw himself in there whenever it’s time to make plays. I think he’s a great dude and he’ll be a great corner for us.”
Johnson was asked to turn the tables and break down Franklin’s game for fans who don’t know much about him.
“I don’t know if you know this, but he runs a 4.3 40,” said the player turned scout. “He’s really fast. He gets in and out of his breaks really quick. He’s just always around the ball and finds ways to make plays on the ball. That’s Benjie.”
If Argo fans had one concern about this year’s defence, most of that attention would be on the two starting cornerback spots. The low profile newcomers are looking to ease those worries and become as well known as their predecessors.