TORONTO — For as long as they can remember, the Herdman twins were inseparable, the football-playing brothers sharing just about anything and everything.

Metaphorically, one can say they were joined at the hip.

In a perfect sporting world, the two products of Simon Fraser would have been drafted by the same CFL club, sharing a dorm room together at training camp, both showing enough mettle to crack the opening-week roster.

Justin Herdman would get taken by the Argos, followed by Jordan, whom the B.C. Lions would select, brothers born two minutes apart but now separated, one out East, the other out West.

Justin Herdman had quite the debut in last Thursday’s pre-season opener, recording two defensive tackles, one special teams tackle and a sack.

One never knows how any roster, let alone an Argos roster that is dotted with so many new faces, will eventually look, but Justin Herdman hasn’t looked out of place.

Gifted Canadian players tend to head south. In the CFL, Canadians toil on special teams in their rookie season.

But on this side of the border, special teams are just as important as any defensive stand or offensive drive. Cover units and return units are usually made up of young, athletic Canadians mixed in with the right blend of Americans.

There’s no way of knowing what the future holds for Justin Herdman, but anyone who watches practice can see how he’s leaving everything out on the field.

Justin, as you might expect, maintains a long-distance relationship with Jordan. Postmedia caught up with them during a phone interview.

Both are being auditioned at middle linebacker at their respective teams.

The No. 52 is dear to their hearts, a number Ray Lewis wore during his distinguished run in the NFL.

The person who introduced the brothers to football and established the foundation was their father, James Reed, himself a football player who also lined up at linebacker.

A Texan by birth, James Reed went to Philadelphia in the NFL before he landed in the CFL with Winnipeg, where the Herdman twins were born.

“We were three years old when our dad introduced us to football”, began Justin. “That was the first time we (Jordan) played together. We were just having fun and as we got older we put the pads on for the first time when we were 10.

“Eventually, we knew we’d be split up and create our own path to travel. I’m excited, though, to be in different spots for the first time. We always talk, always communicate with each other, we always offer advice to each other, pushing each other to get better.”

James Reed played professionally for nine years, including a tenure in Toronto with the Argos.

Reed wasn’t in attendance Thursday night and there was no broadcast of the game, depriving the family patriarch of watching Justin in action.

Justin’s smart, has versatility and plays with passion. He leads by example and always studies his playbook.

As good as everything looks, football is a business and the CFL is a numbers game.

But players such as Justin Herdman deserve applause and there should always be a place on a roster for such high-quality individuals.

Herdman doesn’t get many reps, but he understands the importance of mental reps.

He looks like a keeper, but it remains to be seen how the Argos manage their roster with Friday’s exhibition finale in Hamilton drawing closer and the season opener that awaits at BMO Field on June 25 against the Ticats.