Twins have a truly unique and special relationship. It’s hard to imagine a closer familial bond than that of twins. They often spend every waking moment together and some twins even claim to have telepathic abilities. Based on this logic, it is understandable why the past month has been so strange for Jordan Herdman.
The Winnipeg, MB product is the twin brother of Toronto Argonauts’ linebacker, Justin Herdman. They both played next to each other from birth all the way through college at Simon Fraser University. The twin linebackers were both even drafted in the same round of the 2017 CFL Draft, just six picks apart. However, now they find themselves separated by over 3,000 kilometres.
Thankfully, the twins will have a chance to reconnect this weekend when the Lions battle the Argos at BMO Field in Toronto. “It’s definitely going to be really good to see [Justin],” said Herdman on his chance to reunite with his brother. “I haven’t seen him for a while due to training camps, so it’s exciting to go see him. It’s been different for sure, because we’ve been together our whole lives pretty much and we do everything together. Being separate is kind of weird, but we’re both going on our path and it will be great to see where it all ends up.”
It is rare to find a more decorated collegiate athlete than Jordan Herdman. The hard hitting linebacker thrilled fans on the football field and excelled as a student in the halls of SFU. Herdman was twice named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He basically rewrote the GNAC record book during his four-year career, setting new conference records for tackles (428) and assisted tackles (223). Herdman also established the single game conference record for total tackles with 26 and solo stops with 17. He was named a member of the Division II All-America second team in each of his final two years.
Herdman’s exceptional work ethic on the field was matched only by the effort he put into his studies. He majored in biomedical physiology at SFU, registering a 3.90 GPA. As you would expect with grades like that, Jordan earned a spot on the GNAC All-Academic Team in three consecutive seasons.
The 22-year-old listed winning the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year Award two years in a row as his proudest moment in college. “The second time was good, the first was good too,” Jordan said with a chuckle. “That was definitely my favourite football moment at SFU.”
Following his stellar collegiate career, Herdman was invited to participate in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, AL. He was the first SFU alum to ever appear in the prestigious American college all-star game. It is exceedingly rare for a Canadian college football player to earn a spot at the Senior Bowl.
“My agent sent my film to the guy that runs the Senior Bowl and they sent a scout out to work me out,” said Herdman on the process of getting invited to the event. “They really liked what I did and they really liked me on film, so they invited me to go. I was really excited, it was a dream of mine to play in that game and it was an amazing experience.”
Prior to being selected by the Lions in round seven of this year’s CFL Draft, Herdman was invited to participate in a pair of NFL rookie mini camps. The first was with the Kansas City Chiefs and the second was with the Detroit Lions. Despite not being able to stick down south, Jordan still was able to take a lot of positives away from the camps.
“Definitely a great experience,” was how Herdman described his time with the Chiefs and Lions. “It was great to work with the linebacker coaches they had there, I soaked up all the knowledge I could and I competed. But I’m happy to be in BC, I feel like this is a great opportunity for me and I am very excited about it.”
Herdman hit the ground running in Kamloops, quickly establishing himself as one of the best linebackers during the Lions’ rookie mini camp. He further impressed the coaching staff by not looking overwhelmed once the veterans reported. Herdman played better than what was expected of him based on where he was drafted and showed a willingness to play defence and special teams.
“We’ve had our eye on Jordan for a couple years now,” suggested Lions’ defensive coordinator Mark Washington. “Solly introduced us to him a couple years ago and through the draft process we were fortunate enough to get him and he hasn’t disappointed. Jordan has been a pleasant, pleasant, pleasant surprise. He is an incredibly smart football player and he is nearly assignment perfect. We have a lot of athletes but Jordan is a football player. He just goes out, puts his nose on the ball and makes plays.”
Jordan carried over his strong camp into the preseason, performing well in both of the Lions’ preseason contests. Some defenders lean heavily on their athleticism, but Jordon is a cerebral player and outwits his opponents. He has proven to be a quick study and Jordan has received praise from his coaches for his ability to anticipate.
“Jordan is someone I have known since 2014,” said Solomon Elimimian when describing his relationship with the Leos’ newest linebacker. “I had the chance to work with him when my brother was coaching at Simon Fraser, so I know his capabilities and he is a smart player. Jordan is a student of the game and is someone that is physical. He has come along really, really well and I am excited for his progress.”
Getting to play with Elimimian has long been a dream of Herdman’s. As mentioned, he was coached by Solomon’s brother, Abraham, at SFU and Solly would often stop by practice to provide some tutelage to the young linebackers. So naturally, it is surreal for Herdman to now be suiting up with someone he emulated during his college days.
“It’s great,” said Herdman on playing with Elimimian. “[Solomon] helped me out at SFU when his brother was the defensive coordinator. He really taught me a lot and now to work with him every day and see how he prepares, it’s invaluable as a young linebacker.”
Football runs in the Herdman family. Not only are Justin and Jordan earning a living playing the game they love, but their father, James Reed, played in the NFL and CFL. James, like his sons, played linebacker. After spending the 1977 season with the Philadelphia Eagles, James moved north of the 49th parallel. He spent four seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, one season with the Montreal Alouettes, one season with the Toronto Argonauts and one season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
“Football has been part of me pretty much since the day I was born, it’s in my blood,” said Herdman on his gridiron lineage. “Just having my father as a role model, he played in the league and can give me advice.”
It will be something of a family reunion for Jordan this weekend, as the BC Lions will be at BMO Field attempting to sink the Toronto Argonauts. Justin is currently on the Argos’ practice roster, but Jordan will suit up for the visitors on Friday. Kickoff will be at 4:00 pm PT, so make sure you tune in to TSN to watch the game or listen live on TSN 1040.
bhelberg@bclions.com