Six B.C. Lions who’ve taken their careers to the following degree this season

Some are rookies, some are vets and a few aren’t, however these 5 B.C. Lions have one factor in widespread — they’re having profession seasons.

Revealed Aug 02, 2023 • Final up to date 9 hours in the past • 5 minute learn

B.C. Lions halfback Emmanuel Rugamba skies over T.J. Lee and Winnipeg Blue Bombers receiver Nic Demski throughout a 2022 recreation at B.C. Place. Rugamba has taken his recreation to new heights this season. Picture by Darryl Dyck/CP /PNG

The B.C. Lions head to Winnipeg for a Thursday rematch (5:30 p.m., PT, TSN, AM730) with the Blue Bombers at IG Subject, the place wins are uncommon — however not not possible, as their 30-6 victory over the hosts confirmed in the course of the Leos’ final go to East.

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The Lions are buoyed by a depth and glut of expertise, together with 5 gamers who’re having standout seasons. They’re, in no explicit order:

1. Halfback Manny Rugamba

Emmanuel (Manny) Rugamba’s play is sort of as spectacular as his backstory, a journey that began in a Zambian refugee camp, then wended its means via New York, Chicago, Miami, the NFL, and eventually to B.C.

Rugamba joined the workforce forward of 2022, however didn’t get a begin till Week 10 after spending a lot of the yr on the observe squad. This season, he has been within the beginning lineup from the start.

He’s third on the workforce in tackles, and however leads the workforce with two somersault-to-Sukhasanas — the zen meditation pose he strikes after a sack.

2 and three. LBs Bo Lokombo and Ben Hladik

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The Lions launched Micah Awe in coaching camp in 2022 when it turned clear he wasn’t going to begin in B.C., the best way their roster ratio was being structured. He balled out for a season in Montreal, and this yr in Calgary is the CFL’s runaway chief in defensive performs with 61, together with a league-high in defensive tackles (58).

However the Lions aren’t pining over what could have been, as a result of the 2 Canadians they’re beginning at linebacker have been dynamic and efficient.

The ageless Bo Lokombo — who, at 32 now, has to take care of the retirement query from media at each coaching camp — is the highest Canadian tackler to this point in 2023. The 2021 Most Excellent Canadian has 41 defensive tackles, fifth general within the CFL, and fourth in whole tackles (43). He additionally has a decide and two sacks.

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Ben Hladik received his first style as a starter in 2022 when filling in for the injured Lokombo, and hasn’t let go of a beginning spot since. His 33 tackles trails solely Lokombo on B.C., and he additionally has a sack and a decide to this point in 2023.

Defensively, the Lions are deep and harmful, and the Canadian duo are an enormous a part of why the tean averages simply 67.3 rush yards towards.

4. RB Smoke Mizzell

Smoke lastly discovered that fireplace.

Taquan (Smoke) Mizzell put any inquiries to mattress whether or not he was the appropriate working again option to survive the coaching camp auditions with 81 yards in his first CFL recreation, and 93 yards the following. However a knee damage slowed him — he had simply 22 on six carries towards the Argonauts in Week 4 — earlier than stopping him fully for 3 video games, whereas Shaun Shivers confirmed off his expertise in his absence.

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BC Lions Taquan Mizzell is the workforce’s new No. 1 working again. STEVEN CHANG/BC Lions Picture by Steven Steven Chang /jpg

However when Mizzell made it again to the lineup, he was as electrical as ever, working 22 instances for 117 yards towards the Edmonton Elks, and catching two passes — one in every of them a 23-yard landing.

“You would inform the final short time that he simply wasn’t feeling proper,” mentioned offensive coordinator Jordan Maksymic. “However you may inform that first week that Smoke was again at observe that he was feeling it, he was contemporary and the legs had been feeling good. I had feeling about what we had been going to see (final Saturday), and he positively delivered within the run recreation.”

5. DL Mathieu Betts

Mathieu Betts has a pedigree: a two-time Vanier Cup champ with Laval, the place he turned the one USports participant to win 4 main particular person awards.

He has potential: He was the one CFL draftee to go to an NFL coaching camp in 2019, and he has labored out with the LA Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars within the offseason.

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And he has discovered the appropriate house: with the B.C. Lions.

The Edmonton Elks’ quarterback Taylor Cornelius (15) seems to make a cross underneath stress from the B.C. Lions’ Mathieu Betts (90) throughout first half CFL motion at Commonwealth Stadium, in Edmonton Saturday July 29, 2023. Picture by David Bloom Picture by David Bloom /David Bloom/Postmedia

Drafted by Edmonton, he turned a free agent after the 2021 marketing campaign. He had all of 12 defensive tackles with the Elks that season.

Now, in B.C., he’s flourishing. He had 26 tackles and 7 sacks in 2022. This yr, he already has 10, and is on tempo to interrupt the report for sacks by a Canadian set by Brent Johnson (17) in 2005 with the Lions.

However the 6-foot-3, 250-pounder is greater than a pass-rusher. He’s received a relentless motor and rallies to the ball like a shark after chum within the water, and is three off his profession excessive in tackles set final yr.

6. WR Alex Hollins

It was Week 15 of the CFL season, and Alex Hollins had been on the observe squad all yr. When Fortunate Whitehead went down with a foot damage, Hollins was tapped on the shoulder to come back in.

His first goal, his first reception, his first catch in a recreation went for 33 yards and a landing towards the Toronto Argonauts. Hollins would show to be too good to maintain out of the lineup.

B.C. Lions new receiver Alexander Hollins at Toronto. Handout picture from B.C. Lions. Picture by Steven Chang BC Lions /jpg

The Lions had three 1,000-yard receivers final yr, however in 2023, the one one on tempo for quadruple-digit yards is the 26-year-old from Mississippi. Hollins has caught 32 of 43 targets for 459 yards — all workforce highs — together with two TDs.

Whereas B.C. could lead the league in receiving yards, Hollins is the one one in every of a supremely gifted cadre to be within the prime 15.

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“You would inform going again to final coaching camp and the time that he spent on the PR, simply form of biding his time on there, ready for a possibility that when he did get that chance, he was going to be receiver for us,” mentioned offensive coordinator Jordan Maksymic. “After which late final yr, when that chance got here, he stepped up and he delivered. He was an enormous a part of our low season plan and we had been very enthusiastic about what he was going to do that yr, and he positively did reside as much as these expectations.”

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Six B.C. Lions who’ve taken their careers to the following degree this season

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