BC Lions Thread

[jerrym]

In the following video, DL Shawn Lemon comments on adjusting to the Lions defence since being traded from the Argos as he gets ready for his first game as a Lion.

https://www.bclions.com/2018/08/01/t...you-see-on-tv/

[jerrym]

Our thoughts are with family & friends of former #BCLions guard Bob Brady who has passed away at the age of 86. Bob suited up for us from 1956-60 and was later a key figure for the Arthritis Society and board member at @ShaughnessyGolf Club where he also served as president. #RIP pic.twitter.com/lPJXrp3z13

— BC Lions (@BCLions) August 4, 2018

[jerrym]

While Lulay has only played two games, he leads the CFL in average completion yardage (13.5) and is going deeper more often than Jennings. Lulay, in his two games, hit for 292 yards and 2 TDs on 23 passes over 20 yards compared to three completions over 20 yards for 115 yards in total and one TD in three games for Jennings.

[jerrym]

Manny Arceneaux reached the 8,000 yard in receptions (8,002) against Calgary putting him third all-time on the BC Lions list of receivers behind only Geroy Simon and Jim Young.

[jerrym]

At #BCLions practice: Offence takes another potential hit. TB Jeremiah Johnson re-aggravated ankle injury in Calgary and doesn’t practice. Chris Rainey back to work. It’ll likely be Travon Van and Rainey vs. Edmonton Thur. More on #3DownRadio on #TSN1040 Tues. 6-8p

— Lowell Ullrich (@FifthQtr) August 6, 2018

[jerrym]

BC continues its attendance decline this year, falling from 20,182 in the home opener to 19,541 to 17,745 yesterday. The concerns about the three biggest CFL cities' attendance keep growing.

[jerrym]

Rainey's 185 return yards, including a 79 yard punt return TD, have put first in kickoff return yards with 608 yards and first KO return average at 26.4 yards for those having more than five KO returns and third in punt return yardage with 390 yards.

[jerrym]

Travis Lulay discusses the importance of Thursday's win and compares it to the 0-5 2011 Lions start:

“I remember being 0-5 and thinking, ‘Man, we’re better than 0-5,’” said the Lions quarterback. “I think what happens is losing, in general, becomes a habit, and it’s a scary habit. You almost default to that position.
“A lot of times the difference between an average team and a good team is self-belief. It’s hard to find but it makes a huge difference when you find it.” ...

In 2011, the Lions found that belief. They also found their way to the Grey Cup. In 2018 they’re still searching, but they appeared to take a step toward whatever they’re looking for on Thursday night at B.C. Place Stadium. ...

“You talk about being close and believing you’re better, but you get sick of talking about it,” Lulay said. “Somewhere along the line you have to prove it. For the standings and keeping pace in the West, (the win) was important. But for the psyche of the football team, that belief is more important.” ...

https://vancouversun.com/sports/foot...9-7d8348fac247

[jerrym]

Former Argo Kevin Elliott who led Lion receivers with 79 yards on five receptions last week talks about coming to the CFL for the first time with the Argos, his return to the CFL and his upcoming game against the Argos this week.

His patience and dedication to football were evident right before he put pen to paper on his Lions contract this year. After firing his agent, the skilled receiver represented himself and made his own phone calls to General Managers across the league. He found one big fan in Ed Hervey.
“Ed was the first one to call me back,” says Elliott. “We had a long talk, they gave me the opportunity and I’m forever grateful for that. Once I reported to mini-camp in April, I approached it like I was a rookie all over again. It (acting as his own agent) was a really big eye-opener. I have a son on the way. I have no time to waste so it taught me how to be self-absorbent, negotiate and have the confidence to speak to GMs.” ...

Elliott landed with the Buffalo Bills in 2013 before a torn ACL helped derail his hopes of building on what he accomplished with the Jaguars. After a brief stop in the now-defunct Fall Experimental Football League (FXFL), the Florida A&M product found his way in Toronto Argonauts training camp in 2015 with some fellow CFL newbies who would eventually make an impact themselves.
“Myself, Dionte Spencer, Vidal Hazelton and Kevin Fogg all played in the FXFL together,” recalls Elliott. “It just so happened I ended up on the same team as Dionte and Vidal. That transition worked well because we were all just happy to be playing football. That’s why you saw the results the first year in Toronto. It was just about going out there and having fun.” ...

Going back to the big smoke this weekend carries some extra weight, not only because he has a chance to show his first CFL team he can still do it at a high level. ...

“I can’t wait to get back there. I love playing on that grass so it will be a nice little homecoming.”

https://www.bclions.com/2018/08/13/p...tt-makes-mark/

[jerrym]

Shaq Johnson, who was second in reception yardage among Canadians in only his second year in the league in 2017 and is also a deep threat, is from Brampton. He's going to have 35-40 family and friends at the game against the Argos this week and he said it would be a big thing if he could score in front of them. His contract is up at the end of the 2018 season. I'd love to see the Argos sign him, if he is available in free agency and the price is not too high.

[jerrym]

International LB Micah Awe, who the Lions released in January to sign with the New York Jets, has resigned with BC after being cut by the Jets in April and failing to catch on with another NFL team. Awe, known for his hard and sometimes late hits, received the maximum fine for a late hit on Messam last year and was even chastised by his HC, Wally Buono, for his late hits.

[jerrym]

Wally Buono's story is one that typifies the strength that diversity brings Canada, for he is an immigrant. It is also similar story to that of many other immigrants - a hard-scrabble struggle before finding success.

https://www.cfl.ca/2018/08/08/buono-...r-looked-back/

[jerrym]

Micah Awe describes why pursuing the NFL dream can often be very far from what one thought it would be.

The well-spoken outside linebacker, who on Monday returned to the B.C. Lions with a new contract after four months of pigskin purgatory following his release by the New York Jets, has a degree in petroleum engineering. ...

The resulting uncertainty and politics of chasing another NFL dream — he was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2016 pre-season — pushed Awe to the sidelines and tested his mettle. He couldn’t get an engineering job. He drove for Uber and delivered Amazon and Whole Foods products in Chicago. ...

“It has definitely been a journey,” Awe said Tuesday. “I kind of went to the wilderness for more than 40 days and 40 nights. I just wanted to make sure that B.C. would give me an opportunity to go and sign with the Jets, and whether I got an opportunity with them, it is what it is.
“If anything, it only fuelled the fire so deep in me that they (Jets) didn’t give me a chance past the third day of the draft, and they gave it to some college kid. In my eyes, that’s motivation.”
Awe could have waited until the opening week of the NFL regular season to see how the roster landscape unfolds. Instead, he kept in touch with Lions management and occasional conversations became more regular.
“You can’t predict the future,” said the six-foot, 221-pound Texas Tech product. “The one thing about being a professional athlete is that you have no control at all. One day B.C., the next day the Jets and the next day nothing. ...

“I couldn’t get an engineering job,” added Awe. “Every person I called — am I supposed to tell them I’ll be here for six months because the Jets or B.C. or another team might call? They teach you to be a student athlete in Division 1 football, and in real life how realistic is that?
“I had to do Uber and Amazon deliveries and that was tough. I was in potholes and all sorts of things and I saw all sorts of things — it was an eye-opening experience for a Texas suburb boy. I’ve never been in that situation.”

https://theprovince.com/sports/footb...er-amazon-gigs

[jerrym]

Buono's summary of the loss to the Riders:

🎥"When you can't make plays, you must not have the right guys."

POST GAME: @CoachBrillo on the loss to Sasktchewan. pic.twitter.com/9M47qXvWGA

— BC Lions (@BCLions) August 26, 2018

[jerrym]

BC has another major problem now that Manny Aceneaux is gone for the rest of the season with a torn right ACL.

[jerrym]

Facing the loss of BC's leading receiver, Manny Arceneauux, Buono makes the best of a bad situation by comparing the situation to the loss of the loss of the Lions' leader on defence, Solomon Elimimian. It was National Jordan Herdman won took over Elimimian's job.

Arceneaux is a main target for quarterback Travis Lulay and, maybe even more importantly, a defining personality for the B.C. offence. Buono, the Lions head coach, was quick to say that he thinks the Lions defence “has rallied” since losing star middle linebacker Solomon Elimimian (wrist) in mid-July.
Elimimian, the 2014 CFL Most Outstanding Player, remains on the Lions’ six-game list.
“It’s a very, very similar situation,” said Buono. “The defence is playing hard.

“There are veterans on defence. You have to give a lot of kudos to Odell Willis for what he’s done (with Elimimian out). Shawn Lemon has been vocal since he’s joined our team. We have veterans on offence, too. The offensive line are veterans. The receiving corps are veterans. The running backs are veterans.
“This gives somebody else an opportunity to get a little bit more of the limelight, and there’s also nothing wrong with bringing other guys into more of a leadership role. Guys can step up.”

https://theprovince.com/sports/footb...hout-elimimian

[jerrym]

The Lions are holding open tryouts in Dallas and Seattle on September 1st and 9th respectively.

https://www.bclions.com/opentryouts/

[jerrym]

Arceneaux faces uncertain future with #BCLions after season-ending ACL injury. New @3DownNation https://t.co/oyVg3nHrYg https://t.co/oyVg3nHrYg

— Lowell Ullrich (@FifthQtr) August 28, 2018

[jerrym]

The Lions have signed former Stampeder National WR Anthony Parker. In seven years with Calgary, the 28 year old Parker had 2,245 yards in reception and 15 TDs, including 482 yards and 3 TDs last year.

[jerrym]

Chris Rainey appears to be in Wally Buono's doghouse despite leading the league in combined yardage. Buono has sat Rainey through the first two days of practice this week.

Buono has not exactly tried to bat aside the notion Travon Van will take his place in the lineup against his former Ottawa Redblacks teammates when the Lions return after their third bye week Friday.

Rainey started the week leading the CFL with 1,525 yards and has previously stated a goal of 5,000 this season based on his contributions on both offence and special teams. ...

But the split load has caused the Lions issues ever since Rainey was signed as a free agent discard in 2015 of the Montreal Alouettes and for the time being at least their patience has run out.
Defences have keyed on the Florida speedster when he has joined the offensive huddle, and the Lions have been unable to make him a successful decoy. Position coaches have stated Rainey can cause issues with his alignment and assignment errors, which is having a ripple effect throughout the offence.

However the Lions are even more concerned that Rainey has not been aggressive enough returning kicks and failed to utilize his speed to attack holes on special teams. Rainey is fourth among kick return specialists in the league so far this year, averaging 12.4 yards per return, having broken only one of 36 touches for a touchdown and two runs over 30 yards.
A fumble on a punt return attempt in the Lions’ loss to Saskatchewan, which led to three of the 10 points the Riders scored off turnovers, hasn’t hurt his cause either.

http://3downnation.com/2018/09/04/cl...-not-forecast/